Wandering Eastward - Passing By

Wandering Eastward - Passing By

                Although distracted by her thoughts, Soff still found time to enjoy the countryside. Only a handful of stars were in the sky at this time of year; or 'objects', as she had been taught. There were living stars that sometimes wandered through the sky, shining their radiance down upon those living below. But they were rare, and Soff was reasonably sure the count was right.

                Twenty-three, she thought. And in this month that's... Just right. She stared upwards at the 'objects'. Some were large chunks of land blasted into space, others were stations crafted by ancient peoples. She had been taught that all dated to the portal era, as the portal-makers had never seen the purpose of settling space.

                Each object reflected the light of the sun, and many were quite large. Together they lit up the night enough for Soff to see the road and a little beyond. Further out she could only see the silhouettes of the trees and hills they passed. Despite lacking detail, it was still quite wondrous.

                In the early hours of the morning Taoten decided to talk Soff through another lesson about the wyrm-gift. The lesson focused on focusing the power; allowing for a greater force to strike a smaller area. Soff knocked some rocks about as they went, channelling the power through her feet. Seeing her do so had prompted Taoten to say, "I once had a student who never realised that was possible." It made Soff chuckle.

                Two hours into the lesson Taoten fell completely silent mid-sentence. "What is it?" asked Soff.

                "Up ahead," said Taoten, motioning. "A coach. A rich passenger seems most likely, but I am making an assumption. We may face questions from the coachman. I would rather avoid conflict, but if he catches on to what we are-"

                "Coachmen aren't inquisitors, even here. We'll be fine," said Soff. She rolled her eyes. Up ahead, she could just barely see what Taoten was talking about - a faint blob shaped like a coach. Listening carefully she could just barely hear the faint clack of the vehicle's wheels.

                "Just remember not to knock any rocks about as we approach - your eyes might spook them," said Taoten.

                Soff hadn't actually thought of that, although she hadn't been planning to send rocks flying anyway. "Alright," she replied.

                They drew closer to the coach in silence, moving to the left side of the road so the coach could pass easily. If they were lucky, the coachman would not bother to hail them at all.

                Unfortunately, while still quite distant, the coachman raised an arm and waved. Soff waved back, and said, "Just wave" to Taoten when he did not.

                "Very well," said Taoten, waving in the same manner.

                Now that it was closer, Soff could make out the details of the coach. It was big enough to hold a large family and was drawn by a team of four horses. A coachwoman sat at the front holding the reins, her black uniform starkly contrasting the pale white of the coach itself. Soff could barely see the coachwoman's face, but Soff felt she was a friendly - possibly even boisterous - sort.

                "Hail!" came the coachwoman's greeting as they drew closer. "I'm Meled of the White Coach, which you can see behind me." The coachwoman drew back on her reins, and pulled the coach up beside them. Soff and Taoten stopped as well, politely. It felt kind of strange to completely stop moving to Soff, after so much walking.

                "Hello Meled, I'm Soff," said Soff. She smiled.

                "Taoten," said Taoten.

                "You're up earlier for people walking the road," said Meled. "In a rush to something?"

                "No," said Taoten.

                "We're enjoying the starlight," added Soff. She felt an urge glare - or otherwise prod - Taoten, but resisted. That would be a little too suss.

                "The road is quite lovely at this time of year. Myself, I've been up all night. I'm picking up a senator and his family, and it's all a big rush to get them to some meeting or other on time," chattered Meled.

                Soff chuckled, and Taoten looked thoughtful.

                "We're making our way along the road all the way up to Presheld," said Soff. Presheld was a town quite near the official border of the Republic of the Saved, quite far along the road.

                "Oh, really? A full tour then. I've only been that far a handful of times. Speaking of time, I must get going - senator's rarely enjoy being delayed - but a friendly warning: there've been bandits along the road that way, a bit past Odd Dip. I'm based in Odd Dip, and I'm quite glad to be heading this way let me tell you. Guys I heard it from said they're taking some people as slaves, and almost all the valuables they can get their hands on. But the militia haven't found a trace of them!" exclaimed Meled, lifting her reins.

                "Worrisome," said Soff. "Thank you for the warning."

                "Yes, many thanks," added Taoten.

                "My pleasure! You're an odd pair, but I'm sure you can find others to travel with for safety. Now I'll be on my way!" said Meled, shaking her reins and setting her horses in motion. "Farewell!"

                "Farewell!" replied Soff, mirroring the wave Meled gave. Taoten, a little hesitantly, did the same. The undetected undead returned to their walk.

                Once Meled was some distance behind them, Soff said, "You seemed rather unfriendly just then, all of a sudden. Why?"

                "My long... Departure from the realm of life has left me unsure of the appropriate social customs. More importantly, some may be dangerously outdated and specific to the undead - your interactions just now seemed rather informal, but during the Empire there was a... Way of doing things, in many cases. I was never fond of it, but it was to be obeyed lest one stand out. At times, I did ignore it. Unfortunately standing out here would make things... Complicated," explained Taoten.

                "I suppose," replied Soff. "I guess being unfriendly isn't a crime. It's just - people get suspicious at night. Because there's so many undead that can't stand the light."

                "Yes. The truth is, back in the Empire we did most things at night. Undead who never sleep, like ourselves, are rare," said Taoten.

                "So what do you think about the bandits? Are they a threat to us?" asked Soff.

                "Possibly," said Taoten. "But it is very unlikely. Eliminating them would allow me to fully repair myself, which is well worth the minimal risk." Taoten smiled.

                Soff frowned slightly. Taoten's enthusiasm to kill, given the slightest excuse, was chilling. "Banditry is not a death sentence, Taoten," she said, "Although taking slaves is. With what the Empire did scarring the Republic's history, there are few who take it lightly."

                "Hmm," said Taoten, thoughtfully. "I do suppose we shall see. But for now, where were we?"

                "Huh? Oh, your lesson. You were detailing how to... feel...? The power, and the shape to try to form it into," remembered Soff.

                "Ah yes, of course. Well, as I was saying, the shape of a blade is quite useless," began Taoten. His lecture lasted until mid-morning;

                And then he began another.