Chapter 105

The carriage shook and bounced along the poorly maintained road of the Northern Horndale Pass. Just glancing out one of the open shutters made me question my decision to get into this death trap considering the speed we were moving.

The inside of the carriage was more spacious than I had expected, the wooden paneling that made up the walls was quite thin, though sturdy. Instead of two seats facing each other, there was seating set aside for up to eight. The back seat, which faced the direction we were headed, was easily wide enough for three people to sit. Facing the back seat were two seats on either of the carriage with a thin walkway in between them which led to the third seat, also wide enough for three.

Above them was a storage area, which looked to be packed with food and drinks, cleverly secured by thin ropes or in cushioned boxes. Given the poor quality of the road, I kept expecting things to go flying, but they failed to jostle around at all. The cushions of the seats themselves were incredibly comfortable and luxurious, with gold and red patterning across them.

Blake and Meredith each sat in the middle, facing Mum and Agnes, who were sharing the back seat. That left me all alone on the other three-seater, facing back towards Hornpeak, as Nazim was up on top of the carriage with Thomas on the driver's seat.

So far, we were less than an hour into the journey to Drevorn, and I was ready to call it quits as I bounced off the seat for the third time, my small size making me far more prone to launching into the air from any sizable bump.

Aunt Agnes, who so far had been quietly discussing something with my Mother and Meredith, noticed my unfavourable disposition.

“It won’t be like this for the entire trip, Bastian. Maybe a few days at most before we arrive at the lower slopes of the Western Horndales. The road there is better maintained. Then it’ll be another day till we reach our first village. After that just a few more days till Drevorn,” she explained.

I frowned in consternation. She made it sound like we would arrive at Drevorn in roughly a week, but Mum’s lessons had made it seem like Drevorn was more like two weeks on the road for trade caravans heading west through the Pass.

“Shouldn’t it be longer?” I asked.

Agnes looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “Mmm, it would be if we were stopping for the night. We’ll ride through most nights unless we are able to stop in a village to rest and resupply.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? What about the horses?”

“Oh, they’ve been specially bred and worked with a Beast Trainer to gain the Nightvision attribute, among others. They can see just as well in the dark as during the day,” Agnes replied as she waved away my concern. I opened my mouth to ask another question but she continued on before I could get a word in. “I’ve been discussing it with your mother, and she seems to be under the impression you have yet to complete your Paths of Reading and Writing in Helenian. Once we arrive in Helenica, we’ll be making that a priority, along with getting you the rest of the way to unlocking the Path of Weapon Mastery. Cornelius said you were close, and while I do think you are spreading yourself too thinly by seeking to work with so many different weapons and styles, I can’t think of a good reason to stop when you’re so close to unlocking the Path.

“Now, as for your Aether-Paths, Cornelius told me you’re working on Aether Manipulation, Aethersensitivity, Shadow Magic, and Obscuring Shadow. I am loath to pay for a new tutor for the first two, as anyone I hire would likely only be as Skilled as Cornelius is, and he should be joining us in a few months. However, I did want to discuss how much effort you wanted to put into the two Shadow Paths. I was considering whether we should pause your efforts on at least one of them to work on unlocking the Charm attribute. Have you used all of your Advanced Attribute slots?”

I shook my head. “I have one free but I was saving it for Aether Manipulation.”

I left unsaid that I had no plans for taking the Charm attribute. If my Basic Class Path gave me an extra Advanced Attribute slot in a few years time, then I was likely going to fill it with Invisible Presence — unless the Path of Weapon Mastery gave me something better.

“So, no rush on that then. I suppose it matters less till you get your Class Path,” Agnes mused. “Though we will have to give you some etiquette lessons to fit in at Songleaf all the same.”

“Clothes,” Mum said quietly, her eyes facing away from everyone as she stared out the open shutter. “He’ll need clothes, Aunt Agnes.”

“So he will, dearie. As will you. I won’t have any niece of mine swanning about in drab frontier wools. Of course, you wear it like nobility, Penny — but that just makes it worse. It’s like seeing a regal vision draped in rags. Now that you mention it, I think we might spend an extra day in Drevorn. While I doubt their seamstresses and tailors are a match for those of the capital, I would rather you have something to wear other than — that — while we fill out a proper wardrobe for you both once we’ve got you settled into my estate.”

I frowned, plucking at the wool of my clothes in annoyance and turning to look out the window. These clothes had been made for me by Kaylee and Lucille — from wool provided by Griselda’s sheep. Of course, I would grow out of them in the next year or so, but it still felt like leaving even more of my life behind. A new chapter to my story, and here I was, caught in the middle — a reader trapped between one page and the next. The thought made me want to roll my eyes, or perhaps punch something. I tamped down on that bundle of anger inside of me and took a few deep breaths.

You’re getting better, I reminded myself.

