Raiha had had enough.
Everywhere she looked, she saw memories of Rath, even in the Within. The bed in the unfinished cave that was going to be her room was empty without him, even with the pack of dogs and Chain to keep her company as the birds rested on their perches, their mews unfinished. There were other things to do that had taken more importance, and because her reimancy skill was not of the earth, the mews was less of a necessary project. Over the last couple of days, Kanikra had been thinking.
As much as they loved Riverfall, as much as they enjoyed looking after Tasi and Shayru and the work they did here, there was such a thing as becoming stagnant. And Raiha’s internal misery was tangible to her sister, and it was getting, quite honestly, annoying. So if they needed to pick up and go for a while, then so be it. Kanikra had just demanded to be allowed to pick the place. Raiha had acquiesced without complaint. So after a visit to Akajia’s temple, Kanikra had picked, and silent, quiet preparations made during the course of the days and nights that followed.
She had been living out of crates since the storm - she had unpacked all of two, and that was to get at some clean clothing and some herbs and falconry equipment. Everything else, such as it was, was still in the crates. Assistance was arranged to get her things to the docks in the dead of night, settle on a merchant’s ship bound south, and be gone well before first light. Their things were repacked, her hawks gathered into their shipping containers, wooden with the locked door and wire front. Diallo and Fidens, still despondent from the loss of his master, quietly pulled the dog cart through the passage out while Raiha packed and unloaded and carried her own through the second tunnel that gave her peace and quiet without waking the rest of the staff there, knowing, thanks to the shadows, where each one was. By the time the Akalak drew up his wagon, the silent, but determined, young Akontak had everything waiting at the gate. They loaded the few crates and trunks of belongings and perches into the wagon, then the birds, and then Fidens, the seven Akinva deerstalker dogs, and Chain. Raiha mounted up on Yakini, and rode her Firemane mare behind the wagon as the Akalak drove it back to the city and to the docks.
At the docks, enlisting the help of the driver, Raiha unloaded and got everything settled, the animals last, getting herself comfortable. She gave him a note to deliver to Rath’s parents in the light, thanking him quietly and pressing a cotton bag of mizas into his palm for his assistance, the agreed-upon payment for the night of work and silence. The geese honked at her from their nest box, the goslings having been let out of their woven reed basket as she let them out, spreading some grain and stale breadcrumbs. Bowls of water were set out, and she smiled at the shadows. Are you happy now? Kanikra asked her.
No, Raiha acknowledged, scratching Dara’s head, as the rest of the pack ranged about her. But there’s always new horizons.
Left on the bed, devoid of the furs and scraps and dog toys, and even the dogs and birds themselves, were two letters and a sack of coins. The room had been cleaned down meticulously of all traces of the young Akontak and her animal companions who had used the cave as home. No droppings from the birds remained, the floor had been swept and cleaned down, the bed unslept in. She had left 300 gold mizas, repayment for the dogs and a little extra. The first note, balanced neatly on the sack of coins, was addressed to Kavala.
Kavala's Note :
A second note was addressed to Ronan. It was even shorter.
Ronan's Note :
Ledger:
-300 GM to Kavala
-50 GM: Wagon
-80 GM: Boat fare
(Total: -430 GM)
