Anh pondered. He pondered the passage of time. He pondered the shapes and distribution of wood grain in the planks making up the walls of the cabin he and Brandt occupied. He also pondered the exact geometric center of said cabin as well as what was the threshold of insanity for the average tanai. The hoomin was gone, busy with something mundane, and left tanai here. In this creaking room on this… prison on water. And strongly discouraged him from being the nuisance.

-*I’m bored* - moaned Greoo

-*I know. We all know* - replied Thernohh

-*Two days, seven and a third candles* - chimed Birdekk

-*What?* - asked Tow

-*Quota of time before we arrive at Katzburg*

Three days had passed since they left Isdelburg and in the beginning, the ship and its inhabitants promised a lot of new things to discover, measure, and describe. Starting with the inner workings of the ship they were traveling on. The “Bertha” slowly and steadily moved upstream, usually under power provided by a resident hexergist.

Anh went there almost immediately after embarking, to see how it all worked. This was supposed to be the most exciting part. The machine room turned out to be a simple chamber located well astern the ship and filled with a complicated set of wooden axles and gears, which terminated in a metal sprocket driving a steel chain on one end of the set, and a heavy spoked wheel on the other. It's this wheel that the hexergist exerted his kinetic powers on. Anh hoped to have an enlightened conversation with the fellow practitioner of the Art, but the man turned out to be even less of a conversationalist than Brandt. Half naked, with a dense network of scars covering his torso and arms, he spent his time sitting between the wheel and a small metal furnace, unmoving and staring at a single point in the distance, in an almost catatonic state. A few brief moments of clarity were all used up drinking, eating, and wiping the sweat.

A deckhand accompanying him, a maargardian boy aged maybe fifteen, wasn't much better. His duties comprised shoveling coal into the furnace, applying goose fat to the bearings and cogs, and serving the hexergist. Otherwise, he'd disappear in the corner for an extended time. Coincidentally, as Anh had noticed, a fresh breeze emanated from that particular corner, providing much-needed cooling and air to breathe.

The tanai survived only a couple of quanters there. Between the stench, the noise of machinery, the sweltering heat, and the almost menacing silence of the inhabitants, it was all too much. He hastily sketched the workings of the mechanism and then left.

When asked about it, "Bertha's" captain just shrugged.

-"Oh, zey belong to ze Erstpaladinerantriebzunft. Zey are no hexerz."

After that disappointment, Anh attempted to entertain himself by playing around with the sextant. He owned the device for many years, ever since it was given to him as a gift, but most of the time it served as a decoration of the part of his bookshop dedicated to all things nautical. Under the influence of Thernohh, he decided to take the device with him, alongside a copy “Marinvm Navigatorvm Absolvto (IVE)” by Rkac - Shriokhral - Trael - Figoor - Krmaluk - Ypurv. After a few candles of reading and then practicing, he came to the main deck at high noon, then floated around, and tinkered with the tool. Pulling its levers and doodads and trying to interpret its result. Almost as a byproduct of the process, he became something of a spectacle for the crew and other passengers, but it was a matter to be safely ignored.

On the second day, he repeated the sextant ritual and then, again under the influence of Thernohh and the book, he spent most of the afternoon assessing the speed of the barge using scraps of cloth dropped at the bow and then counting the drips it took them to reach the stern.

Of course, the measured speed was fairly inaccurate, since the river didn't stay in one place, so to correct the error, he floated off the barge to evaluate the water flow, but after the unnecessary commotion which stirred the crew to action among shouts of 'man overboard' he decided that he was done with this activity for the day.

Third day he spent gloomily sorting through his sizable stack of papers - again - and optimizing the way their gear was stored, resulting in 8.63% increase in floor space. All this because Brandt categorically forbade him from leaving the cabin until evening, muttering something about inappropriate excess of excitement among the crew and wishes for one day ("One day!" - he said) without undue interruptions.

On the fourth day, however, he exhausted all obvious entertainment venues and activities. After cataloging all the crates twice and arranging all the guards and sailors by height, weight, and worn equipment with an added ordinal to each, there was very little to do. What was even more annoying, this seemed to be fine with Brandt. The hoomin spent his time either out on the deck, standing on the prow watching the world go by, or in the cabin, reading through the translations or poring over maps. Or having a nap.

The last part is something all of Anh’s kinfolk started to be jealous of. After doing anything they could to stay busy and read all the books they had, thrice, having an update of their position every candle the boredom was becoming untenable. Having an option to just turn his thinking ‘off’ for a couple of hours was looking mightily interesting.

There wasn’t even anyone to talk to. Mr. Zerster treated him like a piece of furniture. Not that he was rude or anything, far from it, but it wasn't much more than a polite acknowledgment of existence. Every attempt at communication was met with barely concealed indifference as if the hoomin had decided that everything worth saying had already been said. Apart from the Nord, there were still the soldiers and sailors, but for one: they didn’t seem to be good partners for an intellectual inquiry, and two: even if they somehow were, Brandt was adamant that Anh should avoid all of those who had any form of a Fouring embroidered on their clothing.

