The Games for Nihon (BOOK THREE)

Chapter 14 - The Journey Continues

Queen Adehe hadn't promised too much. They would indeed be travelling quite royally. There were two carriages, one for them and one for the disciples, but they were linked with a kind of latch that was wide enough for them to walk between the carriages. The carriages were pulled by three magnificent horses, two white and one black, each with eyes like polished marbles. There was no driver. Like Mica and Kaido's carriage, the horses knew where to go.

Rostopan-Ur could not have been happier to see them go. He tried not to show it, but he was virtually glowing with relief. Finally, things could go back to normal. With a little time, he would forget about this little interlude and pretend it had never happened.

The Bayla had jumped out of Ami's pocket where it had been hiding for most of the time, and it was jumping around excitedly between them.

"I think, the Bayla likes being on the road the best," Ami said. "It's not meant to be confined to a house, not even a castle."

Sofia knelt down and petted its head. The Bayla purred loudly enough to be heard all over Nihon.

"Maybe the Bayla could pull the carriage," she said. "Then we wouldn't need the horses."

"Dorian's horses are famous for their smooth ride and superior intuition," Rostopan-Ur said, miffed. "It is a great honor to be allowed to use the queen's horses."

"Of course," Sofia said. "It is all about honor here. Only, I wonder where this honor is coming from?"

She had said this more to herself than to Rostopan-Ur, but he still looked shocked.

"It is an honor," he repeated.

They boarded the carriages after the disciples had checked them for hidden magic. At first, Sofia had not been sure what they were doing, inspecting every nook and cranny like that. They had done that with their room as well, but it was only now that Sofia realized that Mother must have given orders not to let them interact too much with others. It was strange that they had stayed behind at the lighthouse. Maybe because it had been Inaan's stop. Still, Sofia resolved to ask Inaan about it when they next saw him.

She was glad that she had kept her dream about Antibe secret so far. She had been planning to tell Orì and Ami during their trip, but now she decided against it. It was too dangerous.

"This is really nice," Ami said, snuggling into a mass of soft, embroidered blankets. The Bayla put its head on his lap and looked at him happily. "I prefer carriages to ships. I don't get seasick anymore, like I did at first, but still, better to be on solid ground."

Sofia looked out of the window, where Rostopan-Ur was standing, dutifully seeing them off. He seemed thoughtful since her previous remark.

"Goodby, Rostopan-Ur," she said, realizing that they would probably never meet again. Even though she didn't like him, she didn't enjoy that she had to constantly leave people behind. They were populating her memories like shadows.

"I will tell my mother favorably of your service," Orì said to him, somewhere between sincerity and mockery.

Rostopan-Ur bowed his head. He hadn't detected any mockery and seemed glad to hear it. "I am much obliged, Lady Orì." He looked at Orì, Ami and Sofia, each in turn as if to memorize their faces. He wanted to say something, but it took a while for him to speak. He was not used to expressing himself freely.

"Our traditions may seem laughable to you," he said then. "And maybe they are. But they are important to us. They are something to hold onto when sometimes, not much else remains."

He didn't fully meet their eyes as he said that, or after, and turned to go back to the castle, back into his world that made as much sense to him as could be.