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Ollo hardly slept for more than an hour that night. The prospect of leaving town and going on a journey was like a dream come true. And the magics - he was going to learn magics! It seemed a little less fanciful than in the stories he'd been told, where warlocks could move objects with their minds or enchant weapons with otherworldly powers. But, that was no matter. The possibilities seemed endless to him. As he lay in bed, he imagined other uses for the binding that made Ryeth's wayfinder point to the copper block at the Academy. He racked his brain, wondering how in the world it worked.
He imagined an arrowhead bound to a bullseye, so that it always hit its mark in contests, and a wayfinder needle bound to cattle collars, so the herdsman could find stragglers or wolf kills. Or maybe, he thought, you could bind an axe head to the handle, so it would never slip off... Or maybe...
Fascinated by the idea, he simply couldn't stop twisting and turning. By the time morning came around, he was feeling slightly worse for wear. Overtired and aching from too much drink, he made himself a generous breakfast of eggs, fried bread and sausages, and consumed an unhealthy amount of strong tea. At sunrise, he jumped up suddenly, thinking that he'd be late for work. Then he realized that he didn't have to go to the mill and sat back down, laughing, and took his large mug out to the front step to finish his brew.
Ryeth had explained the plan to him the night before. They would be heading to Bardport - a small city on the northwestern coast - where Ryeth was seeking some rare alchemical texts. In order to get there, however, they'd have to take the road through the Venn, and through the canyons in the Haldwind Mountains beyond. It could be a dangerous route, if they ran into the wrong sort of people. Regardless, Ollo could hardly wait to get going.
He watched doors and shutters swing slowly open in the cool morning air and smiled with a slightly bittersweet warmth in his chest. As exciting as this would be, he'd still miss it here. He'd have to drop by the Laughing Ass before leaving and say goodbye to his mother. He felt bad leaving her behind with no other family, but she had friends and would be busy preventing Jakk from running his own tavern into the ground.
And Sweda - he still hadn't told her that he was leaving. Sweda kept figures for most of the shops in Smallwater, and did some work for the mill during the busy season. She held a small office by the cobbler's which she shared with the local taxman, Byrns. He supposed that, after packing his things, that was where he'd have to go first. He just hoped that she wouldn't be too upset at his leaving town.
He filled his travel pack with a change of clothes, an assortment of foods that would go bad while he was away, a small journal to write in, and wool blanket. Ollo hesitated before taking his coin purse. He considered taking the money that he'd saved for Sweda's ring - they might run into trouble on the road and need some extra funds - but decided against it. Finally, he pulled on his boots and his patched cloak and headed out the door, taking a long look back before closing it shut behind him.
The walk to Sweda's was a long one, but it seemed to last only a few seconds. Ollo was desperately trying to think of what to say, how to explain his sudden departure. Before he could decide properly how to say farewell, he found himself standing in the doorway of the small, warm office with Byrns looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I regret to tell you that we are not yet open, sir," he said, obviously irritated. "If you could return in an hour that would be much appreciated."
"Who is it, Byrns?" Sweda's voice came drifting out of the room. Ollo peered over Byrns's shoulder and gave her a small wave. "Oh, let him in, Byrns."
The tax collector frowned, then slid to one side. Ollo felt a blush creep onto his face. He walked over to sit in front of her desk. "Good morning," he said smiling.
Sweda smiled back, closing the ledger she'd been writing in when he'd arrived. "Good morning, Ollo. What are you doing here this early?"
"Well, it's a bit of a story. You see-"
"I don't really have that much time to spare, Ollo," she said, interrupting him. "Maybe if we could just get straight to it?"
He nodded. "Sure enough. I've been sacked."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And I'm leaving town."
She raised the other eyebrow.
"Ah... today, that is. I'm leaving today." He fidgeted, waiting for her response.
Sweda leaned back in her chair. "You can't be serious?" She said it rather calmly - he'd expected a bit more of a response than this.
"Unfortunately, yes. I've been offered a position with a local... trader, who's got business in the Venn, and, well... I really can't afford to turn it down," he lied, thinking guiltily about the bag of coins saved under his bed.
"Well, that's unexpected. How long are you going for?" She still didn't seem that concerned. Ollo felt a flush of embarrassment.
"Well, a couple of weeks, at least. Depending on how things go..." he thought for a moment. "It could be months, really. Hard to say how long it'll be."
