Chương 336: 6.3

Muriel glared at the itinerary on Jewel's desk before sighing heavily. Her captain, confidant and once governess looked weary. The grey was creeping over her once dark hair. There were more lines on her face.

"I still don't like it, but if we take the entirety of the footmen from both Kaeketeh and Valasect it will be the best of bad options." Paul glanced at Jewel, she gave him a nod of assent. That he needed to ask even so subtly gave her a mixed feeling, he'd worked with Muriel and Smithson for years. He did not need to ask her for permission. But that he still did also made her feel warm inside. It was probably why he did it.

"If we are to assume that the eggs cannot be left apart from Jewel-""They cannot." The words were out of Gem's mouth before she could stop herself. The flush of shame rushed to her cheeks soon after. Paul smiled softly but continued. Jewel hadn't mixed up which of her selves should talk in years! It was inappropriate!

"Assuming they cannot, we will need to see that all three are kept well guarded, at all times that you cannot be there to protect them." Muriel huffed.

"In the heart of Magarska, where Adelyne's rumors say they have been scouring the lands for Wyrm Eggs for the last ten years. I will say one last time this is a terrible idea." Smithson only frowned at the Itinerary. The neatly written list of destinations. It followed the starting route of her tour, although without staying a dozen days or more at each stop it would not take nearly as long as her tour. The Temple Fortress of Nerthus, to pick up the priest that Bitta of Thuringia vouched for.

Then to Kliatbatrn to join up with the new Baron and his entourage. Together their parties would then go south to Kaeketeh where Jewel would accept the new lord Kliatbatrn's vassalage and then take on both the rest of her footmen as well as Adelyne and all the necessary guests for the feast in the Capital of Magarska. High King Mathias had sent letter that his court Wizard Erhard Ironhand and a further entourage would be joining her in Kaeketeh as a show of support from the Realm in Viznove's dealings.

Jewel would have suspected that Erhard might have insisted due to her laying but the matter had been settled over a year ago. Still Tsulogothulan's departure would have been known, there might be something of concern there. Technically it was not going to be an army on the march. But between Jewel's staff, her footmen, the dignitaries with their staff and guard, whatever added entourage Erhard Ironhand brought with him and the people necessary to support them?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It was going to be a sizable number. The waystations would only be able to accommodate a small core of the overall party each night. The rest would have to be in tents when in the wilderness. At a good march and using the rivers they should be able to be across Viznove and be leaving Vahstrehgin before the start of Swine turn. Before leaving Viznove Lord Dominik wanted to add a further portion of his own footmen to the march.

Then maybe twenty days at the slowest to be arriving in the lands around the twin cities of Bledaten & Pyrenean, the first major city on their route into Magarska. And from there the certainty of their path faded. It was on the word of peddlers, the High King of Magarska and decades old records of army marches in the last war suggested what their road would be. Supposedly it would take hardly half a season from there to cross the Magarska lands and require no further vault passage to the capital.

Which was in an Old Cantor settlement, a city named after The God Emperor Terminus. Her nurse knight offered to break the brooding silence.

"High King Murad the First has promised an escort and all hospitality open to us as long as we are crossing his lands." Smithson's tone was hopeful but Jewel was with Paul's concern there. The silence fell again over the four of them. The Magarskans had hidden the Wolf Prince from them. Their king's word was only to be trusted so far. Still this whole endeavor was an extension of trust to ensure peace. Even at their most pessimistic rumors If all went as planned there would be plenty of time to reach Terminapolis.

Jewel still had her doubts. Greatest of which was how quickly they could transport two eggs that filled her with a panic if anyone handled them too roughly. An attempt was being made to fashion panniers for Jewel that could carry all three of them in considerable cushioning with a fourth bag to balance the weight. But it was a very delicate affair to even place each egg within such confines and Jewel was still unsure of how tight a fit she could stand.

The worst option of absolute last resort would be to have a cart to carry them. Jewel and Gem's spines both shivered at the memory of that attempt. Still they were running out of time to wait. They only had so many seasons of safe travel in Viznove and according to the peddler's gossip northern Magarska before winter made such too great a risk. Nerthus's Temple, then Kliatbatrn. A barge down the Vah to Kaeketeh and then another from there all the way to Light's End, Stonemoot for a stop over.

Then Vahstrehgin and from there they would be entering the Dacian Vault, heading south to the twin cities of Bledaten & Pyrenean. After that some place with the ridiculous name of Goat's Pass, Somewhere else called Börza. A dozen other places Jewel suspected were towns or fortresses, and finally Terminapolis. Capital of Magarska. Jewel would be traveling to these places this year. With a party of at least two hundred footmen, dozens of guests, their retinues, the added support of Mathias and his Wizard.

The party would likely be nearly a thousand men and women after all was told. And that was before the hackneys, mules and other beasts of burden were counted. Along with the necessary wagons and oxen for carrying luggage and a proper gift for her host. Jewel's entourage to Magarska was nowhere near that of a full army on the march. But it was going to be quite the sizable force of men and beasts. And that was discounting Jewel herself and the might she represented. A sign of trust both ways. Muriel sighed.

"Well, if there is nothing else, Lady Jewel? I've got some fresh recruits to put through their paces." Jewel dismissed her council and turned her attention back to her growing spawn in their eggs, nestled between her looping coils. She was doing her best. Now there was only hope.