Chapter 11 Hugh J. Mark.
“Are you sure you are ready to leave?” Isaac asked Lenna. It was an hour before their caravan was supposed to leave the city and he wanted to be one hundred percent sure that she was put back together enough for an adventure. After her level up ordeal, the thought of going on a three day long caravan trip would have been a daunting task for most, not for Lenna.
“Yes, again, Isaac, I am fine. At worst I am still a little tired but rest can be had in the back of a wagon.” She assured him.
Isaac scoffed. “Like you are going to sleep while the outside world passes you by.” He replied.
“Isaac, I’ll hardly be able to see anything. It will be far too bright for me.” She reminded him.
“That is why I got this.” Isaac declared and pulled a black parasol out of his Inventory. “This should help at least a little.”
Lenna smiled warmly at him for the forethought. “Thank you.” She told him and took it. She was about to try and put it in her bottomless bag when she noticed that it didn’t close. “Isaac, it doesn-” She began but stopped when he put his hand on hers.
“I know.” He replied with an apologetic shrug. “I’ll just have to keep it for you.”
Lenna narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you do that on purpose?” She wondered.
“Do what?” Isaac asked innocently.
“You got one that you would have to hold so I would need you to get it for me every time.” Lenna accused him lightheartedly.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Isaac replied with a barely suppressed smirk.
—
“Are you sure you are alright to be up and about, my Lady?” Margaret questioned Lenna as the duo were about to leave.
“Yes.” Lenna said with a roll of her eyes. “I will be fine. It is you who I am worried about.”
“My Lady has nothing to worry about. Your friend seems very unique, but reliable, and I have heard whispers about my Lady’s family that lives under the wizard’s tower. We will be fine.” Margaret assured her.
“Yes,” Martha interjected herself into the conversation. “we can handle it.” The little one agreed. “My Lady.” She then added after a moment as she realized she hadn’t said it yet.
“Thank you, Martha, I feel better already.” Lenna told the little one before she turned back to Margaret. “If you need anything,”
“Yes, they know who to talk to and where to go.” Isaac cut her off. “Margaret, we are entrusting everything to you and trust you to handle it.”
“Of course, my Lord. Everything will be as you left it upon your return.” Margaret assured him.
“Good, then we will be off.” Isaac said and turned to leave.
“Have a safe trip.” Martha told them brightly. “Come back soon.”
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Lenna couldn’t help but chuckle at how adorable their little maid was. “I can guarantee that it won’t be safe, so how about something different?” Lenna offered the little one.
“What?” Martha questioned.
“A fun trip and a safe return.” Lenna replied.
Martha nodded. “Have a fun trip and return safe, my Lady.” She spoke with a bow.
“We’ll try.” Lenna assured her and then joined Isaac.
“Madeline,” Isaac said before they left, which got the older daughter’s attention.
“Yes, my Lord?” She asked.
“Take good care of the garden for me, and make sure to keep some of the flowers for yourself.” Isaac told her before he walked through the threshold.
—
“Thank you for joining us. Your presence takes a whole load of stress off our shoulders.” The man who was in charge of the wagon train said by way of greeting the duo upon their arrival. “I am Hugh J. Mark. I run a little transporting business that unfortunately seems to attract a lot of bandits and other unsavory sorts. Hopefully, with a pair of the Adventurers’ Guild’s finest along, we will be able to stay out of trouble. It was a nightmare just getting here in one piece.”
Isaac couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s name but luckily the man just took it as a greeting. “I wouldn’t expect our presence to stop any attacks before they happen, but we can guarantee that your attackers won’t survive the attempt.” Isaac told him. “Hopefully with as little damage to the caravan as possible.”
Hugh did not seem to take the addendum to Isaac’s assurance with even a hint of humor and simply scrunched his face. “Please, I cannot pay you if the shipments don’t make it.” Hugh replied.
“Getting paid is half the point.” Isaac assured him. “Now, are we ready to head out?”
Hugh took a moment to adjust to the new topic of heading out but then nodded. “Yes. Everyone is ready.” He replied. “Do you have horses?”
“No, we’ll need a ride.” Isaac explained.
“I see.” Hugh replied with a look that spoke of doubt in his decision to accept the adventurers the guild had sent his way. “You can ride in the front wagon behind Ellie Zakson, she’s my second in command and could use another set of eyes up front. She doesn’t have great eyesight, you see.”
“I do.” Isaac replied and then added in a whisper that Lenna barely heard: “But she doesn’t.”
“What was that?” Hugh asked.
“I’ll take watch.” Isaac said to cover what he had whispered to Lenna. “My wife will need a little while to adjust to the brightness of the surface.”
Hugh nodded as he looked at Lenna’s entirely armored form. “I see.” He replied. “I’ll go let Ellie know and then you can ride in her wagon until we either stop for lunch or run into trouble.” He told them.
“Sounds good.” Isaac replied with a nod and then watched the tanned man with balding dirty-blonde hair walk away. Hugh was a lithe man who looked like the reason he had stayed skinny, despite countless hours sitting on a bench guiding horses down dusty roads, was because he opted to ration his food to save on money. It was clear that Hugh J. Mark was not in as good of a monetary place as he otherwise should have been.
“What?” Lenna asked Isaac. She had noticed something slightly off with Isaac.
Isaac shook his head. “Nothing, something about these people just makes me feel like we are going to be riding along with a comedy routine.” He explained. “Anyway, let’s get comfortable. We’ve got a lot of bumpy hours ahead of us.”
“Do you think the girls will be alright?” Lenna asked as they walked towards the front wagon.
“They have Fen and Lenny looking out for them. If anything happens that those two cannot handle, then Alexander or Jala will call or come get us. Have faith in our minions.” Isaac told her.
Lenna snorted a laugh. “Our minions?” She parroted. “Fen would have a stroke if he ever heard you say that.”
“Lenny already knows he is one. A very famous, very strong and decently paid one, but still a minion.” Isaac replied casually. “But yeah, probably best no one ever tells Fen that he is a minion.”
“Am I a minion?” Lenna asked innocently.
“Absolutely not.” Isaac replied. “You are an accomplice.” Lenna laughed and reveled in the humorous beginning to their first real excursion.
—
The trip out of Safeharbor and through the dwarven fortress was simple and straightforward but slow. At each juncture money was paid and wagons were given a quick glance over. The speed that the checks were done was a testament to the ease of which items and people could be smuggled into and out of the city. The road was bumpy and the wagon did little to keep from transferring every bump and rock into the passengers directly. The woman that the duo were set to ride with was a quiet woman with pale skin, a wide brimmed hat that hid almost all of her white hair, a crooked back, and a heavy squint. The lack of sagging in her cheeks made her look about forty but everything else about her would put her somewhere around seventy. Her light brown eyes always seemed out of focus as she guided the wagon which made Isaac a little wary about their driver. He did not expect that someone that would guide horses into a wall would be permitted to take the lead wagon, but it still made him a little uneasy.
Soon enough the horses were taking their first steps out into the world under the cloudy early winter sky. The air was finally as cool outside as it was underground and the cloud cover helped Lenna actually get to look around. Even so, she was forced to squint. The trees that had been brilliant and emerald in color the last time Isaac had seen them were cast in muted greens from the cloudy sky but still seemed to radiate life. Maybe it was his attunement with darkness but the incredible density of life, of the forest just outside of the cold stone cavern that he called home, was absolutely breathtaking.
“It is incredible.” Lenna whispered to Isaac.
Isaac nodded as he took in the brilliant majesty of life that covered everywhere the eye could see. “Yes, yes it is.”