[M|IC] By the Book (Naming and Koti)

[Namingtoohard]

When she had first set out on her journey, Tanya had been overcome with excitement every time she had come across a new town. Each new place she visited had been a wonderful cacophony of new sights to see, new people to meet, and new experiences to have. Even the smallest and most rural backwater villages had been able to offer her something. The borders of Tanya’s world had grown, and she had grown alongside them…or so she liked to think, at the very least. More importantly, each new place had been a new opportunity. Another chance to accomplish her mission, prove her decisions justified, and save the world.

Several months of hard travel and limited success might have dulled someone else’s enthusiasm, but Tanya did her best to remain optimistic. She had known when starting her journey that things would be difficult. Given how large of a place the world truly was, finding the chosen hero was bound to take time. Her quest was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. In a dozen haystacks! Except with more walking. And sweat. And road dust. Honestly, it would’ve been a miracle if she had somehow found the hero already. And so, she could hardly be upset that she hadn’t managed it just yet.

The sun was nearing its zenith by the time Cyseal came into view. The trading caravan Tanya was working with peaked the lip of a small hill, and there it was. A decent-sized farming village, nestled in the curve of a gentle river, and the next stop on her search. From here, it seemed the exact same as the dozens of others Tanya had visited, but looks could often be deceiving. Even so, standing alongside the stationary wagon, she lifted a hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun’s light so that she might get a better view.

“This is going to be the one. I just know it.”

Almost without realizing, Tanya spoke the words out loud, muttering them under her breath. She told herself the same thing every time she came upon a new place. It was basically tradition at this point. She knew that, statistically speaking, the chances of her being right were shockingly low. Tanya had never been the type to let such grim assessments keep her down, though. Besides, things were going to be different this time. She could feel it.

“What was that, lassie?”

The voice of the caravan’s driver and owner – an older merchant by the name of Tev –interrupted Tanya’s idle musing. Lowering her hand, Tanya glanced over at the balding gentleman to find him staring.

“Oh, nothing important, Tev. I’m just looking forward to a warm bath and a proper bed tonight. The sooner I can get out of these leathers, the better.” The lie fell from Tanya’s lips easily enough. This wasn’t the first time she had gotten caught talking to herself about things better left unsaid, and she’d gotten quite good at recovering quickly. What’s more, her words technically weren’t untrue. In fact, they were a sentiment every traveler could relate to.

Her words elicited a gentle chuckle from Tev, who was quick to answer. “I’d expect a caravan guard to be more used to long stretches beating the cobbles. You didn’t trick me out of your fee, did you?” From another person, Tanya might have feared an accusation. Tev’s tone was jovial, however, and she knew him well enough by now to tell he was just poking fun at her.

“Even if I had, do you really think I’d tell you that?”

Her response was equally light-hearted. The two of them traded playful barbs back and forth for a moment, before Tev finally decided they had wasted enough time. He whipped his caravan into motion again. Tanya quickly fell into step alongside the lead wagon, desperate to be off.

Dressed in the boiled leathers often favored by mercenaries and caravan guards, Tanya’s outfit was a perfect match for the role she was playing today. She carried a spear in her left hand, and let it rest against her shoulder idly; another suggestion that she really was just what she claimed to be. A messy bun, belt knife and stuffed pack completed the look. From a distance, nobody would ever guess that she was more than just a simple caravan guard. That, concealed within her pack, was a powerful magical artifact. Possibly the most powerful in the world.

Their caravan reached the bottom of the hill before long, and the road quickly leveled out. There was a bit more traffic here, closer to the town’s outskirts. Fields lined the road on either side, and Tanya could see several farmers working their own patches at irregular intervals. She smiled and waved at those who met her eyes as she passed. Partially because it was just her way, and it never hurt to be polite. But also because any one of them could be the hero she was searching for, even if she didn’t know it yet.

[Koti~]

Elbert sat up as the chilled wind brushed through the room, the quiet of a pre-dawn emanating through his room. Another day in his life, quiet and raring for the start of work. This morning would be different though, as words of the caravan entering town was the buzz around all. Foreign delights and delicacies would be passing through, tempting and offering all who would enter here. Many children and even adults would be heading to hock their wares, and buy wares. Elbert though, just knew it would be another day on the farm. Another morning of tending the cows and sheep, feeding the pigs, and checking on his crops. There was no time for fancy and spending money where he could. It was all used to help his father, to pay the local doctor to help keep the man in shape.

There was just too much work.

Elbert gave a sigh as reality settled back in, forcing him from the comfort of his bed and pushing him into the small hallway separating him and his fathers rooms. The house was of decent size, just barely larger than most of the farmers around them. He knew most of the community had helped build it, as they do others, but with their growing family, it had almost been needed for the large rooms. He could almost tell the different styles used by the families around him, from the way the nail head sat, or just from the feel of the wood.

*I’ve been in this house too long.* Elbert groused mentally, moving to the chamber room and taking time to at least splash some cold water on his face. His morning routine continued in fashion, finding a bread roll and slice of cheese to chow down for a small breakfast. By the time he left the house, the sunlight had just broken the horizon, burning the skies with orange and reds. He sighed and headed towards the barn, the roosters and chickens began cawing for the others. Some farmers had already begun their morning rituals, waving to Elbert as he moved towards the barn, knowing the cows were the first to be addressed.

