Chapter 84: Journey Begins
The final days until the new moon passed in what felt like the blink of an eye and before Ashlynn knew it, she was packing away her few possessions for the trip and preparing to leave the Vale of Mists behind for what could be several months.
"Is there anything else you wanted to bring, my Lady?" Heila asked, standing patiently nearby while Ashlynn surveyed the room that had only begun to feel like home. On the terrace, the flowers she’d brought up from the gardens had only just begun to bloom and she wouldn’t be present to see them in all their glory. The simple table where she’d taken so many of her meals with Nyrielle would have to keep them company until she returned.
"I think I’m already bringing quite a bit," Ashlynn admitted. While it was true that she had far more luggage when she moved from Blackwell County to Lothian March ahead of her marriage to Owain, this time, her packing was considerably more diverse.
She only brought three of her fine dresses, along with one common skirt and blouse. For a young lady traveling, it should have been plenty, but it wasn’t enough for her. Not anymore.
Now, next to the satin and velvet dresses she also packed breeches and a loose tunic along with what she’d come to think of as her fighting boots, sword belt and the heavy darksteel falchion that had begun to feel as familiar in her hand as a pen.
"Sir Thane said he would have your armor loaded into the carriage as well," Heila said when she noticed Ashlynn’s eyes pausing on her sword belt. "Just in case."
"Just in case," Ashlynn repeated with a light chuckle. "I’m stalling," she said, picking up the sword belt and slipping the heavy weapon on over her dark chocolate-colored traveling dress. In the mirror, she thought her reflection looked like a strange blend between a noblewoman and a knight, with her tightly braided hair and a lack of elaborate jewelry.
"I wonder if Thane’s sister would have approved," she said quietly. The more she learned from the former knight, the more she admired the sister he spoke of so often. To master a sword without any of the gifts Nyrielle bestowed on her must have taken incredible dedication.
"I’m sure she would have been delighted to have your company," Heila said, picking up the last of Ashlynn’s luggage, a case containing her journal, writing supplies, and the book Nyrielle had written for her to study the basics of sorcery.