The sky had shed its blue tinge by the time they had stopped for the night, and was working through the realms of purple and red when Sojo finished staking down her tent. They’d settled next to a copse of trees, and she could almost imagine the horizon was still echoing with the axe-blows of Mirrel cutting wood for his cooking fire. The firelight against the thin branches caught her eyes more and more as the sun set, and she could see Brehen glancing over at his bow as if to hunt the shifting shadows themselves.

“Nice of the last group to leave the stones around the firepit,” Mirrel commented, stirring a pot of soup and picking though packages of spices. “I wonder if they realized how rare sizeable stones will come to be as they head out. I’m tempted to take these myself.”

Brehen raised his head, returning from his thoughts. “I don’t think Sow and Fallow will appreciate the extra weight in the wagon, small though it may be.”

“Yeah, I don’t need them. It’s just always a nice luxury in the dry grass. I think we’ll be short of those soon.” Mirrel dipped a finger into the soup pot, and turned to Sojo. “Tastes decent, to me. Let’s see how the first meal is appreciated. Eyn! Food’s up!”

Eyn walked out from the trees moments later, rough lumps of wood in hand. “Food, you say? I think I could dispose of that for you.”

“I think,” Brehen called out, “that you should all check your feet for blisters first. I have some salve and binding that works best overnight.”

Mirrel looked longingly at the soup pot. “Easy for you to say, you didn’t have to wait for the soup to eat.”

Brehen stood, looking down at him. “I want to use the last of the sunlight, it’ll only take a few minutes.” He stepped over to Mirrel and sat, brandishing a small jar.

Sojo sat beside him. “Let’s get this over with, then,” unlacing her shoes. She exhaled as the shoes slid off, stretching her toes. “Now that’s a feeling.”

Eyn sat as Brehen wrapped Sojo’s blistered heel in a salved bandage, and began to unlace her own shoes. “How were your rations, then? I haven’t had the soup yet, but just the smell makes me question your tastes.” She inhaled deeply as emphasis, cut short by a yelp as Brehen poked a raw toe.

“It was the same as ever, that’s the point.” Brehen answered, gingerly slipping a bandage between her toes.

Mirrel passed Sojo a bowl of soup. “But what’s it seasoned with? What’s in it? What spices do you prefer, then?”

“None. It’s meat and cheese.” Brehen answered curtly. “Now show me your feet so I can fix at least one thing about you,” he said, smiling.

“So uncivilized.” Mirrel muttered, glancing back at the soup pot as if expecting it to vanish without his presence.

“Who wins today’s round, Brehen?” Sojo asked, her bowl nearly empty already. “My heel’s in rough shape, but I can’t be the only one.”

“Might be me,” Mirrel said, “I’ve got one heel and a toe at least.”

“It does look like you’ve got the worst of it,” Brehen confirmed, “but by tomorrow you’ll hardly feel it. The salve will mend the skin and harden it so it doesn’t tear as easily.”

“That sounds good to me.” Eyn muttered, nursing her bandaged toe.

“Of course, something else will blister tomorrow. Expect it to repeat until I’ve bandaged every part of your feet.” Brehen smiled at the chorus of groans, and stood, offering Mirrel a hand. “Go get your precious soup.” Mirrel doled himself a bowl to the brim and set about emptying it.

Sojo put down he empty bowl. “It’s been a day now, and we can’t go back, so it’s time to ask. What did we forget? Anyone thought of anything yet?” She stepped to the soup pot and emptied the last into her bowl. “I know I forgot to pack extra tent pegs in case some break.”

Eyn looked over at Sojo’s staked tent. “I could probably whittle you some extra if you want. I’m out of practice, so it would be something easy to start with.”

Sojo smiled. “I guess you didn’t forget your whittling knife; that sounds perfect. But you’ve missed the point of the exercise! What did you forget?”

“Oh, uh…” Eyn fiddled with her spoon, stirring through the meagre remnants of her dinner. “I haven’t noticed anything yet, actually. I bent the blade of a knife in one of my bags when I was loading the wagon, so I’m worried it’s weaker now. Does that count?” She relinquished her spoon and bowl to Mirrel, bringing out a thin blade and staring intently at one of the lumps of wood.

“Sure, that’ll do. I’m trying to figure out what to buy at the first settlement we visit. Brehen?” Sojo turned to see him leaned against the wagon, eyes closed. “When he moves to his tent, then. Mirrel? Anything you’re missing?”

Mirrel paused with his bowl raised to drink the last of his soup, the debate clear on his face. Finally, he put down the bowl. “I could always barter some spices, of course. We’ll see how much is needed once we get to the settlement, and if it isn’t as much as we brought they’ll make fair trade goods.”

Sojo nodded, thoughts twisting like mirrored light in her mind. “Beyond that it’s mostly resupply.” Mirrel concluded, picking his bowl up again, a delighted glint of firelight in his eyes.