"I see, then." She nodded. "Well, good luck on the road, Ollo. I hope you have a safe trip. Did you need me to set any affairs in order for you while you were away? Some savings, perhaps? Or maybe a tax to hold on to for Byrns?"
Ollo could hardly believe his ears. "W- what?" he stammered.
"Well, that way you wouldn't get charged extra for-"
"What?" Ollo could feel his voice shaking.
Sweda frowned. "Well, I'm assuming that's why you're here - isn't it? To set things in order before you go?"
"To- I- Wha- What?" he sputtered, unable to form proper words. He took a deep breath. "I came to say goodbye to you, Sweda. I'm going out into the forest for, for... well gods know how long. I might not make it back - I could be killed!"
"Well, I think that's a bit dramatic," she said. "It's nice of you to drop by, Ollo, but if there's nothing-"
"Nothing?" He couldn't believe it. He'd expected disappointment, perhaps, but not this. "What about... you know... will you miss me at all?"
Sweda looked down at her hands. "Right... that..." Byrns stifled a small chuckle with an unconvincing cough. "Well, I don't really know what to say. It's not as though we've been that close. I mean, I consider you to be a... well a good friend..."
Ollo didn't hear anything more. It was as though a great curtain had been lowered between him and the world, blurring everything and blocking out the sound. He apologized and took his leave, walking numbly out of the office. He had to fight down the enormous urge to shout in Byrns's grinning face as he left.
Outside, Ollo took a deep breath to relax his nerves. Then, he yelled and swore and kicked a nearby rain barrel. Unfortunately, it was full to the top, and he hopped one-legged, holding his throbbing foot and swearing some more, drawing strange looks from the folks walking about in the early morning.
After he inspected his toes and was satisfied that none were broken, he pulled his boot back on and marched back to his cottage to collect the rest of his money.
*
He found Ryeth sitting at the bar of the Laughing Ass, tucking into a plate of brown bread, bacon, eggs, beans and ham. He'd had to use two plates to bear the whole meal. Ollo's mother was standing behind the bar, tapping a fresh keg of ale and chatting idly with Ryeth.
"I tell you, Kyra... this bread..." Ryeth made a gesture that implied he was enjoying the food. "I wonder whether my own mother's would be so soft." He swabbed on a spoonful of golden butter and took another satisfied bite.
"Careful there," she said, "I'd not be happy if I heard Olly boy was going around saying the same." She chuckled.
"Morning, Ma. Ryeth," Ollo said, taking a seat and setting down his travel pack.
"Mufchnipth," Ryeth said through a mouthful.
"Morning, son." Kyra gave him a look. "You okay? You look a little red around the ears."
Ollo nodded. "Just excited is all. It's been a long time since I headed out on the road."
"I think it'll do you good, Olly. Your father used to love travelling around. You know we used to go out to the coast every spring during the thaw?" Kyra trailed off, absentmindedly wiping the same glass for a very long time. She smiled. "You should see the world while you're still young. Next thing you know, you and that Sweda will be married and raising your own little ones."
Ollo tried not to cringe at Sweda's name. "I agree, Ma."
They sat for a while longer while Kyra brought them out an array of hard bread, sausages, a small wheel of cheese and a sack of apples. All the foodstuffs were paid for by Ryeth, who - between mouthfuls of breakfast - also requested a small pot of tarrum for the long road ahead. When they were finished packing up the cart, Ollo stepped aside and was lifted into a smothering hug by his mother.
"You be careful, Olly," she said, voice muffled by his shoulder. "Keep to the roads and be wary of highwaymen. And there's been talk of fayres."
"There's always talk of fayres, Ma. All talk and no show. If I actually see one, I'll catch it in a jar and bring it back for you."
"Don't be silly," she said.
"Well, who knows? It may well lighten the place up a little bit. Only, with that around, Jakk might have to change the name."
Kyra shook her head. "Do go chasing fayres, and don't go bringing them back either." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, son."
"Love you too, Ma."
Ryeth moved over, making room for him on the cart, and Ollo climbed up onto the seat. The mules started off with a jolt, and the duo headed off into the forest, leaving Smallwater behind. After a few minutes the road began to twist with the lay of the land, and as Ollo looked back his hometown faded away, obscured by the trees.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
