24 Footprints on Dust

The sun was low on the horizon. Three horses trotted on a dusty path at a brisk pace. On the left was Damon's stallion, Friar, a chestnut dun fjord, one of the friendly breeds of the grasslands that he purchased from Cuppa. Felicity, in the middle, had brought a horse that she had raised on her farm, a gorgeous creme buckskin. She had named it Silver, after its shiny overcoat. Silver had gray eyes as a foal, which had now turned amber. The men had listened to her talk about the steed with patience. The subject was not a fascinating one for them. They liked to hear Felicity's voice. It was a thirst they did not know they had until they met her. The issue, however, had been to find Tarsus, a proper horse. The hulk was well over six feet and weighed over two hundred and fifty pounds. After rigorous scouting, an acquaintance of Empousa had procured a criollos horse for him. It was a lofty animal, almost six feet in height. But Tarsus mounted and dismounted it with ease. The auditor of south suburra had laid down that they had to visit twenty towns of Pago, indulge in adventures, and collect testament of exploits. That would determine their eligibility for the Labors. When they reach the inspection posts at the foot of Mt. Radomir, proclaimers will enumerate the value of their exploits. The northbound road, rightly named so, went straight through Pago, heading for Modo, and from Modo straight for Mt. Radomir. However, to go through twenty towns of Pago, the group had taken the ring road, which belted across the city. Modo, Pago, and Fugi were semi-circular city-states around Mt. Radomir. The ring roads orbited them for convenience to travelers. Damon was adept at horse riding. His past occupation had required him to belt across the cities for the missions. Zoe was double-riding with him. It was a bother for him in the beginning, as she tried to grab the reins at times. Tarsus made adequate fun of Damon for riding with a girl. Zoe drowsed off occasionally and almost fell off the horse at once. Damon let her hold the reins at times and built high stirrups to prevent her from slumping. 'Don't shift around so much," he told her. 'It gives the horse mixed signals. And we don't want to lose control of or distract Friar. We have a long way to go with him." Damon did not carry any weapons, but he had purchased a dagger for Zoe. One would think he could have manifested one for her with his ability. But Damon maintained that his magicked items belonged only to him. Tarsus had some issues learning to ride. His horse named Rudy was a proud, rebellious one. It took the rider hours to tame the beast. Damon had observed that Tarsus' hair had elongated rapidly. It had been short-cropped the day before but was shoulder-length and flowing at the moment. 'It has something to do with my powers of regeneration," Tarsus explained. I cut my hair every day. Perhaps my body considers the shingling as an injury and heals it. Since I could not shear them over the past couple of days, they have grown." Their first town to visit was Petelia, over a hundred miles away. It would take three days to make the journey, and they were on the first day of travel. They had set out on a Monday morning. The plan was to halt at night and make camp and then continue on the following day. The second day they would make a pit-stop at an inn called the Dishwater inn. Felicity rode in the middle, and the two men stole glances at her from time to time. Silver was a young and sprightly mare. And the two stallions flanking her were in similar spirits to the men. 'Wonder why they call it that. Dishwater Inn." Felicity wondered aloud. 'Anything outside of the suburras has odd names," Damon explained. 'The folks are not as polished. Their customs are primitive. And their learning is backward and superstitious. The lands are strange as well. I've been through the northbound road so many times that I have lost count. But it feels strange and unfamiliar every time. It is as if the scenery on either side changes less with the seasons and more with the mood of the lands." 'We have to make camp soon," Tarsus declared. 'It's getting dark." In the distance, on the left, they saw bonfires. 'Looks like a caravan," Damon observed. the northbound road Rightly 'What's a caravan?" Felicity asked. 'It's a group of traders or pilgrims traveling together. Let's see if we can get some food and drink there." 'Where are they from?" Felicity pressed as they took a left turn towards the gathering. A narrow dirt path bounded by grass took them off the ring road. 'Caravans go around the towns selling and buying merchandise. If they are pilgrims, they visit the temples of Aion and the Seraphim. If they are entertainers, they visit the suburra theaters or, in the case of towns, the town halls. Caravan folks are not from a singular place. They stay in a town for a week and then move on." 'It sounds like fun." Felicity opined, breaking a stalk of grass from the side. 'But they don't have a home." Tarsus offered. 'Perhaps the people you travel with become your home," she replied, poking him with the blade of grass. Darkness fell by the time the trio reached the caravan campsite. Three bonfires, the one at the center being the largest, lit up the area. Around fifty people sat around them, drinking and chattering. A man played lute from a corner. 'Who goes there?" A man from the crowd asked. 'We are adventurers, looking for a place to spend the night. We are willing to pay for food, drink, and company." There was no response from the man who had asked the question, but the crowd turned towards an older woman sitting in the back. She was most likely the Chieftain of the caravan. The woman took a sip of her drink and nodded. 'You are welcome here," the man said merrily. And the crowd also joined him in making them feel welcome. A hostler took their horses to feed and water. They were guided to the middle bonfire and provided mats to sit on. The crowd was older than they were, mostly in their twenties and thirties. They wore outlandish cylindrical clothes with knitted scarves. Much older people sat in the back, away from the fire. 'It's pretty homely," Tarsus said to one of the caravan folk. 'One may forget that it is in the middle of nowhere." 'Wait until nightfall, when the young-uns get drunk. It will be wild," came the reply. And almost like a prophecy coming true, the lads and ladies from the crowd rose from their seats soon and started dancing. The music became louder with several instruments playing- the lute, the tambourine, and the Lyra. The fires danced yellow and orange, the crackles and pops of the burning wood drowned by the music. Some couples huddle together. Some folks started singing a quaint, exotic song about a blind girl who became a goddess and found true love. The explosions of neon and gold streaks from floating embers burst into the night from time to time. It was as if a paint palette was being poured into the fire, which sprinkled magic on a black canvas. It seemed to be a never-ending reverie. Amid the music, Felicity got to her feet after having a few drinks. She mingled among the dancing women, tracing their steps, falling into their rhythms. Damon and Tarsus watched with the crowd, enchanted. The beauty had the adder stone on her, which diminished her Muse charms, and yet her dancing form was a heavenly spectacle. In the end, most of the revelers retired. Only a few remained around the central bonfire, which was on its last round of firewood. The caravan's Chieftain, whom everyone called grandma, narrated a scary story to the children about a spirit called the cacodemon, who disguised herself as the mother and abducted young ones. Damon and Tarsus excused themselves to make water on the periphery of the camp. They stood beside each other, staring into the blackness as they relieved themselves. 'So, do you like her?" Damon asked. 'Who, Felicity? What's not to like?" Tarsus replied. 'But you left your suburra for her. She must mean something to you." 'You left your assassin work. That is likely to have ruffled some feathers." 'It's possible they may send someone after me." 'So, do YOU like her?" 'I feel she is close to me even though I never met her before." 'I feel the same." 'I'm done. Let's go back." 'Same here. But I am going to drink some more." 'Careful, we have to start before first light tomorrow." The two men returned to the caravan revelry, and the night piled on.