As they rumbled along the dirt path, Stroud gazed out the carriage window and returned the waves of all the serfs still out tending to their fields. It was the busiest period of the year for them — breaking up the tough soil and rushing to get their crops into the ground before the onset of the hardy northern weeds — so even the beckoning of night couldn't deter their efforts.

"Ugh... Stroud, would you close that please." Maeve wrinkled her nose as she gestured toward the window.

The smell of manure hung heavy in the evening air, but Stroud had grown accustomed to it some time ago. This relatively flat stretch of the reaches was covered from beginning to end in sprawling farmland and spanned much of the length of their journey to Frostrane.

Though considering the Madam spent pretty much all of her time stuffed up in the carriage, it was reasonable that she would still be unsettled by the stench.

Stroud obliged and leaned back against the cushions behind him as he felt the rough churning of the wheels below.

They continued like that for a time, basking in silence and the lingering whiffs of shit. It was entirely unpleasant; too bumpy to concentrate on engraving in the mindscape, and too dark to do any light reading. He could only wait until Landon found a suitable spot to pull off from the road and make camp.

Travel was never something particularly exciting, but this method or horse and carriage really seemed to drag it on ever so painfully. Stroud didn’t feel this way often, but these past few days he’d really longed for some of the modern conveniences of his past life. They didn’t change the fundamental downsides of travel, but at least they allowed it to be over with quickly...

For now, he just had to bear with the tedium.

Each morning, they rode for hours into the rising sun, keeping the offshoot of the Aequore River to their right as they followed it to their destination. That was Stroud’s quiet time alone on the driver’s bench. He was more than glad to have the first shift of the day — as he was someone who always liked to get troublesome things out the way early if he could.

There wasn’t much to do or be seen at the helm. Rectangular plots of drab, green and brown pastures spanned into the horizon, only broken up on occasion by the rolling hills of tall grass and rocky outcroppings. As such, none of the scenery was of any interest to Stroud. He was more focused on using his rare periods of peace to work on perfecting his breathing method — without the accompaniment of Nura. That way, during the trip, his body could receive a well-needed reprieve, and in future sessions, his results with the technique would hopefully see improvement.

Stroud’s only misfortune was that he couldn’t spend his whole day on the driver’s bench doing just this.

When it came time for Landon to take over, they would stop for a short lunch to feed and water the horses. Maeve would seize this chance to stretch and burn off some of her energy, but it never seemed to do much good because as soon as Stroud entered the carriage, he would be assaulted by questions without end.

What did he think Frostrane would be like?

Would any of the older students at the Arcanium be friendly?

These were the periods of the trip that irritated him the most. And if it wasn’t for the horses lacking stamina, he would have pushed them all day long to avoid being trapped in that box with the Madam. In hindsight, Landon probably would have let him too, because as the days wore on, the man’s shifts grew shorter and shorter.

As soon as the Magus noticed the halo of warmth and light hanging over their shoulders beginning to dim, he would signal a halt to their progress. There weren’t many proper towns or villages for rest along the road, so they were forced to sleep outdoors or in barns — just as they were on this night.

Stroud exhaled his boiling frustrations as the carriage rumbled to halt. He hopped out and helped Maeve step down, allowing the cool air to wash over his body.

There were no homesteads in sight, so it looked like they'd be camping along the riverbank.

Landon wouldn't be happy, but this was actually what Stroud preferred. He felt at peace under the expanse of stars. They were so full and bright, filling the sky in great numbers… And they reminded him of his objective.

One day, he would make his return to the cosmos and blaze a brilliant path through the darkness that none of them could ever compare to.

Tonight, his thoughts were no different as he sprawled out by the carriage with a full stomach.

“What’re you thinking about, Stroud? Are you… still upset you weren’t accepted as a student?” Maeve’s voice was accompanied by the soft crunching of grass as she laid a blanket down next to him.

Shaking his head, Stroud laughed internally. Gaining admittance to Lady Adelais’ Arcanium as a student was never within his expectations. She was sure to have a sharp memory and she wouldn’t have missed that he was a cripple when they met at that dinner. Just gaining her attention was enough. And the fact that he’d been mentioned in the Headmistress’s personally addressed admittance letter to the Marwoods was enough to prove he’d achieved that goal.

But this girl still always thought he was mad about something.

Maybe I’ve really been doing too much brooding these days… Lifting himself up, Stroud verified that Landon was off to the side, poking around in the remnants of their fire pit and not paying them any mind. “What do you think is up there… beyond the sky?” he asked before shifting back into a more comfortable position on the crook of his elbow

Maeve took a moment to settle into a similar position before she replied. “Well, it's the realm of the gods, isn’t it?”

“But what if it wasn’t? What if… it was nothing? Just a dark and empty space…”

Only silence and the steady gurgling of the river greeted his question for a long breath.

“You don’t believe in the existence of any gods? Then how would you explain us? Arcana. The energy that nourishes our lives and the world around us? Who else but all-powerful beings could create all this.”

Stroud rolled onto his side to look at Maeve, finding her doing the same. Her eyes glowed softly underneath the shadows cast by the embers of the fire and the hair cascading over her face.

“I’m not saying there aren't higher powers…” he started. “I just think that, maybe… the afterlife isn’t all we make it out to be… No new realm for those who ascend, and no everlasting paradise for those who don’t… Would knowing that change how you live?”

Unblinking, she considered his answer. “Well… if that was truly the case… Then, I still don’t think it would change the way I live my life that much.” Her answer was so confident and matter-of-fact that it caught Stroud off guard.

“What? Why?!”

Maeve shrugged and propped herself up on her elbows, returning her gaze to the heavens. “I never really imagined myself as someone who would reach the pinnacle of the Arcane. No one really does, I think. So few people have managed to do so in the entire Empire’s history, let alone our tiny Principality. Even then, they’re most likely just rumors…” She paused for a long while, allowing their steady breathing to meld into nature’s chorus. “All that stuff is so beyond me, Stroud… So far away...”

Stroud watched as she inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes, reigning back in her distant thoughts. He didn’t blame her, and neither did he know why he even brought up such a topic in the first place.

Allowing your mind to drift in the direction of death… is nothing other than dangerous.

“Ah, you’re right of course, Miss.” Stroud chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Ignore me. I was only speaking upon a stray idea…”

She didn’t respond, but as her eyes reopened, he could see that they were clouded by a vague haze.

“Idiot…” Stroud cursed himself and flipped back over to continue wrestling with his fears. It was always in the darkness of night that they became the most active.