There was one person however that was interesting. A tanai, in an actosian’s robes and affiliated with the Maargardian expedition. Anh saw them on the first day, and almost immediately went to chat them up. But then he saw Brandt's stern gaze of ‘no, you don’t’ and abandoned that thought.

-*I’m bored!* - once again exclaimed Greoo

-*Yes, we know* - calmly said Birdekk

-*Boooored!*

-*Count the knurls in the deck floor”

-*Four hundred and thirty-seven, give or take five*

-*We need to do something*- finally said Anh -*I’m going to talk to that actosian. Who’s with me? Figuratively, y’all going either way*

-*What about Brandt*- asked Birdekk, but his tone was one of poorly masked enthusiasm

-*We are going to be very, very secretive and not spill any damning things* - Anh and Greeo shrugged in unison - *besides, we need some entertainment, and I bet so do they*

-*Agreed!* - exclaimed the variunity

Anh straightened up and slowly floated out of the cabin, directly out to the main deck. It was a somewhat chilly evening, so typical to southern Maargard during early spring. The barge was already being lit by a few torches stuck on long poles along the sides. The crew was beginning to prepare to anchor it for the night. Considering all this activity though, it was eerily quiet. Sailors were performing their duties silently, in a well-orchestrated fashion. Certainly, they have done this numerous times. Some soldiers of the paladinate were wandering along the main deck, others were chatting propped on the sides of the barge, and the rest tended their equipment, cleaning and polishing their weapons and armor. Anh noticed his target at the prow, levitating with their legs crossed. Meditating, or praying. Most importantly, Brandt was nowhere to be found.

Closing the distance between him and the boat’s prow took Anh but a few drips.

-”Greetings” - Anh broke the silence - “It’s a long way from Tanais”

-*smooth*- chuckled Greoo -*you are a real charmer, domme*

-”It indeed is” - responded the tanai with a monotone, female timbre of their voice - “but I” - the tanai looked towards Anh, and after they noticed who they were speaking to, quickly corrected themselves - “we are not complaining. The world is a much more interesting place when experienced directly.”

They seemed to be forty-something. Their hair was auburn, slightly greying, and possibly tied into a ponytail, although that was not visible from under the hood of their robe. Like all tanai, their eyes were brownish but were a little more deeply set than usual. Their nose was somewhat more pronounced. Although, for many, most of them hoomin, she would be just ‘a tanai’.

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-*Well, that is unexpected*- commented Thernohh

-*Oh come on, some of ours like to travel*

-*Us?* - asked Tow

-*As a species, obviously, this variunity only travels to a privy* - smirked Thernohh -*and even then, only when it is absolutely necessary.*

-*With the church?* - said Thernohh sourly

-”We want to believe that, considering where we are” - said Anh - “but so far, we are mostly bored. Occasionally cold.”

-”To whos do we speak?, If we may inquire.”

-”We are Anh-Birdekk-Tow-Greoo-Thernohh, currently on a scientific expedition towards the unknown.”

-”We are Ksintsax-Gloor-Murta-Fiar. Currently trying to earn a ryal or two.” - there was a slow pause in their voice - “A few hundred would not hurt either.”

-*Interesting* - pondered Birdekk -*this implies they are not for ideological reasons*

-*At least, not solely*

-*Point taken*

-” Can we inquire whether you are mercenary?” - asked Anh - “We may not be the most traveled tanai out there, but yous don’t look like one.”

-” Not weathered out with poorly shaven face and teeth eaten by leaf?” - chuckled Ksintsax

-” That. Yes. Also, not hoomin, loud nor obnoxious.”

-*...and overly sexually aggressive.*

-*yes, that too*

Kisintsax chuckled a bit, then leaned their head to the side.

-”Yous got us. We are a spy, currently spying on a reason why we are here.”

-* Wouldn’t they need a black cape with an overly sized collar*- said Tow in a manner that was way more serious than it should be -*and kept sneaking about in the darkness*

-*I’ll ask them*- said Anh

-” Would not that imply yous’d need to wear a black cape” - said Anh, rubbing his nose, gesturing a rather comical amount of interest - ”cackle maniacally and never sneak out of the shadows?”

-” That would make our work overly difficult during the day.”

-” Well, light seems like a good spy deterrent. To be honest.” - Anh answered in a pretend serious tone

-” We do cackle from occasion to occasion”- continued Ksintsax

-“ Seriously though. If it’s not a secret, what does one of us do on a rickety boat somewhere in the middle of nowhere? We are asking this question with a disclaimer, that we are having heated discussions on this very subject ever since we set out on this journey.”

-” Are you getting to the answer?”

-” Not really.”

-” Well, It’s not a secret.” - Ksintsax hid their hands into the sleeves of their robe - “Considering the circumstances.” - they hung their voice for a moment - “and our attire, we guess. We hired ourselves as a Courser, on a mission to Katzburg.” - she said with a hint of sadness.

