I had a feeling that the ‘bandits’ who attacked us must have arrived here by other means than just walking, and since the majority of them approached from the direction of the forest where I originally when looking for firewood I guessed that their mounts must have still been somewhere in this direction. I didn’t advance too quickly, knowing that there would be no need for me to fear the Jenusians looking for me for a while yet, and instead leisurely walked through the forest while keeping an eye out for any movement or sounds.
After about a fifteen minute walk, I stumbled across a clearing where over twenty horses were still standing, with many of them quite irritated as they while the length of their leads wasn’t too short, it still prevented them from getting any water to drink due to the absence of a body of water. I felt like a kid at a candy shop, there were over twenty horses and I would only need one for my journey, and the owners of these horses weren’t going to contest my claim to their property if I were to take even all of them. I was by no means a horse expert, but from speaking to the stablehand in Krilos who cared for Sorok and reading the book ‘Farrier’s Masterpiece’ I had an elementary understanding of whether a horse was healthy or not.
Out of all of the horses tied up at the clearing one stood above the rest, being about one human head larger than the others. An entirely brown stallion, of a slightly darker tone than my hair. It also was visibly in a better physical state than the others, with some of the horses there looking older or even sporting certain injuries on their bodies. Their overall vibe reminded me of the workhorses that would pull carts or wagons, but the bigger one gave off a similar kind of vibe as Sorok. My thoughts were confirmed when I noticed a brand on its rear bearing a number, this was a horse used specifically for travel. It seems not all of the men who attacked us had the luxury of riding a proper horse, and had to make do with workhorses which could still carry you to your destination, though at a reduced speed.
I felt it cruel to just take one horse and leave the others there to an inevitable death from thirst, hunger, or even a beast, so I freed nineteen of them after which they all scurried off in search of water. The last one remaining seemed to think that I would free it just like the others, and the look it was giving me hinted at a desire to be freed as well, I walked up to his front being careful to pat it on its neck to calm it all the while. The horse had a saddle just like the others, and a saddle bag but there was nothing inside of it, it seems the bandits traveled light.
I slowly untied the lead that was tethering the horse to a tree, after which it immediately tried to break free in search of water, true to its survival instincts. I maintained a firm grip, not letting it break free, and had the horse not been in a weakened state from dehydration it probably would have been successful. I mounted him quickly, which didn’t please the horse very much. I decided to make the first order of business finding a stream, as I knew of no rivers in the area. I was careful not to make him exert too much of his remaining strength, so we trotted eastwards for about an hour before a sound of running water caught my attention. I dismounted and led the horse to the water, and allowed him to drink his fill. I did have a waterskin in my possession still, but I had to save that for myself as this was water that I had painstakingly boiled myself, hopefully free of any malaise. The horse was an animal after all, and it should have been fine even if it drank fresh water from a stream. In the worst case scenario that it became ill or even passed away I would still be alive.
The length of time that it drank water was quite long, and as I looked at the stallion’s ever expanding belly I had to make sure that I hadn’t found a camel by mistake. After the horse drank its fill, it looked at me with a suspicious gaze, before trying to pull its way free to the meadow that was next to us. I understood its intention and loosened my grip on the lead, allowing it to eat as much as was necessary, we had quite the distance to travel after all.
A horse could theoretically sustain itself by just grazing if it didn’t have any tiring things to do, such as traveling or pulling a heavy weight such as a cart. Otherwise a horse would need feed, like oats for example, to give it enough nutrition and strength to remain in top shape. I had enough money for my travels at least to the border of the Jenusian Empire, with the bandits having surprisingly many silver crowns and even a few gold ones in their possession. I would have to feed the horse with something proper when passing by any towns and such, while letting it graze for an adequate period of time in rural stretches of the journey.
I also thought it best to give it a name, but the brand of ‘1734’ was too long for me to give him a similar name to Sorok so I just decided to call him ‘Des’, a short and simple name for a horse which I read in a book many years ago. While Des’ lead was firmly tied around my right hand, I examined what I had in my possession for the upcoming journey, and decided on a plan of action regarding my Journey.
I was currently within a few day’s ride of Krilos, approximately to the north-east of the capital. The shortest distance I could travel to leave the Empire would be to head directly east, where the Yas states and many other smaller Kingdoms and Duchies were located, all dependent on the Empire. If I were to do so then it would be quite easy for the Jenusians to find me, as this would be what someone with no detailed plan of escape would no doubt do. The alternative was to head south, which would take about double the time than the journey to the east. To the south of the Jenusian Empire, was the Tarli Kingdom, a country which, like a pendulum, switched between being friendly to the Jenusians to acting like a rebellious little brother, before finally returning to being friendly.
While a substantial detour, I thought the chances of being found by the Jenusians was lower if I headed south, and given the scale of the country and the massive population it wouldn’t be that difficult to blend into the crowd of travelers. On the way would be the city of Parnam, which I decided to avoid just in case one one of the guards would recognize me there. There was no shortage of smaller towns around, and they would be able to provide me with any supplies I would need.
