Eager to see my new accommodations, I looked into the interior of the wagon. From what I could see, the insides were plainly adorned, save for the thick rugs on the hardwood floor. It was surprisingly well-lit, with heavy open wooden shutters on both sides that let in autumn’s afternoon light. In one of the corners were two large pails for our use. They were both filled with water and labeled in the local script. One for our daily toilet and one for drinking. It would do me well that I not confuse the two.
The clean water reminded me that I had not bathed in many days, my forgetfulness stemming from the fact that my nose had probably grown inured to my own stench. Larynda, I assumed, did not mind in the slightest, thanks to her previous environment.
It was not the finest of accommodations, but it was clean and it would have to do. I nodded to Laes and gave him my thanks, which he curtly accepted before he hurriedly headed off to the head of the caravan. I sat down at the bottom of the wooden steps, took off my boots, and shook them free of dirt and mud as best as I could before entering the wagon. My party followed suit, with Kidu having to squeeze his bulk through the small door.
The half-elf made her way to one of the corners, placed down her heavy backpack, and breathed a sigh of relief as she flopped onto the carpeted floor. The last to enter was Kidu, who followed her in and placed our things on the carpeted floor before he sat down in the opposite corner. He placed the butt of the spear on the floor, with the shaft resting against one of his wide shoulders, before shifting and adjusting his body to find a more-comfortable sitting position. In turn, I found my own corner to sit in. I luxuriated for a moment in the yielding softness of the carpet that I could sense even through my armor. A few moments later I heard a loud command being relayed down the line of wagons, and sure enough, after a lurch of motion, we were finally on our way.
Larynda began to hum a little as she took off her headscarf, and I gritted my teeth in irritation as I caught sight of her ears. They would ever be a bitter reminder of my own weakness, my lack of power when I had faced her people. Noticing my glare, the girl stopped humming almost immediately and just fiddled with her fingers while she looked awkwardly through the open window… This only served to add to my already-tense mood.
My hand moved to one of the straps of my armor, to shuck myself from my iron shell. However, moments later, I decided that it was far too early to let our guard down, so I tightened the strap instead. We would probably be facing trouble before the end of the day, so I decided to voice my concerns to Kidu.
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“Things may take a turn for the worse before this day is over, so we had best stay on guard until we leave this city of slaves and slavers,” I said to my large companion in the corner.
He shook his blonde hair like a lion preparing for an attack before replying, “It may well be as you say, Gilgamesh. You will not find my spear sleeping in my hand.”
This was more than enough assurance for me, but there was still one unknown factor in the wagon.
“This day may end in blood, little one. Can you defend yourself? This I must know,” opened Kidu, almost as if reading my thoughts. I fancied I could see that the anger that was always in his eyes was subsumed for a while by a different, more gentle, emotion.
The waif merely mutely shook her head, which just served to add more fuel to my steadily-growing irritation with her reticence.
“Even now, you would spout your lies,” I said, one step shy of growling, “If we are to protect you, we will need to know the truth about you, Mage,” I finished the last with a sneer.
“Can’t… can’t do it,” A look of shock ran across her face before she held up her hands to her head and shook in trepidation, “The wild magic, Hamsa said never to use it… too dangerous,” she pleaded, looking at me with eyes of misty cut jade.
“We all must do what we have to,” I said firmly, like a parent addressing a child, “Take this,” I finished, and threw her a simple single-edged knife that I had appropriated from one of our would-be kidnappers.
She drew the blade from its simple leather scabbard with a familiarity I found surprising, as she nodded to herself and to me.
“Thank you, not bad! I got my own though,” she beamed weakly, a ghost of a smile playing about on her face.
Kidu chortled at this before his face grew serious, “If the worse comes to it, best that you take Freedom’s Cut. Better than to be a slave, should Gilgamesh and I fall. Child…”
It took me for a moment to realize what he was talking about, that Larynda should take her own life should the most dire of circumstances come to pass. The girl, too, came to a similar understanding as she clenched her fists and faced the big man with a determined fire in her eyes.