Harvest of Travel - Chapter 2 - A'mara Books

2

(Fenjaday, cont.)

Hailu Docks

.
The slow transport carefully pulled alongside the cargo quay.

One of the first in the queue to leave was a large caballus pulling an unlikely-looking carriage – empty, it appeared to the worker. A single handler, scarcely more than a teenager, guided the beast along. The young man had the right documents for the animal, carriage and himself, so customs officer stamped the flyppaper with an official clearance stamp.

The young man swung up into the driver’s box and called out a command to the large, six-legged beast who lumbered down the ramp onto the quay.

When they were clear of observers, Iyva felt the <All clear!> call in her mind. She sighed with relief from her spot inside the carriage

“Traveling is sure a lot slower when we have to deal with customs,” Iyva said.

“I spoiled you, didn’t I?” her blue-haired husband, Zilan said smiling.

“I suppose you did! But I rather like being spoilt by you.” She stretched her leg out across the leg of the man beside her. His arm stretched around her shoulder, under her purple hair. He used the leya to pull a blanket up over them.

“You’re not alone,” the dark woman across from them muttered. The fair-skinned man next to her grinned his understanding.

“It’s almost dark,” Zilan excused.

“Almost being the key word,” D’zani complained.

Iyva laughed at D’zani’s discomfort. “You and Elíaz are free to join in,” she replied with another giggle, looking at the man next to her friend. “We don’t get much privacy anymore, not since picking up Yavin.”

“Tell me about it!” D’zani remarked, rubbing her hands over her stomach, only slightly distended from the new life within.

“Have you felt her kick yet?” Iyva asked.

“No. Have you?”

“Only within the past couple of days. It feels like butterflies walking all over the inside. There’s nothing like it!”

“Cool. I can’t wait to feel Vissia’s kicks!”

“My, it’s warm here! Get the blanket off,” Iyva complained. “You’ll have to wait until it cools down to get closer to me, Zilan.”

“The joys of escaping the cold north!” Zilan replied, tucking the blanket to the other side of him. “But I can’t stay away from you.”

“It feels nice to me,” D’zani said. “I’ll make you jealous then, Iyva.”

“I still got there first,” Iyva bragged childishly. “Both on the Terrenden calendar and by age!”

“Doesn’t it seem strange? He’s, what, 15 years older than you?” D’zani asked.

“Not quite 14. Does it seem strange for you? Marrying outside your race?”

“That’s more normal,” D’zani maintained.

“There was once a time when marrying outside your race was akin to treachery,” Iyva retorted.

“Sorry, you’re right,” the dark woman replied, calming to Elíaz’s touches.

Iyva could sense the intimacy which did make her a little jealous, but she’d make up for it later, she decided. “Apology accepted,” she said quietly. “The heart doesn’t always follow the rules. That’s the only point I was trying to make. I didn’t set out to love a man almost 14 years older than me, no more than you set out to love a man with a very different skin color – and culture.”

“Where are we staying tonight, Zilan?” Elíaz asked.

“There is a motel across from the Casino who are quite used to the transient crowd with fake identities. We can rent use of a field just beyond it – a farmer who has been friendly to me in the past, knows me as Zilan, of course.”

“We get actual beds tonight?” Iyva asked excitedly.

“And privacy,” Zilan promised with a hungry look. Then he looked over at D’zani and Elíaz. “But don’t forget to get some actual sleep, I plan on grabbing some leya practice tomorrow at a local club.”

Elíaz grinned knowingly.

“I’d better go and help Yavin. I don’t think he’s been to Hailu before,” Zilan excused and used the leya to swing himself out of the carriage up to the driver’s box.

Iyva watched the river in the fading light. Before she left Irola, she had never been anywhere interesting. Now, she had been around enough to really appreciate the landscape she found herself in now. It was a climate well-suited for agriculture – similar to Kasago, but warmer. She hoped they’d be able to visit the market here and pick up plenty of produce as well as some homemade preserves that old ladies liked to sell. She smiled. Part of her longed for a simple life like that – growing food and selling the products of her hard labor. But the Death Edicts she and Zilan picked up before they left Irola had changed everything.

The Death Edicts from the Balan meant that their life was now one of travel – and survival. It was always interesting and exciting, but always on the move. Staying in one place for long would mean their deaths – both of them, their unborn son, and their travel mates, who also had Death Edicts after Elíaz defied the Balan one time too many, defending D’zani.

Iyva was grateful that Saraca had forgiven the various misdeeds to allow them all into the A’mara, but they couldn’t reside at any of the Complexes without endangering all the residents. Thankfully, Zilan’s friend, the very famous movie producer, Derick Aiden, had followed through on his promise to fund their journey. They didn’t have to worry about anything they needed – just staying alive and training as they went.

Ahead, Iyva could just see the lights of the Buccaneer Casino, a famous landmark in Hailu. As much as she had enjoyed traveling, she appreciated the promise of a couple of days of being relatively still. She could almost feel her legs atrophying from lack of decent exercise.

They often walked along with the carriage, just for the exercise, but that hadn’t been possible on the transport. There was to be no official record of them – anywhere. If they did have to provide names, then they were a single family. Elíaz had to pose as Iyva’s brother and they traveled together with their spouses and servant, Yavin.

Yavin had been picked up in Kyrila in their first week out. The young man had been drifting, looking for someone who understood his gifts and talents. Zilan had been quick to notice his potential and offered him a place in their group if he would help handle the caballus, especially when they were in a town. Yavin had quickly learned shaze, though he wasn’t yet at the level the rest of them – all with gold mastery badges.

The carriage slowed to a stop. <We’re here,> she felt Zilan impress upon her mind.

“We have arrived,” she informed D’zani who snoozed in Elíaz’s arms.

Iyva stepped out. “Ray’s Inn,” the sign read. Yavin had already gone inside to secure three rooms for a week.

“A week?” Elíaz asked Iyva.

“If we have to leave early, then it’s okay, but it’s good to make friends of the proprietor if possible,” she explained, remembering Zilan’s feeling about generosity.

Elíaz nodded. D’zani was awake enough to walk by the time Yavin came back.

“Three rooms under the name of Shadow,” Yavin confirmed.

“Thank you,” Zilan said. “Everyone get settled in, then join Iyva and me over at the Buccaneer if you feel up to it. Remember no cloaks in X’lea!”

“I think we will call it a night,” Elíaz apologized. “There will be tomorrow, I’m sure.”

“As you need,” Zilan replied.

“I won’t be a moment,” Yavin said. “I could do with some entertainment for sure.”

Iyva smiled, realizing that Yavin was hoping to find a pretty girl. She took Zilan’s hand and crossed the street with him.