The next day, Leiea wakes to the hushed noises of two people talking outside.
She quietly gets up and peers out the window to find Sheyric standing next to a tall, golden-haired woman with tons of pouches covering her pants and shirt. In the distance are four horses and a buggy piled with boxes, most likely the woman's. Leiea could only guess she's a trader or some other traveler going to Karyk. She imagine's what they are talking about, probably warning of the birds or the horse's corpse.
The woman nods and walks to the front of the caravan with Sheyric. Leiea takes this as a hint and bounces to the door, swinging it open and startling the two.
"Oh, Leiea. This is Saena," Sheyric says, nodding to the lady. She shines a somewhat pitiful smile and waves. Leiea dips her head in respect. He continues.
"She's a traveler I've met before. I told her about... everything. But she made an offer,"
"Yes," Saena says, clasping her hands together and drawing a deep breath in. "I offered to trade my best horse for your... What did you call it? Caravan? Yes, that. That way you two can ride horseback with your supplies, and your beautiful draft horse won't have to suffer with the weight."
Leiea hesitates but Sheyric enthusiastically nods in agreement. Why would he want to give it up? She agreed to go to Galerus in the first place just to save his business, and now he's throwing it away?
"Are you giving up trading?" she retorts.
"We might have to, anyway. In the long run. I'd rather be poor than take another week or two to get home." He says, crossing his arms and looking over at the mangle front of the caravan.
Maybe it will be for the better. Of course, it will help going faster, and at least he isn't refusing empathy for the village. Plus, this Saena isn't a complete stranger, and she looks like the type to trust with the caravan. She'll still have three horses then, a perfect amount to drive it. She could attach the buggy to it to replace the seat...
Leiea looks at Saena, suddenly remembering something vital. "Where did you come from? I mean, your route,"
"I reside from Okino. West coast mountain city." She says. She must have realized Leiea didn't know what or where Okino was since it wasn't in her geography lessons.
Sheyric shifts his weight and asks again if she would agree to giving up the caravan for Saena's horse. Hesitantly, she nods and Saena beams, shakes her and Sheyric's hand before joining him to detach the horse. Leiea goes by herself to pack up what they would need.
First, getting all her belongings together, but not touching his. If he forgets his stuff, it's his fault for being ignorant, she thinks. She puts together a large saddlebag full of food and water, trusting that Saena will provide other riding gear. At the last minute, she also stuffs the rifle inside.
Leiea drags everything outside as Saena's coming back with her horse. Not a huge workhorse like she's used to, but large enough to keep up. Seeing Sheyric holding Odenne, the horse starts neighing and flinging it's champagne colored head.
"His name's Craith," Saena says over the noise. "Treat him well."
Sheyric nods and takes the reins. "Do you have saddles? Or anything to ride with comfortably?" he asks.
"Ah, yes, I can get that." she walks briskly back to her buggy and Craith whinnies at her leaving. His nose bumps Sheyric on the arm and he winces at the painful scratches.
"Which do you want to ride?" Leiea asks, adjusting the weight of the supply bags in her arms. "I was thinking I would get the smaller one. I'm probably too short to even get on Odenne."
He nods and looks up to see Saena jogging back with two saddles and a bag slung over her shoulder. "You take Craith." He pats Odenne on the back and goes into the caravan, to get his own supplies. Leiea puts her stuff down.
Saena makes it over and piles all the supplies for the horses on the ground. The two don't bother with small talk, waiting for Sheyric to return. He soon does, with slightly more personal items in extra packs. His cheeks are streaked with tears, no doubt because he has to let go of the caravan.
He puts a shaky hand on the wall and looks Saena in the eye. "If you do anything to this beauty, you know I'll find out. We meet every year and it's always something different with you."
She laughs hesitantly and goes to put everything on the horses, even some parts that Leiea couldn't put a name on. Craith appears to be used to it, while Odenne doesn't like the extra weight, being used to just a few chains and metal bars over her torso and connected to the caravan. All the extra bags with supplies and food are tethered onto each side evenly, It makes Leiea wonder if Odenne has ever been ridden. If she has, certainly not with this much gussying up.
Saena tells them a few more points on how to ride and put all the tack on and take it all off. Finally, she bids them farewell. She and Leiea shake hands, but Sheyric pulls her into a hug.
"I wish you luck,"
"You too."
As she runs back to her buggy to bring it to the caravan, Sheyric hoists himself on Odenne, barely getting on the horse's huge arching back. Leiea follows, much more rusty at it than him, but Craith is well-behaved and doesn't mind the weight. She holds a laugh back at the way Odenne tries to turn her head around and lick Sheyric's leg. He grins and taps the horse's flank with his heel to get moving.
They begin moving when Saena's driving the buggy over. They wave one last time before riding off into the plains, uncovered.
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Gift- Book 1
الخيال (فانتازيا)- - -Don't underestimate your influence.- - - Before she knows it, Leiea's done with school and whisked away into Kiira by the brother of a girl she can care less about. Yet, while trading and learning along the way, she can't shake the sense somet...