Sitting still and doing nothing wasn’t helping. I was used to being busy so I decided to work on some of my Paths. Aunt Agnes didn’t react when I started manipulating my aether but both Blake and Meredith did. Agnes waved them down and told them to let me be. While I worked, Agnes chatted with Mum and Blake took a nap — which was honestly impressive considering the movement of the carriage.

It took me over an hour to burn through most of my aether, which was largely because I was just working on my Shadowblind spell. Without my affinity, I doubted I would have lasted more than a quarter of a candle. When I looked up, finally drained, I found three sets of eyes watching me. Blake was still asleep, but Meredith, Agnes, and Mum were all watching me curiously.

“The whole time?” Agnes asked, her bright blue eyes shifting to Meredith. The mage-maid gave a single nod, which was enough for Agnes to turn to Mum. “I thought you said he has a Lesser Aether Core?”

“He does,” Mum replied, her lips twitching with the barest hint of amusement as she looked away.

Agnes, for the first time since I had met her, looked utterly stumped.

“Does he already have an Aether Efficiency Attribute?” Meredith asked, the dark-haired maid shifting her attention to my Mum as well.

“No.”

“Then… the only other option is his Shadow Affinity — but even a Strong Affinity wouldn’t have allowed him to last that long.”

“It’s Potent,” I said, matching my mother’s cavalier attitude and looking out the window.

Out of the side of my eye, I caught my aunt and Meredith's reactions. Aunt Agnes simply gawped, her mouth open as though she had forgotten to speak. Meredith, who had been holding onto a book and making notes in it, failed to keep a grip on the binding. The book hit the carriage floor and Blake shot awake, sitting up straight and glancing around looking for a threat. When he saw Meredith and Agnes, his facial expression shifted to confusion.

“You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?” Agnes asked slowly, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

“I am,” I replied.

Agnes, finally starting to recover, tapped her lips thoughtfully. “Well, that could complicate things. Still, we’ll find a way to turn it to our advantage — though some of my plans for your education may need to change.”

I didn’t reply, not willing to agree nor argue. Aunt Agnes had her plans, and I had my own. We would either clash when it came down to it or we wouldn’t, but I wasn’t about to roll over and do as she wished. It seemed there wasn’t anything else she intended to say on the topic either — though I did catch a few stray glances filled with uncertainty from both my aunt and Meredith over the next few hours. With my aether slowly refilling and nothing else to do, I pulled out my Adventurer’s Compendium — the name I had given to the tome given to me by my mother — and started reading.

As the day wore on, we stopped twice to water and feed the horses, enjoying some food ourselves at the same time. I had commented that the horses and carriage must have been expensive, only to find out Aunt Agnes had rented them. She then pointed out to me that she had no need of horses of this calibre or a carriage this large for traversing Helenica, but she’d be dead and buried before travelling all the way out to the frontier in anything less than efficient comfort. Personally, I think I might have been just as happy camping under the stars. Then again, I had yet to even ride a horse so what the hells did I know.

The next few days blended together. There was little I could do to work on my Paths, which left me feeling antsy, and being cooped up in the rattling wooden box wasn’t helping my mood. Nazim seemed to feel the same, his few stints inside to keep me company leaving the wolfkin annoyed enough that he was back on top of the carriage the next time we stopped for a break.

I found out that beneath the three seaters were latches holding pull out beds large enough for a person. Mum joined me when it was time to sleep, her on the pull out with me spread across the cushioned seat. Meredith and Aunt Agnes shared the same at the rear with Blake apparently perfectly happy to sleep sitting. Rest did not come easy as, just like Aunt Agnes had promised, we kept moving through the night. I didn’t see the need to rush but got the sense that she was in a hurry to be away from the Horndales.

Thomas got no sleep at all for the entire three days, kept awake by some potions. Didn’t sound healthy to me, right up until I considered how much more time I could get working on Paths if I didn’t need to sleep as often. I floated the idea to Mum who told me, in no uncertain terms, that it was a terrible idea. She reminded me that people needed sleep, but most of all, my progress would be slower because, while the potions kept you awake and aware, they weren’t great for complex thinking. I didn’t entirely rule out the idea of testing it. After all, Mum hadn’t asked me to make any promises.

Late on the third day, the slope of the road started to level out and the quality showed a marked improvement. Looking out through the shutters, I spotted plenty of wide trails leading into the woods. The Horndale Pines this low on the mountain were far smaller than the ones I was used to. Piles of felled trees started to appear and then people, many who stopped to stare at the opulent carriage as it barreled by.

On the morning of the fourth day, we finally left the mountains behind us, following a well kept road through fields filled with yellow wheat. I couldn’t help but feel like it was a whole new world.

“Well, now that we’ve put the worst of it behind us, we can slow down to a far more manageable pace, I think,” Agnes declared.

While her words made me happy, I was far too tired to enjoy it and instead laid down on the cushion. Pulling a pillow beneath my head and a blanket over me, I decided that, despite the fact that the sun was out, this was the perfect time to have a little nap.