I DON'T OWN IT! Wish i did, but don't!
Read and Enjoy!
A week later, I told Da that, yes, I would go to Haven with him and Zigor. "Good. I think I'm going to need all the help I can get. 'Sides, I'm going to need an expert with me for when I some material for your mother. And maybe some embroidery thread," was all he said.
The next three weeks we were so busy getting ready to leave that I wasn't able to think about whether or not Chava had 'talked' to me, let alone act on it. I did, however, manage to finish my new outfit, and mum had me pack for when we got to Haven, and other fairly big town and cities that we were planning on stopping at on the way.
"So, Kyril. Are we just selling horses or are we gonna buy some, too?" Zigor asked one afternoon while we were packing some supplies for the horses. "I might buy a couple mares- no stallions, though, unless they're of excellent- and I mean excellent—I mean excellent—bloodlines." He replied very soberly. He was probably thinking about the time that he bought two stallions on the same trip, years ago (before Zigor was even born and he's 25, ten years older than I am). Needles to say it didn't go very good. One stallion died and the other had to be castrated.
The day we left, Mum fixed us a fancy meal of boiled eggs, some early lettuce, bacon and bread. She'd even let her long, waist-length black hair down out of the braided bun she normally wore it in and put on her Spring Faire dress (a pale peach and light green ankle-length affair) and her large brown eyes were twinkling with unshed tears.
"Kyril, don't work the kids too much, you hear? Make sure they get decent meals on a regular basis, too." She instructed.
"Yes, dear. And we'll be back before you know it. Just you wait and see."
"Cari- don't you go running off and marry some stranger you think you're in love with, without bringing him here first. And don't work yourself too hard. Take care of your father and Zigor." Mum told me as she gave me a hug.
"I won't be marring anyone anytime soon. And I promise I'll take care of Da and Zigor." I whispered into her ear as she let me go. Zigor was checking Fancy Gal's, Daisy's, Willow's and Lilly's luggage straps. The four were acting as packhorses on this trip for now, and attached them to Frank, then mounted White Mist. Da had already mounted Skitter, a tree- year-old who was prone to get into trouble when left to his own devices. I quickly mounted Komako, and then we set off. Zi and I were on the sides and back while Da was in the front, sandwiching the twenty other horses between us.
We made good time for the first three weeks- then the rains came.
"I smell rain. Why don't we stop at the next town? We'd only lose one or two candlemarks." Da suggested.
"Sounds good to me, Cari?" Zi agreed
"Sure." I replied, pleased that I was being consulted instead of ignored.
Half a candlemark later, we drove the horses into town, just as the first drops of rain where falling, and received a few interesting looks. To them, two travel worn men and one adolescent lady driving some sixteen bedraggled horses in front of us would draw some interesting looks our way.
I untacked Komako, rubbed her down good and put her in the stall that was being reserved for her. Next, I helped Zi untack Gal and Willow, who were still acting as pack horses, followed by Chance and Menagerie- Daisy and Lilly had been sold at the last town along with two others.
Just as we were finishing up, a big man (belly-wise) swaggered up, looked at me, then looked at Zi and asked him if were would sell him any horses. Da walked up just then and took over and I went to put our stuff in the rooms we were renting.
Da talked to the man, whose name was Cantonon Campbell, all through dinner. After about the sixth look he gave me, I excused myself politely and went to my room.
The next thing I knew, Zi was telling me it was time to get up and move out. We left with six less horses than we came with in the pouring rain.
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