Tim's warning was a bit of rain on the fire of Jak's excitement, but he knew Tim meant well. They spent the next few days in a rhythm. They would walk along the trail throughout the day, hunt or gather in the afternoon, and Alya would practice playing with fire in the evenings. All the time, Jak practiced holding his aura inside him. It was a shock to Jak how much brighter the world looked. The sky seemed bluer, the grass a more verdant shade of green, and many woodland critters would scurry across their path. Hunting was much easier for Jak. In the past all animals seemed to avoid him before they even knew he was there. He'd had to work hard and become very skilled at creeping through the forest, just to get close to anything. Now, using those same honed skills but with his aura withdrawn, Jak came so close to a rabbit he could almost reach out and grab it with his hand.
Walking along, it hit Jak suddenly one day, that the "curse" he thought he had was simply his aura. The mage back in his village couldn't heal the smith, just as Alya couldn't move fireballs around while Jak's aura was out. It was as simple as that.
That meant the villagers were right, and Jak had killed the man, in a roundabout sort of way. Jak pondered on how he felt about that. He hadn't meant the man harm, and he certainly wouldn't do it again, now that he could control it. He wondered if he should be ashamed, weeping over the loss of life, but he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. Surviving with his sister, drifting from village to village, living in the forest occasionally, he didn't have the luxury to feel those kinds of emotions. He glanced at the others. Tim had tucked his thumbs in the straps of his backpack, and was looking at the sky and whistling a tune. Alya was holding Ash in her arms, feeding him strips of dried venison. Jak didn't enjoy killing, or causing harm, but he realized he was very at peace to do it again, to care for this family. He didn't know why Tim was so kind to them, but to Jak, who had faced a lifetime of cold rejection, he now saw Tim as a brother. Someone worth fighting for.
After several days of walking, they eventually came to a small group of huts next to a river. Half a dozen men were loading crates from a cart onto a long flat boat. It was a floating platform, with piles of crates and a few passengers, waiting for the men to finish. Seeing the boat was close to leaving, Jak, Tim, and Alya sprinted to get there before the men finished loading. They met the captain, a tall man with a wide moustache and a silver tooth.
"'Ello lads, miss," the captain said with a glance at the boys and a nod to Alya. "My name's Silverbeard, on account of me having a silver tooth." Jak blinked, trying to make sense of that. "You'll want passage to Makerstown, I suppose? That'll be one gold from each of you. The dog too." The captain's eyes lingered on the glowing tuft of fur on Ash's forehead.
Jak's face fell, he hadn't thought about this. He and Alya had never held a gold coin in their lives. The villages used mostly a simple trade system. You give a man a squirrel you caught, he'd give you a bucket of milk. He was wondering if he could ask to scrub the deck clean as payment, when Tim stepped forward and deposited four golden coins in the captains outstretched hand. The captain smiled greasily, and gestured for them to board.
They stepped onto the boat and found a space between crates where they could settle down. "Listen," Jak began to say, "we'll pay you back as soon as we can—"
"Nonsense," Tim said, taking out the deerskin they had collected a few days ago. It was a bit smelly, none of them knew how to properly tan a hide, but it was warm and soft. There was some straw lying around, so Tim gathered it into a pile and put the deerskin on top, making a comfortable seat. He sat down with a sigh. "Consider it payment for this wonderful seat. And for the food and protection and good stories along the journey." Tim looked at Jak. "Really, I should be the one owing you."
"Owing me? But without you we would never have even discovered..." Jak gestured at himself and Alya and made motions with his hands that Tim supposed were meant to mean the aura manipulation they'd been practicing. Tim smiled.
"I guess we make a great team then, helping each other out. Let's make a deal, I won't keep score if you don't." He held out his hand, and Jak hesitantly shook it.
"Deal. We'll help each other out. No keeping score."
The men finished loading and loosened the knots holding the boat to the dock. The large platform drifting along with the river's current, steered by long poles that the workers thrust into the water, pushing off the bottom of the river. After an hour or so, the captain came over to chat. He seemed friendly, but Jak didn't like the way he kept glancing at Ash. The pup had curled up next to Tim on the makeshift deerskin couch, and whimpered occasionally as the platform dipped and bobbed in the water. Jak got the feeling that this boat ride might not last much longer. The captain's eyes held a greed that dwarfed the eyes of the merchants that tried to take Tim's lightstick. Jak suddenly noticed that several of the workers had stopped pushing with the poles, and were standing nearby looking innocent. Jak's hand crept slowly towards his club, wondering how they could defend against so many men.
"I say, young lad!" The voice shook the tension out of the moment, as one of the passengers strolled up to the children. "What a delightful puppy you have! Is that a moonwolf? Very rare, very rare." The captain and his workers had all gone still, not sure what to make of this newcomer. "Are you traveling to the academy, by any chance? Some of our elite guards have dog companions, but none as powerful as a moonwolf." At mention of the academy, the workers shifted uneasily. They didn't want to mess with high magic. The man kept chatting about Ash, and how well he would fit in with the Elite Guard program at Elwind. One by one, the workers drifted away, picked up poles, and went back to steering the platform. Eventually the old man sighed and his voice dropped much quieter. "It is not wise, to show riches without having the strength to defend them. May this be your first lesson, young crafters. You are indeed going to the academy, hmm?" Jak and Tim nodded, while Alya stared at the old man.
"Are you a mage?" She asked bluntly. The man chuckled and gave her a wink.
"I'm something." He replied. "Now, it's a little against rules for me to talk with you before you are officially in the academy, so I won't linger, but here is some advice. If you have a strong aura, hide it. If you have a magical weapon," his eyes flicked to Jak's club, "cover it. And if you have a magical beast... well, you get the gist. No matter how big a fish gets, there will always be a bigger fish, so it's better to be discreet. Good day to you, I do hope to see you soon." With that, the man went back to the other side of the platform.