“Seems like we weren’t half bad in our preparation.” Sojo declared. “Keep it in mind over the next few days, though. I doubt we’ll find many places with abundant trade.” She stood and stretched, looking over at her tent. “I’m going to get settled. The travel should only get easier, but I’m going to be sore tomorrow.” She pressed a finger into her heel, and began picking at the bandages.

“Leave the binding alone.” Brehen called from the wagon, one eye open and watching the rest getting their gear stowed. Under the navy sky, only the reflected firelight gave hint that he wasn’t fast asleep.

Sojo grinned at him. “But of course! I would never meddle in the works of our sleeping Ontam.” She stepped into the cool darkness of her tent, and her pain melted as she laid on the soft down of her thick, dense blanket. This luxury, she knew, she would never regret bringing. As she arranged her gear around her, she heard Eyn explaining Ontam’s divinity over textiles, bandages, and the like to Mirrel.

Then the tent flap swung closed, and all was dark.

–

The next morning saw a few lonely cinders left smouldering in a stone fire pit as the wagon trundled off. The copse of trees held fewer shadows now, nothing revealed by the sun’s light save birds’ nests and rich, wood-formed soil. The horizon shimmered slightly as the morning warmed the plains, and clouds massed on the horizon, threatening faraway voyagers with shade and water. Overhead, however, was nothing more than air and sunlight.

Sojo stepped slower today, her aches slowly easing as she walked. “I thought you said the blisters would be gone by the morning,” she said, looking pointedly at Brehen. “When I took off the binding this morning, it felt like I was taking half my heel with it.”

All three looked over as she pronounced the limp her heel was insisting upon. “It should have,” Brehen replied slowly. “Maybe your foot was worse than it looked in the evening light. Have you ever had that treatment before?”

“No,” Sojo said, “I’ve never needed it before.”

Brehen’s frown deepened. “What about other salves, have they had normal effects? There might be something in you that disagrees with the components.”

“Not that I can remember, but I’ve tried to avoid needing them in the past.” Sojo waved him off and forced herself to smile. “It’ll be fine, I’ll just need another round tonight. How are the rest of you?”

“Feels fine, but I don’t know how long that’ll last.” Mirrel mumbled around his breakfast bread. “Eyn?”

“I’m fine,” Eyn said, looking over at Brehen. “How are you feeling?”

Brehen looked down, an embarrassed look crossing his face. “I actually had a binding on during the first day’s walk. I never thought to offer until we stopped for the night.”

Sojo walked over to him, playing up the limp, and poked a finger in his chest. “Well, in the future, I expect you’ll think a little more of us!” She managed to hold the scowl as a look of astonishment and guilt flew across his face, before bursting out laughing. Brehen scowled back, and walked over to tend the horses, chuckling once his back turned on Sojo.

“Well I’m claiming the first spot on the wagon at lunch then.” Sojo said, and took a deep breath. “This fresh air is lovely, I’d forgotten how overwhelming the city smells can be.”

Eyn nodded, and squinted at the grain of two rough wooden lumps in her hands. Seeing something pleasing, she put the left one away and began carving off pieces as she walked.

The road slipped away beneath their feet, and Sojo started to worry at the silence. As the minutes went by, her thoughts went further and further afield looking for stories to share; each time she thought of something, be it family, or childhood, or old friends, she found herself wondering if they wouldn’t just press the absence of home closer to mind. Still the silence rang, though, and she worried about the thoughts that must be running through her companions’ minds just as much.

“My family has always been interested in collecting histories,” she said, not quite expecting to be speaking. “And my grandmother wanted me to keep a recollection of history with me as we travelled. She gave me a book that she said had the truth of the empire’s founding.”

Mirrel looked over, clearly interested, but made no comment. Encouraged, Sojo continued, “I could read from it if you’d like, to help pass the time.”

Her heart fell at the silence that followed, wondering if she’d misjudged.

“I’d like to hear some, if you wouldn’t mind,” Eyn answered, smiling over at Sojo. “I’ll be curious to see how much this ‘truth’ match all the tales I’ve heard over the years.”

“Well with such rousing enthusiasm, I guess it’s settled,” Sojo said sarcastically, looking at Mirrel and Brehen. Mirrel shrugged, apparently unconcerned, but Brehen didn’t seem to be following the conversation. “I’ll see if I can’t draw you in.”

Sojo walked to the wagons to find her bags, and stepped forward again with an old leather-bound book between her hands. She began to recite.

“The empire began from the invasion of Myranel by the University town Derudt, headed by the great mage Corinth, and Derudt began through the discovery of Constructs and the Crystal Ichor. But all this truly started from an expedition into the Borosil mountains, searching as so many had before, for a land beyond them, and a place of fame in the halls of legend. That they found one resonates to this day.”