“Sorry?” I turn.
“What color for the undergarments?” she asks quickly with a blush.
I give her a smirk.
“Black.”
Always black.
CHAPTER III
TRAVELING COMPANIONS
Troy didn’t visit last night, as suspected.
After the long day at the Palisades, I ended up stopping at the castle kitchens for a late dinner and begging Chef for a pack of his roasted cinnamon almonds to take for the road ahead. He happily handed them over with a separate bag of dried fruits and dark chocolate, the plump man sending me on my way in a rush as he continued to prepare the morning meals for the castle.
I spent the better half of my night packing and soaking in the tub for longer than I care to admit. If there is one single truth in the world for travelers, it’s that you never really know when you’ll get your next proper bath. The hope is always there, that the inns will have a vacancy once you arrive, but on the likelihood that they don’t, I often find myself cleaning the best I can in small streams or rivers that are too cool to enjoy.
Needless to say, I soaked for a very long time last night.
The bath and uninterrupted sleep were exactly what I needed for the journey ahead. I woke up ready for the travel and made my way down to the stables well before the requested dawn, greeting Millie from her slumber and offering an apple in apology for the early morning wake up. My gentle girl was saddled, fed, and watered before Desmond arrived at dawn to do the same with his horse, and if the Master Informer was surprised by my early morning readiness, he gave no indication and kept his greeting to a curt nod, moving into his stable without a single word.
I leave my own stable shortly after and direct Millie into the open courtyard, the two of us waiting patiently for the rest of our traveling crew to arrive. Cal is the first to show, a human male a few years older than me with auburn hair. He wears his locks tucked behind his ears with the waves resting just above his broad shoulders, the color matching perfectly with the thick auburn beard that stretches across his light skin and jaw. He has a rugged look about him, mostly due to his size as he’s nearly half a head taller than the average person. His muscles are so large that they can’t stay hidden under any of his clothing, and just the simple way that he walks shows off the well-honed use of his body.
The size fits him, as he’s known throughout Disce as the best hand to hand fighter in all the lands. He’s also the man responsible for my use of a dagger, offering his training over the past two years that we’ve been traveling together.
But no matter his size or the general appearance of him being a formidable mountain of a man, Cal has the genuine heart and soul of a nurturing and protective mother bear. He’s also my closest friend.
Holis and Mana arrive shortly after, the two Discerni twins also part of the normal traveling crew I share with Cal. They both have thick black hair that is matted in curls above their pointed ears, the angled plains of their faces graced with a light ebony color that shines beautifully under the sun. They carry themselves with a quiet grace, always walking with a heightened level of elegance that not all Discerni can master. Their blue-green eyes are almost sensual to look at, though they do catch a certain level of attention that the twins otherwise try to avoid.
Since our travels started two years ago, Holis has always been the more engaging of the brothers. Our conversations are primarily kept to the road, with the Discerni man teaching me the basics of traveling during the first few months we began. He taught me how to scout for water and build a fire, quietly laughing with Cal when I couldn’t assemble my small tent. He taught me the basics of tracking and offered to teach me how to use a bow and arrow, something even now I’m just barely becoming adequate at. He’s always been practical with his help and has more patience than I could ever muster, while his brother, Mana, is the opposite.
Mana is the silent one of the two. I rarely ever hear him speak unless it’s in small conversation with Holis and occasionally Cal, but when he does, he reminds me of a graceful cat, his voice quiet and steady with a deep set of attentive eyes. He always keeps a double-bladed staff affixed to his back, the weapon jutting diagonally from shoulder to rear and never straying too far from his side. Sometimes, when Cal and I wake early in the morning to train, we spot Mana a few ways away, already twisting and twirling the staff at abnormal Discerni speed.
I smile at all three in greeting and turn to the rest of the group trickling in.
“This is Barnes, Claymore and Alanna,” Desmond introduces another three Discerni who sit atop their horses, each of them wearing different styles of black shirts that are accented with deep green, an ode to the Court of Warriors they’ve chosen to make their home.
I nod to the Warriors and note Alanna as the only other woman in the group besides me, watching as Desmond leads his horse to the front of our group with his reins in hand.
“You all know our destination,” he announces as the sun barely peeks it’s head over the horizon, “Red Falls in the Kingdom of Pyre. We’ll take the Great Road north and stop at Bartley’s Village for a late breakfast before ending our night in Brierman. I expect all of you to behave appropriately once we’re in town.”
A few knowing chuckles make their way through the group. Brierman is the first town outside of Bardot, or the last town you stop at before you head into the capitol. It’s a full day’s leisure ride between the castle, a drunken ale town that captures many of Disce’s travelers withrowdy nights that last into the morning. It has a reputation for being a very lively and welcoming place, with the town hosting its fair share of vagabonds and everyday travelers who crowd its roads with drinks in hand. Cal, Holis, Mana and Ialwaysstop at that river town whenever our travels take us along the Great Road, and we always stay at its largest inn when we do, the Drunken Stump.
My eyes dart to the three of them with a smile. While I usually stick around for dinner and drinks with the men, I typically end my night with a solo walk along the river and a good book. I know Cal and Holis engage in more drinking and cards at Patsy’s Pub, but I’m not sure where Mana wanders off to once we go our separate ways. There’s no denying that all three of them look a bit haggard the next morning, but no one can blame them for not resisting the ambiance and overall seduction that is the town of Brierman. It’s the rowdiest in all of Knowledge.
“We’ll continue on the Great Road tomorrow and follow along the River Poise before stopping for the night at the twin river city of Agnor,” Desmond continues.
“Not Dalloway?” one of the Warrior Discerni asks. Barnes, I think.
“If the horses are feeling up to it, we can cross the twin bridges into Dalloway for the night, though I made arrangements to stay in Agnor. After Agnor, we’ll cross the next morning and connect with His Highness in Dalloway and continue on to Gaumond. We’ll spend a slow two days traveling to the Black Capitol and stop for one night in the Green Valley.”
I look over my shoulder to make sure my canteen and bedroll are packed.
“We should reach Gaumond on the fourth day of travel before the sun sets. If we don’t make it by then… well, I’ll have some serious questions about all of your riding skills,” Desmond stares hard at the group.
He’s certainly taking us on a leisure ride to the Warrior capitol, one that can be reached in three days, not four, if the rider and horse know what they’re doing.
