49th Day of Fall, 514AV
It was a season ago that Verin had been invited to the Temple of the Black Sun where, after he had prayed to his patron, he had been informed that, on the 52nd day of the next season, he was to travel with a Sahovan guide to Nyka, and then on to Sahova, where he would join the ranks of the Wizards of Sahova. Verin was not entirely sure of all the details, but he did know that someone in the Black Sun had devised this mission for him as a test, test to see whether or not he was worthy of joining the ranks of Rhyol’s most devoted and elite. And though leaving his brother alone in the city was daunting, he would take his task in his stride, and succeed at everything thrown at him, all in the name of The Defiler.
Yet the day of departure was looming near, and the elder of the Rush twins had not prepared, nor bought any of the supplies he knew he would need. He had been told that a horse and the relevant tack would be provided for him, but he would have to buy other necessities. The Black Sun initiate had never travelled alone before, other than a few short excursions into the forests around Lake Ravok. His trips to Syliras had been with his father or other family members, who had all taken control of what was needed for the journey.
As such, he had no idea of what equipment he would need for the journey. Rations for the road were one thing he would need, that much was obvious, but it would be foolish to buy such rations right now, lest they were not fresh for the journey itself. He wasn’t even sure what food to buy; like all Ravokians he was used to buying his meals on the day. It occurred to him, however, that he could use Redd to hunt for game. He assumed that she had some hunting experience, enough to catch something for them to eat. "She will need conditioning, though. I cannot risk her running off..."
For today, however, his trip to the market was purely to buy essentials. He had two cloaks, a fine black one which had been a gift from the Black Sun, and a more worn woollen one, which would be perfect for the travels that he was about to undertake. Glancing down, it occurred to him that he should invest in a new pair of boots, riding boots specifically, which is what he did first. Black, of course, they came to three-quarters of the way up his shin and were snuggly fitted.
“You know how to use them, boy?” Verin ignored the derogatory term of address in favour of trying to learn a little about horse riding. He was keenly aware that he had never been on the back of a horse (he had never had any need to), and he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of his guide. The arrogance in him told him that riding a horse couldn’t be too hard, so he thought that if he learned a little of the basics, he’d be fine. He shook his head.
“It’s the balls of your feet that rest on the stirrups. The heel on these boots is small, as you can see, and whilst it will feel more comfortable and secure to rest the middle of your foot in the stirrup, you must not. Should anything go wrong, locking your foot so far into the stirrup is dangerous.” Verin noticed that the man’s expression was not a pleased one. For a moment, he felt as if he were Valerius Nitrozian – a spoilt boy who bought nice things without ever knowing how to use them. He tried to shake the sensation and thanked the man for his help as he paid.
LedgerPersonal Expenses
- Black Riding Boots (1gm)
