Black Sheep Wall
Year of the Golden Gilled Boar, 1983, Veeratha, Itlid 1st
Sleep would not come that night, not that I needed it. Jibel had already gone to bed when I got back. Cheki, despite the late request, came through. A long roll of what appeared to be old leather was on the table together with the writing supplies. After conferring with Hanni for about an hour, she went to sleep.
Though I had doubts about the scale of the map, it did have some semblance to the one on the floor of the oval room. Silaron was positioned where Hanni pointed, to the east of all the landmasses. I was briefly struck by two things.
First, the map before me depicted just one major landmass, next to two smaller ones which according to Hanni, belonged to five other kingdoms. This part, I remembered vividly, was just one of the major landmasses depicted on the floor of the oval room. That raised some questions, most of them I answered with what I knew from my previous existence, and what was currently known in this world.
The second thing was Hanni. I wheeled around to look at her figure laying on the bed as I considered the question. Because of their utility, maps are essentially treasures. Guarded, kept secret, and held under lock and key.
How or where was she able to see one that was accurate enough for her to be able to identify it by sight?
Knowing I would not be getting answers unless she volunteered them, I was forced to put my mind into the train of thoughts that had excited me so. Jakeli and Litoc weren’t exaggerating when they said that Khevernak was the largest kingdom.
Accounting for errors in scale aside, Khevernak’s territory was almost all of the eastern side of the continent. It was surrounded by three other kingdoms: Silaron to the left, Crilaven occupying a small area above and bordering on Ferdid, a border it shared with Khevernak too.
I took out the map of Silaron next and using what I remembered, proceeded to cut out a thin length of parchment and used it as a rough estimate of distances between towns. It would have been easier if this kingdom had a system of standards but they didn’t. distance was measured in paces, going by the system of sixteens. Anything distant enough was measured in days of travel. So, I marked it out in days. One thing stood out immediately.
Whatever Litoc planned, if he was headed to Khevernak’s capital, it would have taken him a month to get there, twenty days at least. I didn’t know the routes or the passes so I measured straight. It would not have been a stretch to assume that it would take two months just to get to Tornden.
Next, I plotted the estimated distances between Osmouth and the bordering towns, or the nearest ones, of other kingdoms using the same method and wrote them down, padding my estimates with five day’s to a week’s worth of days. I was tallying down the number of days it would take to begin the first stage when a soft knocking came.
I looked out of the window to find it was still dark outside. Opening the door, I found Cheki with another servant waiting outside, provisions packed and ready for Hanni’s departure.
“I appreciate you being able to accommodate this on short notice Cheki. I truly do.”
He blushed and gave me an awkward bow as the servant came in and dropped the supplies. When the servant left, I bid Cheki to sit down and rest. He could not have had more than a few hours’ worth of sleep.
“Thank you, Jorj.”
“You may lie down on the bench, really. Take a nap before the children wake up and your duties resume.”
“It’s fine Jorj, there’s usually more work than this.”
There is?
“How are you finding your duties so far?” I asked as I ordered my list.
“I am enjoying it.”
“No need to lie to me Cheki. It’ll only be a week and we’ll be gone.”
He tried to talk, stammered, cleared his throat, then tried to compose himself before speaking again. I raised an eye in his direction before resuming what I was doing. In a sense, he was squirming. Cheki had not really abandoned the idea that we were nobles. Despite my order to stop calling me lord every chance he got, and despite his apparent following of that order, Cheki only substituted my name in place of lord. His manners were still the same.
“I… I really do enjoy serving you, all of you, Jorj. It is different with you.”
“Different how?”
“You… see me? I really have no other way to put it.”
Ah.
“How’s that different from being a messenger?”
“I’m not only a messenger Jorj, I am given other tasks around the castle. I’m just a servant like the others. Being around you, your group, I learn things.”
“Learn things?” I queried without looking up.
I wasn’t paying that much attention to the messenger. It was a skill I picked up working as a corporate grunt – knowing how to sound like you’re paying attention.
“Y-yes Jorj. Like Lady Hanni’s fighting instructions to the child. Or Jibel’s way of… counting.”
“Hmmm. Can you read Cheki?”
“No Jorj, I cannot.”
“Would you like to?”
Cheki looked like I just asked him if he wanted to die. It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t know how to read. Messengers would not be able to spill secrets if they can’t read what they’re carrying.
“I would like to learn, Jorj. Ha, I would like it very much.”
“Good, good. You might just get the chance to do just that.”
I gave him instructions on what I needed for the day. It was all about keeping the children busy while I worked through my scheming, as Hanni put it.
“… and if they, anyone at all protests, tell them it is my wish that you never leave Jibel’s side.”
“Yes Jorj. Thank you Jorj.”
He left right after to head towards the church’s building. I ran through my list again, crossing out what was less likely, and putting a check mark on the ones that might succeed. Hanni stirred just as the sky took on an orange tint.
She surveyed the room and went to wash herself behind the wooden dividers. I got up and opened the sack we got from The Mucks to fish out the set of clothes I bought for her.
“Couldn’t sleep?” She asked as she stripped before me without hesitation.
“I wanted to commit my thoughts to paper before inspiration ran out.” I replied, handing her a set.
“How goes it?”
“It’s coming along. I have a beginning, at least.”
“Tell me again why you’re sending me away.”
“I’m not sending you away, I mean I am, but not in that-”
“Jorj?”
“Right.”
I shared to her again what my plan involving her was and how it might prove beneficial to the overall scheme. She listened, nodding as she out on her boots and bracers.
“No later than the sixth day then.” She added as I finished.
“Yes.”
As I watched her put on her spiky half-gloves, I went to retrieve the collapsible shield. I waited for her to finish putting on her leather armor with the small metal plates before holding out the shield.
“I won’t be needing that.” She commented.
“You never know,” I said, smiling, “besides, there’s a higher chance you’d need it more than I will.”
“Fine.” She agreed, taking a bite off a fruit from the table while holding out her left arm.
I carried the provisions the servant brought in and accompanied her to the stables. Rather than wait for Fletching to be brought out she went into the stables and surveyed the animals.
“Groom, which of these was the messenger riding when he went to Riverhold five nights ago?” She asked the young man who had been following us since we went in.
The groom nodded and led us further in and out the back where several magrals were penned in larger spaces. Compared to what I was used to seeing up to that point, these magrals were shorter and not as muscular.
“This one Lady.” The groom pointed to a beast with grey and white coat.
Hanni went inside the pen and approached the magral without hesitation, inspecting it. What she was looking for, I had no idea. She came back with an uninterested expression on her face.
“This one is not ready yet. Are all the others well rested?”
“Yes Lady, but-”
“I will suffer no excuses, boy.” She interrupted, sounding more like a tyrant than a lady. “Take it up with the prince if you’re so inclined. Fit me two, one with feed, and be quick about it.”
The groom looked around nervously before taking the pack I had. I realized then why the boy hesitated. These were the priced magrals Litoc told me about, the best of which came from Magram, home of the prince’s wife. I also learned then that Hanni had no plans purchasing a steed at her destination.
“Are you sure you want to take another one? One alone could make you a target.”
“I would like to see them try.” She answered, checking on the daggers in her baldric.
Somehow, I believed her.
“Would you like to take the bow? I can go and get it.”
“You’re doing it again, Jorj.”
“Doing what?”
“Worrying.”
“Is it so bad? It’s my endearing quality, you know.”
She snorted. She clapped me in the shoulder when the groom arrived. Hanni mounted then took the reigns of the second one.
“I will be back with your anchor.” She declared then left.
I stood watching her until she turned towards the castle entrance.
… watch her as she goes.