58: To The Capital City

To The Capital City

After they finished the meal, Oriana started instructing her grandfather.  2

"When I am gone, you have to take all your medicines. I have prepared the new batch in these jars. This is the one for your aching joints, this one is the supplements you need to drink daily, while this one…" Oriana meticulously explained each one, from usage, to dosage to intervals of drinking.  "I will also tell Aunt Gwen to look after you so I won't have to worry. About your food—"

"Alright, alright, stop nagging. Are you the old man or am I the old man?" Phil laughed. "Do not worry about me. Just be careful, and strive to learn as much as you can. I am cheering for you, Ori."

That night, Oriana packed her things, stuffing as much portable food as she could in her bag, a little traumatized by the starvation she suffered on her trip from Jerusha to Selve. She also carried two spare headwraps.

'For unforeseen circumstances…'

She looked at the cloth in which she had kept the remaining three stalks of black nightshade. 

She carefully opened it. 'I cannot carry them all with me. I might lose them or there is a risk of getting caught if I keep them with me. One should be enough when I meet that apothecary. '

She only packed one stalk with her, while the other two, she cleverly hid inside the wooden trunk she had in her room. She put it at the bottom, under stacks of clothes.

It was dawn the next day when Oriana woke up, ready to leave the village. She didn't wake her grandfather to bid goodbye, but slowly walked towards the sleeping old man and kneeled next to his bed. She slowly put her hand over his and caressed it. 

'Take care, Grandpa. I will return soon with the remedy for your sickness. I promise."

When she closed the door of the cabin behind her, She found Luke waiting for her outside, clad in a sturdy-looking traveler's coat. 

The two of them began to walk.

"How are we going to Karlin?" Oriana asked.

"By joining a caravan."

"Eh? Is the capital too far?" 

"Yes."

"Why can't we buy a donkey with a cart—"

As if triggered by her constant questions, Luke explained in a low voice, "We'll take months if we walk, but it's also too dangerous for us to buy a donkey and travel on our own. We will be targeted by bandits. So we will join the merchant caravan leaving from Jerusha. I have already talked to a merchant and he agreed to bring us for fifty copper coins each."

"Hmm, got it," she replied. "I forgot to ask what work you have in the capital."

"Carpentry," he answered, but knowing she would attack him with another question, he took the initiative to explain. "A noble family is reconstructing their home and they urgently need a large number of carpenters. My cousin working in the capital sent me a message that he recommended me to the butler."

"I didn't know you're a builder!" she exclaimed. "That's good. That skilled work will pay you more."

"More than hunting."

"How long will it take for you to finish work?"

"Not sure. Maybe a few weeks or even months. Depends on how much work there is."

"Ohh, where are we going to stay once we reach there? I am guessing we can't afford to stay in an inn for that long."

"That noble who hired us offers  sleeping quarters, but there's my cousin as well. We can stay with him for the time being."

"Ohh, that's good. I hope he won't be troubled by us."

"Not us, just you."

Oriana looked at the cold guy walking next to her. "Hey, when did I ever create trouble?"

"You know the answer best."

She frowned. "Did Aunt Gwen feed you something strange last night, or did you wake up from the wrong side of the bed? You are talking more than usual."

Luke didn't comment and simply continued walking.

"Ease up. Talk to me, please?" Oriana gently nudged him with an elbow. "Talk to me or I'll fall asleep."

He ignored her and continued walking. Oriana did her best to match his pace, but his absurdly long strides made her look like a cute little bunny hopping to chase a bear.

"Tsk, fine," she muttered. "Seems like you already exhausted your quota of words for the day."

Three hours of Oriana's pitiful struggle to get Luke to talk passed by, and they finally arrived at the northern gate of Jerusha. The sky was bright and cloudless, the perfect weather to travel, and a massive crowd had formed outside the gate. There were lines of horses, carts and wagons surrounded by escort guards and porters. From the symbols on the flags, it appeared like there were four merchant groups traveling together. 

Luke went to the merchant he knew.

"You two?" the man asked as he glanced at Luke and Oriana.

Luke nodded and paid a hundred copper coins for both of them. The merchant then informed the leader of the escort guards, a brawny mercenary, that there would be two additional travelers joining them. The mercenary studied their appearances before making small talk with them, informing them which wagon to ride as well as the security and food arrangements. It was a five-day trip to the capital.

After he left, Oriana immediately took out her coin pouch. "For my fee."

Luke brushed past her, as if she didn't see what she was doing. 

"Hey, Luke," she followed him, who was going to a covered wagon with broad white canvas as roof, large enough to fit about ten people. "I have to pay for my journey—"

"Keep it," he said and looked inside that cloth-covered wooden cart. It already had four men sitting inside, and Oriana and him were going to make it a total of six. 

Luke carefully observed them, the level of scrutiny almost at par with the leader of the escort guards.

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