“Good morning, Gertrude…” Elbert greeted the old cow, due in a month's time and knew that this would be the last calf this old bird would give birth to. He would have to call on Gavin for help, though that would mean giving up Gertrude for the calf. A sad trade in his mind.

===============


By the time midday rolled around, Elbert was set to collapse, having to deal with a rather feisty cow today that was in a right mood. The rest of the farming had been enough to tire him out already as he sat on the edge of his porch, shirt wrapped around his head to beat some of the heat. He barely noticed the other farmers working their own lands as he sipped on his drink, his father whittling away on another pipe in the shade of the overhang.

It was the sounds of wagon wheels that broke his attention from just existing, forcing his eyes upright and looking towards the main road. The caravan was just coming into town, passing the farmlands before the town square. He watched them, noting the driver and guard, a surprisingly vibrant woman wielding the common guards spear. He wasn’t sure why he was watching her, but he couldn’t help but feel … compelled to watch her, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

He might have to find time to go see the tavern after all. It would have to wait until dusk, but already he felt a need to know her name. He just knew that he had seen her from somewhere, and he wanted to at least know her name, hoping to stir up some old memory that maybe he had forgotten.

[Namingtoohard]

When Tanya and her traveling partners finally arrived in town, the welcome they received was cheery enough. The town square seemed very small and empty, compared to some of the larger cities that she had visited, but the people greeted them with warm enthusiasm. More than a few seemed genuinely happy to see Tev and his wares, and it left Tanya wondering if he traveled this way regularly. When they had first met, she would’ve dismissed the idea as outlandish – a town like this seemed much too small to be worth the time of any ambitious merchant. Now, though, she couldn’t help but wonder.

As much as she liked Tev, Tanya was eager to be off. Even so, she refrained from disappearing straight away. As exciting as every new place she visited seemed, there was still a measure of business to be done. After setting her spear down somewhere safe, Tanya helped the old man and his workers begin unpacking their goods. It took them the better part of the evening to move the entirety of his stock, and when the boxes and sacks were removed, the wagon seemed like a shadow of its former self. Only then did she go to speak with the trade master himself.

She found Tev on the far side of the wagon. The old man was already bartering with a few of the locals, so Tanya waited patiently for them to finish. She tried to watch and listen without it looking obvious, and found herself smiling at the little snippets of their argument she caught. Only after the deal was made did Tev turn to her.

“You sure I can’t convince you to stay on for the next leg of the journey, lassie? I’ll miss your company on the road.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, which were tinged with sadness.

“I wasn’t expecting sentimentality from you, Tev. And here I thought such a seasoned traveler would be accustomed to goodbyes.” Tanya’s reply was jovial, but her expression soured after just a moment. “Afraid not, Tev. I’ve got my own business to be about.”

“Well, can’t say I’m surprised. Still, it’ll probably be another day or two before we’re ready to move on. If you change your mind before then, you know where to find us.”

The two of them continued to chat agreeably for a moment, before Tanya finally admitted to herself that she couldn’t delay any longer. She asked if Tev knew where she might find the local inn, and was rewarded with a direction and a name for her troubles. Sensing that the moment had come, Tev slipped a small number of coins into her hand; the other half of her payment. They wished each other the best, he clapped her arm once for good measure, and then Tanya was off. She turned away and set out in the direction he had indicated, and resisted the urge to look back.

~~~~

Tanya’s evening was well-spent, and by the time night fell, she was feeling much better. She’d found the tavern easily enough, and had agreed on a the price of her room with the innkeeper rather quickly. She’d passed a little bit of extra silver his way for use of a big tub and some hot water, whilst they were at it, and had spent a good amount of time washing the road dust from her skin and hair. Now she was seated in the taproom that made up the bulk of the building’s ground floor, dressed in a clean set of spare clothes, without her spear or leathers. She’d slipped into a booth before the evening crowd had started to flow in, had a mug of ale to keep her company, and was already looking forward to dinner.

On any other evening, Tanya would have enjoyed the chance to speak with the locals. The innkeeper and his family, for starters, and anyone else who swung by once it started to get a little bit later. At the moment, however, she had other things on her mind. Sitting on Tanya’s lap, partially obscured by the table, sat a thick leather-bound tome. The book was thicker than most, and somehow managed to look both ancient and well-maintained at once. A clasp set with a large, pale green gemstone fastened it closed. The cover itself was ornate, but devoid of words, or anything else that might really hint at its contents.

“Lets hope this really is the one, old friend” she muttered softly to herself. Thankfully, the innkeeper was too far away to notice, and her careless words went unnoticed this time. She ran her fingers over the book’s cover gently, almost affectionately, whilst pondering her quest. Doubts about her choices and flaws in her hastily-constructed plan threatened to overwhelm her, but Tanya beat them back with a stick. She would not give up. She would not. If the hero was destined to save the world, and she had his tome, then she was destined to find them, and that was that.