Chapter 47 Chapter 45

Chapter 47 Chapter 45
“Find all you can, the seeker is coming.”

Marina.

My box had just been placed into a coach behind me, while I sat in another, waiting for the King.

The sun was yet to rise when Hilra had woken me up by barging into my room. I had initially thought the castle was on fire.

Before I learned she was just being an alarm. I do not think I could ever get used to that woman.

The sky was still a bit dark. The journey to Famur would take about fifteen hours according to what I remembered hearing from random conversations. You would have to pass through the entire country of Uragus first, to get to Famur.

Uragus was not as cold as its neighboring country, but it gave you an indicator that you had arrived at the North. Sometimes, I wondered how the temperature would be during the rains. Which would be coming very soon.

The thought of the cold weather one might experience made me hope I was well packed for my stay. I was not given a chance to see what clothings or outfits were picked out for me. Now I just had to trust they made the right choices.

The sound of Master Anthonier’s voice saying “Have a swell stay at your sisters.” Made me look towards the entrance. 

The King had just stepped out of the castle dressed in a suit. With a sword sheathed by his side. 

The object made me remember the sword I had taken from the blacksmith. Now the sword was ‘different’ and Caraven was dead. 

Where did the time really go?

King Xanthanius walked forward and into the carriage that was parked in front of mine. Making me realize we were not traveling together. But I wondered if I would make the journey alone.

Before I could conclude on that thought, three guards joined me. None of them were Saliel. Meaning, it was going to be a very quiet ride.

“The King said to inform you that there would be a stop for feeding at Uragus.” One of the guards said.

I was offered breakfast this morning. Of which I had just a few bites of the fried bean cake and half the cup of cream tea. I was not entirely hungry but our next stop being Uragus gave me the idea that I would be famished by then.

“Thank you.” I said to him, as we began our journey.

For the first time, I would be leaving Aspena. I was a little excited about the journey but it was slightly dampened by the fact that I was called ‘rude’ last night. 

Of all my years of living, this was the first time I had ever heard such a review of myself and it was concluded based on circumstantial evidence. I planned to be of my best behavior from now onwards.

Especially to not speak unless spoken to.

Later on…

I opened my eyes to find Garla seated beside me. The nearness of her body felt a bit too cold.

We were still in the carriage, but the guards were no longer in it. It was just the two of us.

“You sleep heavy.” I did not know if she was telling me or asking.

“A question?” I asked her, to clarify what she meant.

“I am just saying. I am not supposed to be here unless you are in a deep sleep. Yet here I am.”

It made me realize I was lying down on the chair. I recalled assuming that position because my arse hurt from sitting for so long. I wondered how the guards were able to maintain their posture. I took it as my cue to sit upright.

Now that I was face to face with her, I remembered that I had questions. “I would like to ask you a few things.”

“I noticed from your facial expression but you blocked me out of your mind. Go ahead.”

She was still yet to tell me how I am able to do that. That would be a conversation for another day. “Are you the same Garla?”

“Do I look different from the last time you saw me?”

“No. What I meant to ask was, after I told you about my mother’s friend who had the same name as yours, my sister mentioned that she came visiting and mama showed signs of recovery. Are you the one who went visiting?”

“Your mother is showing signs of recovery?”

“Yes. Lanthernia said it is minimal, but still a great sign.”

“Hmm.” was the first expression she made, “your mother has been sick for a while?”

“Yes. Since a month after Jepheeth was born.” I noticed she had yet to answer my question.

A little silence brewed between us, as she looked out the carriage window to the forest trees that looked like they had on a coat of snow. “Life and health can be fickle and fragile.” She started. “One subtle mistake and a new direction is formed. Altering the present and even the future. No matter what the future is destined to be.”

Her parable made me wonder how it connected to my mother’s illness. “I do not think I quite understand?”

“There will come a time when you do.”

“Is this about my mother?”

“It is about life. You said you had a few things to ask, what is the next?”

“You did not answer my previous.”

“I did. Perhaps you were not paying much attention.”

I stared at her to confirm if she was making jokes but she looked as serious as Garla would. 

“Ask quickly. Our time is running out.” She reprimanded my delay. I decided to move on to the next question.

“The last dream. Where you showed me the woman and the girl through the window. You did not tell me if there was a code.”

“It was a gamma dream.”

A gamma dream. “Are these dreams in any particular order of sequence or significance? Is there any more important than the other? What are these dreams really…” she interrupted my line of questioning.

“Our time is over.” 

“Wait. Just answer one of…” I almost yearned for her response. 

“Miss.” A hand tapped lightly on my shoulder. Waking me up from my dream.

I was still lying down on the chair. It was one of the guards waking me up. “We have arrived at Uragus. The King has ordered you come out for a meal.”

Without argument, I did as I was asked and got down from the carriage. I saw we were in front of a slightly large food market. The sky was grey and the weather was chilling. Like you had gone diving into a stream in the early hours of the morning after an overnight rain.

“Where is the King?” I asked. His carriage was absent.

“He would not be joining us. He has other things to address. We would escort you.” The voice of the guard sounded too void of emotions. A contrast to what I had gotten used to with Saliel.

“Okay.” My stomach was starting to hurt from starvation. I was glad that I had fallen asleep for the most of the ride. “Where do I go?”

“This way.” He turned around and led me through a line of vendors who were roasting different animals of various shapes and sizes on a stick.

One looked to be sautéing a kebab of beetles. I had a feeling that the man and Saliel’s aunt would make great friends.

Speaking of Saliel. “Pardon me, but did Master Saliel make this journey with us? Is he with the King?”

“No. He usually would have been, but the King ordered he stay behind and addressed some matters.” He answered without looking back. We arrived at a pastry stall.

The two guards behind me flanked my sides. “You may make a choice. We were given coins for your meals.”

“Aspenian currency can be traded in Uragus?” It was part of the things I had wondered earlier when they had mentioned stopping at Uragus for feeding.

A sharp and cold wind blew across the market. Causing a few strands of my hair that had been packed into a bun, to fall out of place and rest on my forehead.

I really hoped I was well packed for Famur.

“The castle has a stock of currencies for each country. Aspenian money is worthless here.” There was an underlying argument of ‘how could you not know that?’ in his speech, which he deliberately held back.

Now, I searched my options of what to eat and opted for some vanilla flavored bread rolls and chocolate tea. I took my food back to the carriage and ate.

After feeding, we waited for about thirty more minutes before the king’s carriage returned and we continued our journey.

I did wonder where he had gone for that long, but he was the King. He probably knew almost everyone relevant to know.

“How much longer till we arrive at Famur?” I asked the guard to my right who had been the only one speaking to me all along. 

“An hour or probably less.”