-* Whoa!* - exclaimed Birdekk -*if we were supposed to avoid the church people * then we just failed spectacularily *

-” The Vhirzung, we keep hearing about?” - inquired Anh

-” Well kind of. We are there to ensure that ‘soldaten’ don’t destroy anything of interest to my employer.”

-* I suspect, they need money to fund their expeditions to the Wildlands.* - said Tow -* I think we might have read a book by them, but can’t recall *

-* If that is true, I’m kind of impressed. Doing hands-on research? In the wildlands? Ask them domme. Please* - Greoo chimed in.

-” We are going to guess that you are researching the Wildmen, and need funds to go on expeditions. Are we correct?”

-” Yes, this is a very good guess indeed.”

-” We have to say, it is impressive. We needed to move once, and it was a traumatic experience. We need to inquire though. Isn’t it counterintuitive to research something solely to help it be quelled?”

A glimpse of grief could be read on Ksintsax’s face.

-” It indeed is. Sadly. But we are in this weird conundrum. The Maargard will expand west, all the way past Erendens and Hozants. The wildmen are doomed…”

-” Sounds like a cope” - sourly commented Tow

-”...but at least we can preserve their culture. There are more of them west. I am certain of it.”

-” How west?”

-” Hundreds, or even thousands of kimers. Way past what the paladinate can even fathom.”

-” So we suspect, yous want to travel there? As west as possible.”

-” For which we need funds, which we gather by working for people who actively destroy what we research. Yes.”

-” That is … tragic.”

-” We agree, but we were unable to find another way. What about yous?”

Anh retreated to his kinfolk for advice, this was a delicate matter to discuss, especially with someone working for the church, desptite their tragic predicament.

-* advice?*

-* tell them the truth*

-* obviously, just how much of it? * We can’t tell them we transcribed fourteen centuries-old precursorial documents *

-* tell them we are working for… some noble who found some old papers, and you are an expert * - suggested Tow

-* self deprecate a bit though *- chimed in Greoo -* we don’t want to come off as knowing too much*

-”Well”- said Anh in a troubled voice, which underlined how uneasy he was. The tanai was hoping the reason for this uneasiness would remain unclear - “We were hired as a budget expert on things. Our benefactor has found some documents…”

-” There you are!” - Brandt’s voice came sounding from behind - “I’ve been searching for you, ms Trawins.”

-” Them Ksintsaxii, my employer, mr. Brandt Zerster.”

Upon hearing hoomin’s surname, a brief expression of disgust flashed on Ksintsax’s face, quickly disappearing. This brief expression did not escape hoomin’s attention.

-” I am honored to meet you, Mr Zerster. Ksintsax Miur, rent-a-courser of the Ordo Cvirsore.”

-” Brandt Zerster.” - the hoomin bowed a little out of courtesy - ”Former senior parchment pusher for the Sheridawn Zerstbank.”

-” So, Mr Zerster. What are you after, dragging a tanai with you?”

-” For the sake of business, as you can imagine, I’m a Zerster “- said Brandt -” but the bank does not own me. Not any more.”

-*If she is noticing how well is he lying*- said Greoo, disgusted -*she is not showing it * i would *

-”My great grandfather”- continued Brandt -”allegedly changed it when he moved to Sheridawn and sold us to the bank. Our family came from the area of Katzburg, or so I read. The name is oth’ Senz.”

-” Interesting”

-” I found some documents about this in the family archive. Mr Trawins here transcribed and translated them.”

-” Are yous a linguist, Anhs?” - the courser asked

-” A librarian, and a bookworm. Currently also dabbling in print, copying and, since we started working with Mr Zerster, a translator.”

-” A noble profession” - said Ksintsax

-” As I said” - hoomin continued, unfazed - “ my ancestors were involved in the ‘Third Fouring Vhirzung’ in 1180. I have some history there, so with the help of Mr. Trawins here” - Brandt pointed at Anh - “I hope to rekindle my past.”

- ”Which, I bet, also means regaining some titles and land?” - sarcastically said Ksintsax.

-” Of course! There are over fourteen square kimers of woodland in my family name granted by Paladin Dietrich oth’ Schotke.”

-”Hoomin” - soundlessly said Ksintsax towards Anh -”Which is why you are going to Katzburg?”

-”Of course, with Mr Trawins here to aid with digging through the city archives.”

-”In that case, I’m going to return to my duties” - she said - “if you excuse me. This is a boat, but still, there is work to do.” - she bowed her head slightly towards Anh, and floated away. Brandt waited a little, until she was far away from them.”

-”Mr. Trawins” - he said sternly, albeit in a fairly low voice - “why are you doing what I forbade you to do?”

-*He is furious* - dryly said Greoo

-”I’m bored.” - Brandt seemed like he was about to explode, when he heard that, and Anh’s clueless tone didn’t seem to help.

-”Listen” - the hoomin finally said - “you are forbidden from speaking to anyone on this boat, unless it is me, until we disembark in Katzburg. I don’t care how bored you are. Find yourself something to do. Anything, except talking to anyone. Understood?”

-*He means it, we better comply* - commented Birdekk

Anh nodded towards the hoomin, who almost immediately left.