Entanglement of the Dark

Four

Jord was a town of loud people, bustling about and yelling despite it being early in the morning when Julian arrived. She had passed many small farms and homes on her way but those have been silent except for the noise of a few startled animals. A few men were laying drunkenly about, propped awkwardly up against random corners of brick buildings. Women were carrying baskets of goods back to their homes. Julian's stomach grumbled as she passed the smell of fresh-baked bread. She had a minimal amount of coin on her as a just in case but she could not afford to spend a single bit of it too early on her trip. Instead, she settled for some carrots and an apple that had been plucked from her home garden and not cooked in the meal Edyleise had made for dinner. 

It was not the most appetizing breakfast she had ever had. 

Bandit's hooves clicked and clacked like a loud clock as she made her way through the narrow streets of Jord. 

"Momma, look!" A child holding his mother's hand as she pulled him with her down the street exclaimed. "That woman is wearing trousers!"

The woman looked up with wide eyes and Julian riding her horse through the street. Pants on a woman. 

How scandalous I must seem up here. Julian smiled to herself. Where on earth must her skirts be they are thinking. Where is her husband or her father? Or, perhaps they think I have stolen my husband's horse and am fleeing to who knows where, while wearing his clothes no less. 

If it were not for the amount of stress she was experiencing it would have been funny. It was not illegal just not socially excepted for women to wear something that gave her body shape over to others. Julian knew that even if she had put her hair in a hat to pass as a male her body shape would have given her away regardless. 

She was tempted to stop at a tavern to get a drink and allow Bandit to rest as well but thought better of it. She already looked odd to the people around her and thought it best not to stop to allow further questioning. 

Oh, yes. I am heading to Secil. She thought to herself. No, I am not crossing The Glass. How do I intend to get there, you say? Why I am going to jump in the water. Of course, I know the deadly serpent will probably eat me- 

She would sound mad. She sounded out of her mind to herself already. 

Once she was out of the prying eyes of Jord on the outskirts of the town she found a small stream to drink from, eat from her satchel, and rest for a minute. Her behind and back hurt which is something she had not thought about previously. It seemed she had not considered enough at all before heading on a journey based purely on her confused and old Papa's advice. Perhaps it was not the wisest decision. 

"I wish you were a bit fatter," Julian said to the horse. "Perhaps my ass would not feel as though I have fallen on it ten times if you were." The horse ignored her, of course. If he responded she would have needed a physician or maybe even a priestess to help her. 

It was not long before she carried on her way. Bandit was surely sick of her but he was not given many options. He was, however, rewarded with a carrot. 

Julian was grateful for the coverage of the trees as the sun rose too high noon and burned down on the land. The scattered shade was the only thing that provided cool enough spots so that she did not sweat to death. It was too hot for a spring day, almost on the verge of summer's heat, and bright enough to hurt Julian's eyes as she tried to stare straight ahead at the road to Garth. 

"It appears Estus is feeling very powerful today," Julian muttered about the God of the Sun. She wished he would ease up a little for her journey.  She did not bother to pray to him for this as everyone knew that Estus was not the kind of God that tended to listen, even to his devoted followers. Regardless of the heat, and much to the dismay of her horse, she carried on to the Kingdom of Garth.