At the end of my musings, Des was no longer eating and instead just stood docile, seemingly content with finally getting some water and grass in his belly. I mounted him once more and began traveling south along the stream, looking for any path that looked to be in use by others. Surprisingly, not one indicator of civilization appeared at any moment, but what I did find on the way was a dead bear, which was killed by another animal that ate a huge portion of its carcass. The bear was not as fearsome looking as ironclaw, but whatever killed it definitely wasn’t a pushover, the silver lining in this gruesome scene was that the body was already rotting, so this kill must have happened over ten days ago.
Des didn’t react as badly as I did to the horrid scene, he may be a grumpy horse but he doesn’t seem to be put off by carnage as much as I was. I decided to continue on my journey for as long as possible, and hopefully find signs of civilization before nightfall. I spotted a path a few hours later, which unfortunately did not lead south but instead went from east to west. I decided it would be best to find somewhere to hole up for the night, and headed east, not long after spotting a village.
The people there were very suspicious of me, and some of them even came out wielding pitchforks and flails, ready to defend their homes at any moment. My lack of armor, and the fact that I was a lone man meant that we could actually have a productive conversation instead of a fight. I convinced the village elder that all I wanted was somewhere to sleep for the night, and that I would pay a silver crown if I could also purchase some food for the evening, and tomorrow morning.
A family who looked to be somewhat better off than the others accepted my offer, and allowed me to stay in their wood and clay house for the night. They unfortunately didn’t have any oats to spare for Des though, so he would have to make do with just grazing until we reached a city. It was my first time dining with commoners and the food that was cooked by the wife of the family I was staying with was subpar at best, and downright revolting at worst. I munched it down regardless, and at the end of the dinner a child, who was excited by the presence of a visitor began to bombard me with questions.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
His father was quite embarrassed, apologizing profusely for the rudeness of his son but I reassured him that it was no bother. I decided for the sake of convenience that instead of making up some elaborate alias to go by, I would use my actual name ‘Lev’. I told them that I was living in the capital and am traveling eastwards to visit family, which cleared any suspicions they might have had against me. I answered the questions the curious child had about the capital, it seems it was his wish to travel there one day and witness a city which had over 400,000 people living within it.
I was allowed to sleep in their child's room for the night, while the boy was taken to sleep with his parents for a night. The family seemed happy enough to do so, the value of a silver crown for a night of room and board was a substantial sum for the villagers. In the morning, I woke up well rested, the bed of a village child too small for my size, but a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the cold ground. I was given some wheat porridge for breakfast, the same food that the rest of the family ate, and departed peaceably with Des a bit later.
I had found out from the family I was staying with that there was a town a bit to the east of here, where the villagers sold their produce to, and where I could finally get Des some proper oats. I headed east for a few hours, before the town of Kanom came into view. It was probably the smallest town I have seen thus far in Jenusia, but even with its size it must have at least one man willing to sell some oats. The guards at the gates were very lax, not bothering to check with me after noticing I didn’t carry any goods with me, and was just a traveler. I entered the city on food, leading Des with my lead, before spotting an inn right near the town’s entrance, with a stable for customers behind it.
The woman who ran the inn was most displeased when I informed her that I had no intentions of staying the night, and simply wanted to pay for feed for my mount. She was a natural-born saleswoman and tried almost every angle in existence to convince me to give her inn my patronage. Seeing I was still unwilling she satisfied herself with convincing me to stay for a meal. I was not the only patron here for food, and my curiosity got the better of me as I eavesdropped on some of the conversations going on at the tables around me.
Some men who were off-duty guards, were discussing their plans for the evening, and their conversation eventually turned in a more lascivious direction. The men were discussing which of the girls at a nearby brothel they would visit, which seems to be a favorite pastime of many men in Jenusia. I recalled when in Krilos Max, Louis, and I were approached on the street of the trade district by women in revealing garb, wearing wigs or sporting colored hair in unnatural colors. It seems even Kanom is no stranger to such sights, with one man in particular overly enthusiastic about a blue-haired woman who he had visited on many previous occasions.
The appeal of a brothel was missed by me, but the mention of the different hair colors struck a chord with my plans for escape. There was no such thing as wanted posters in Jenusia, but in the mercenary guild in Krilos I remember seeing descriptions of wanted men which described their average height, where they hailed from and what accents they spoke with, and also their hair and eye color.
If I could obtain some hair-dye then it would make me no longer match my normal appearance in at least one aspect should a wanted notice be posted for me, the issue now was how I would go about finding some of it. I had not yet seen any shops which sold hair-dye specifically, so I was at a loss when it came to a method of obtaining some. Perhaps a visit to the brothel for just this purpose would be the only way to find out where they themselves sourced it.
