Emi nudged her horse forward, it obliged her happily. She could hear the amazed gasps as the light slowly revealed her face. She picked up a few muttered oaths, and the word 'Aiel' was spoken by at least a few.
The imposing man backed away a few steps. "I'm sorry, your... ahh... ladyship." He stammered, "We don't mean to be tresspassing, just simple merchants we are."
Emi debated whether or not to tell the man that she wasn't Aiel and decided that she would probably get at least some food if she continued on the pretense.
She waved her hand in what she hoped was a dismissive gesture and the man continued.
"It's our first time heading into the wastes you see." the man said, looking over his shoulder, "If it weren't for my wife you see, I wouldn't have thought of it." The woman in question was just then peering out from the door of a wagon.
The man brightened up considerably as if suddenly struck with a brilliant idea, "Perhaps you would care to share dinner with us?" he asked, "It's simple fare, but hearty."
It was obvious that the man wished for an escort through the lands of the Aiel, a job that Emi was not prepared for at all. The offer of food however was more than welcome, and the man was of course yet to request her services. Emi nodded her acceptence, and was soon leading her horse into the middle of the wagons. She kept her naginata in hand, but began relaxing as soon as children and women made their ways out of the wagons.
The women and children in the camp were staring at her unashamedly, the children from behind their mother's skirts. The men in the camp were all armed and still standing, watching her warily. Most were in their twenties or thirties, but some may have been only a little older than her. Those that were older held their weapons comfortably, the others less so.
"We picked up an assortment of wares and Merrille, that's my wife, decided that a trip into the wastes might be profitable." the man was telling her, then confided "Under the light though, I think that she is just jealous that our neighbours have made so much trading with you and yours."
Emi nodded briefly to show that she was paying attention to him, but she had just caught a whiff of food.
"Jona," the man said, "Jona Araim"
Emi relied with a brief "Emi.", her attention was almost fully on the large pot of stew they were walking towards. Obviously large enough to feed all in the camp, the cast iron pot hung from a thick tripod over a large fire. Jona ladled out a large helping of stew into a bowl and handed it to Emi with both hands. Emi gratefully accepted it, and was soon sitting in front of the fire eating the gravy-thick meal. Each bite of rabbit (she hoped it was rabbit), carrots, onion and gravy seemed the best meal she had ever had. Soon there was only the thick gravy left in the bottom of the bowl, which soon dissapeared with a few swipes of a slice of bread. The man continued to prattle on about the troubles of trading in this or that city, and Emi cursed herself for not paying more attention. She soon realised that the names meant nothing to her, but she made at least an effort to memorise them. Although with no map to help her place them, the cities of Tear blended with Amador and Tanchico.
It was during her meal, that the men around her began to relax. Soon after she had finished, one young guard brought out a recorder and began playing a tune. Someone began singing and he was soon joined by four or five more. Emi recognised neither the song nor the words, but was content to sit back and listen.
The weariness of travel soon began to take her, and Jona offered her a place in one of the wagons. Emi declined, hoping that the ground was more true to Tannil's tough character than the nice comfortable bed she truly desired. Sleep came quickly, nestled on a patch of soft sand with her backpack for a pillow.
Emi woke up before sun rise, naginata still clutched in her hand, and shivered. The temperature must have dropped during the night, 'just like in the outback' she thought bitterly, 'Jesus, I'm an idiot." She got up, stretched out a few kinks in her back, and shook out the sand that had accumulated under her clothing. In an effor to warm up, she strapped her pack and katana to her back, and naginata in hand she began to jog away from the wagons. All of the guards must have been asleep, for she was out without a challenge. The sun was beginning to rise as she headed out, and she decided to head towards it. The rough, broken terrain made for a bit of difficulty but she was making a steady pace by the time the sun had fully risen. Emi turned around and began to head back the way she came when she was stopped short by the long form of a snake in amongst the rocks ahead of her. It was at least three feet long and was a deep red colour. Emi lowered her naginata towards the snake, which slithered away from the weapon. Once it had gone out of range of her weapon, it dissapeared beneath a pile of rocks. Emi skirted far around those rocks. By the time she arrived back at the camp the sun had risen fully and she was quite warm. There was a commotion near where all of the horses was staked, and Emi walked over towards it. A man was holding up half of a snake that looked very similar to the one Emi had skirted only ten minutes previous. A horse was lying on it's side, legs kicking in reflex. In only a few moments, the seizure had stopped and the horse remained still.
"Well that tears it!" she heard Jona complain, "I told you that we needed spare horses, but you demanded more goods!" He was obviously yelling at his wife, who apparently had the last say in all matters business. He was continuing on about the need to leave a caravan behind due to the shortage of horses when Emi approached him.
"How much to buy my horse?" she asked him, understanding the need for some sort of money.
Jona looked at her shrewdly, then looked at her horse. "Thirty gold, it's the most I can offer." he said.
Emi didn't know what it was, but something was telling her that the horse was worth more than that. "Fifty." she countered, "Just think of how much you'll lose if you have to leave a wagon behind."
He seemed to mull that over for a moment before he smiled, holding out his hand. Emi took it and shook on the deal. Jona entered his wagon and emerged a moment later carrying a leather pouch. This he promptly handed over to Emi, who spilt out a large number of round golden coins into her hand.
Emi smiled briefly at the merchant, before returning the coins to their pouch and placing the pouch into her backpack.
The wagons were quickly packed and on their way. The party moved at a slow pace, following a track well worn into the rocky terrain, stopping only at nightfall. Emi spoke briefly only with Jona. Most of the guards ignored her, or at least pretended to. The only ones other than Jona who were at least moderately friendly were the children, when their mothers weren't hustling them into the wagons away from her.
Perhaps it was the reputation of the Aiel, or the obvious oddity of a girl carrying a weapon, but it left her with her own thoughts as company for most of the journey. Night-time proved to be more of the first night, a stew in a large pot and a bit of light music from the guards.
The next five days continued in a similar fashion. Wake up. Jog. Walking. Rest. Emi began to range out from the long line of wagons, heading off on her own well ahead of the group. She climbed some of the larger rock hills, marvelled at the great gorges that the wagon train missed.
It was on the sixth day, ranging at least half an hour ahead of the group, that Emi began to see movement around her. It began with a small slide of rocks only twenty meters away from her. When she looked up to the beginning of it, she saw nothing. Later however, she began to see shadows on the ground and shapes moving on the tops of nearby cliffs. Sure that wild animals would have attacked by now, Emi decided to attempt to talk to her watchers. She walked away from the cliffs, into an area where there was nothing to hide behind for at least one hundred meters all around.
Emi placed her naginata on the ground and stepped back five paces.
"I am Emi Watson!" she called out, looking first one way and then the other, "Tanil, Far Dareis Mai of the Jaern Rift sept of the Codarra Aiel was sent to get me"
Emi hoped that she had said it correctly, Tanil's introduction was burned into her memory but she couldn't be sure that it was right.
Emi heard a slight noise behind her, and looked briefly over her shoulder. A man was walking towards her. He was tall, wearing clothing of the same browny red colour that Tanil wore. His face was uncovered and Emi hoped that meant that he wasn't about to attack her. He appeared young to her eyes, yellow hair poking out from amongst his head scarf. He had a small shield on his left arm, and carried a short spear in his right. The man stopped a few meters away from Emi and placed his own short spear on the ground. He also stepped back five paces.
"I am Dedric, Aethan Dor of the Jaern Rift Sept of the Codarra Aiel." he introduced himself, "Welcome home to the Three-Fold Land."