A Shade's Task

Chapter 5

The trip to Myrid was uneventful, but for her still exhausting. Who would have thought switching from nights to days would be so difficult? She understood that it would be more practical to be awake during the day for her travels so J'hared could keep watch while she slept at night without drawing too much attention if they were spotted. However, the transitioning between the two times was more difficult than she thought it would be and by the time she reached Myrid she was exhausted.

The total journey would take about two weeks from when they left Pilym. It had been a six-day journey to Myrid where she would get the chance to rest in an inn for a night. Then it would be a five-day trip to La-Kore and from there it would only take about a half a day to get to La'Roke. The final stretch was a two-day journey from there to Shangix which would be her final destination.

Myrid is a large bustling coastal city with a population of around a hundred and fifty-five thousand and still growing. It was hard to believe that several years ago the population had been around seven thousand. Now it was on the map as the major trade center for the kingdom, taking the spot away from La'Roke. It was possible it could one day become the new capital if the growth of the city continued at the same current rate.

The first thing she noticed upon arriving were the large docks with thousands of ships lined up being loaded and unloaded. Several of the ships were so large they felt towering compared to the warehouses and the smaller shops that lined up close by.

The next thing that came into view was the main street which was lined up with thousands of shops and bustling businesses. The first set being the closest to the docks were the fish stands and restaurants that specialized in serving fish. These restaurants helped to cover the fish smell that would come from the stands with a warm spiced scent making the city appealing.

Carinia's stomach started to growl from the amazing smells she never smelled before. She sighed, she had been instructed to head to the west side of town, there she would find an inn with a purple awning called the Rusty Bucket. There she was to check in and stay within a small distance and limit her interaction with everyone. She's to stay hidden, which made her clench her fists as she walked. As much as she wanted to explore, she also knew that her instructions came from X'heve himself. Myrid was important for his plans to take over Merydia and as such there could be enemies lurking that he didn't want her involved in. He had people taking care of things here and her task was to get to Shangix with as little trouble as possible.

Although as she continued to walk, she couldn't resist the warm scent of cinnamon coming from the bakery that came up in her right. She walked inside and grabbed the source of the scent, a fresh cinnamon roll which was just as mouthwatering as the smell was.

It took her about an hour to get from the bakery to the Rusty Bucket and check in. The sun was starting to set when she arrived, and she went into her room and summoned J'hared.

"I have some things to take care of tonight. I trust you can handle yourself for the time being?" He asked with a raised brow.

She scoffed a little, "Don't worry I am too tired from the trip to wonder far. Do whatever it is that you need to do. I'll be here asleep," she gave him a slight wave of her hand and turned away from him.

J'hared hesitated a moment before turning away from her and leaving for the night. Carinia was curious on what it was that he had to do within the city, but she knew it wasn't her place to question. Trying not to let it all bother her she got ready for bed and laid down. Despite being so tired it was hard for her to fall asleep, so she tried to daydream, thoughts of walking around with the others during the day...

The next morning, she awoke and was surprised at how refreshed she felt. Gathering her things, she headed out to the inn and to her horse. Since she was traveling by herself for the most part, there was no need for a second horse. The times that J'hared travelled with her he walked next to her.