I intruded on the guards conversation, and offered to buy the three of them a round of beer if they would be so kind as to inform me where this brothel they spoke of was located. My words sweetened with the promise of free alcohol made them avid talkers, and they even told the name of the place’s proprietress: Ruqyah.
I could spot the brothel from a fair distance, with the street full of many courtesans enticing pedestrians to visit, which allowed me to be quietly led into the establishment. I felt somewhat uncomfortable by the sounds and smells of the place, but I steeled my resolve and spent a while reassuring myself that I was only here in search of some hair dye. I made it known that I sought an audience with Ruqyah, which surprised the courtesan who led me into the brothel.
I was made to wait a certain amount of time before being led to one of the rooms on the upper floor, inside of which was a table and a woman of tanned complexion sitting behind it. She had the appearance of a woman in her thirties, and her black hair had some locks colored in yellow, similar in color to the emblem of the Jenusian royal family. She gave me a guarded look, which prompted me to drop my hood and reveal my appearance. After seeing that I was just a young man, with not even a single scar on my face she gestured for me to sit in front of her, which I did obediently.
“Now for what reason would a young man I have never met before seek a private audience with me, the manager of the Ralish Baths?” She asked, while watching my face carefully.
I didn’t think it would be smart to immediately tell her what I came for, so I decided to engage in some small talk to lessen her wariness.
“Pardon me for asking but where do you hail from? I have never met someone named Ruqyah?” I asked a question back, with an innocuous question.
“Your pronunciation, while passable for the common Jenusian, is not the actual way my name is pronounced. In my homeland, my name is said ‘Ruh-k-yah’, although I would not expect one as young as you to have ever been to Yas before” She answered, throwing some veiled insults into her response.
“Yas huh? That explains the darker complexion” I answered absentmindedly.
“You have met my people before?” She said with some surprise.
“The man who taught me swordsmanship was from Yas, so yes although I have only ever met men from your land” I explained further, resting my hand on my sword with little thought in the action.
“Do you seek to threaten me brat?” She questioned, with a much more venomous tone.
“No, no, no. I apologize, that was not my intention” I flusteredly explained, taking my hand off of the swordhandle and raising them in front of me to show that I posed no threat.
She maintained her silence for a few moments, before breaking out into angelic laughter, it seems she was amused by my naive reaction.
“Alright then, so did you come to this fine establishment for some entertainment? You should know that I am quite the extravagant expense” She said, with an impeccable smile on her face.
Her entire being looked as if it was made to entice men, which I was not immune to. I felt even more uncomfortable than in the entrance of the Brothel, which caused me to blush extensively.
“Uhm.. I did not come here for that. I was hoping you would be able to inform me where you procure the hair dye you use for your, ehm, workers” I elaborated as to the purpose of my visit, my words not flowing out fluently at all.
“Hair dye? For what purpose do you seek to purchase such a thing, for a girl perhaps?” She teased, finding even more amusement in my discomfort.
“Girl? No, it’s for myself” I answered, and pointed to my hair.
“What’s wrong with it? It looks clean enough to me” She asked, standing up and making her way around to my side of the table.
She took some of my hair in her hand, and even though I didn’t have access to the same kinds of shampoo and conditioner as back on Earth, I made quite a bit of effort compared to other people in Jenusia to keep my whole body clean. As she held my hair in her hand, I didn’t know what exactly to say as a backstory for why I needed hair-dye, so while my brain was rotating on full-cylinders coming up with an excuse she continued our conversation.
“Are you a criminal?” She asked, this time her facial expression was no longer as welcoming.
“No, I’m not a criminal, but there are certain people I would like to avoid if possible” I answered vaguely, not giving her any specifics.
“If you buy hair-dye from the merchant who provides us with it, who’s to say he doesn’t blab about his purchase to those you are trying to avoid?” She continued, which was a concern I failed to consider.
“Would you be willing to sell me some perhaps?” I requested hopefully, understanding the implication of her previous words.
“Even if I sell you some, would you know how to dye it properly?” She questioned, to which I responded with a shake of my head.
“If you are capable of a purchase amounting to eight silver crowns, then I would be willing to make sure you get your hair dyed right here at the Ralish Baths, but there’s a catch you see…” She explained further, her words drifting off mysteriously.
“And that catch is?” I asked, wondering what exactly she wanted from me for such a service.
“You’ll have to let me choose the color” She answered with a giggle.
The whole process took a few hours, throughout which I began to have my suspicions that Ruqyah was related to the manager at the inn. She brought in at least a dozen different courtesans during the process of dyeing my hair, and every single one of them made great attempts to procure my money. I remained consistent with my rebuttals, and it seems her magic number was twelve as a thirteenth never came.
I paid her a gold crown to which she returned me two silvers. She made a promise to deny ever having seen me, before leading me over to a basin with some water where I washed up my face. After the water settled down, I could see my reflection in the water staring back at me. Ruqyah who stood a few paces away was quite happy with her work, she thought that I would look better with blond hair, which was now part of my disguise.