Farryn

Chapter 5- Part 5

Dedicated to an Old Friend.

After having Farryn sign several documents and agree to the "risks and responsibilities", Ada's father thanked her for choosing Sivil's civil transport and left to prepare a carriage. Ada offered to braid Luli's hair while they waited, and when the carriage was finally ready the three of them headed outside.

It was a fairly small carriage, and Ada's father- who introduced himself as Chibem- told her that they would ride during the day till about ten at night before resting. "We'll stop in a town or village about every other day." He patted the horse hitched to the carriage. "Mimi here is sure to get us there quick."

Farryn bid Ada and Lila goodbye, and their journey began. The first day went perfectly fine. Luli stayed asleep for the entire ride, and when Chibem stopped and parked the carriage at night, he offered her some of his bread to hold her over till they could get into town and buy more. Farryn slept on the plush seat of the carriage and woke to the smell of roasted corn. Luli had never had it before, and kept trying to scrape off the black bits, thinking they were dirt, but Farryn happily ate two cobs.

Chibem watched them eat quietly. He was a stoic man, but he had been nothing but kind to them. "When did you move to Isev, sir?" she asked him.

He stayed silent for a while, thinking like he had no rush. "We came the year me and my wife were wed," he said, slowly. "Had our first boy on the road." Farryn nodded. Before the outbreak. She had so many questions. Why would he stay after everything with Sireglow?

He turned the cobs roasting over the fire. "Sure you're wondering why we stayed," he asked. Farryn nodded, surprised. He shrugged. "Isev's our home. We had our kids there. Not going to let some trouble drive us out."

"But didn't your..." she trailed off.

"My daughter? Yeah. Cilla died, skies welcome her. But that wasn't Isev's fault." He chuckled. "If I held grudges, girl, nowhere in this kingdom would be a fit place for me to live. And no one would be a fit person to live with."

Farryn didn't understand, but she nodded.

Soon one day turned into two, then three, then four. On the fourth night it rained, and as they whisked over the landscape Farryn was hit with how far she'd come. From sitting in the back of a produce cart, with no idea where Liviana could be, drenched, alone, afraid. No, it was really from Serval's kitchens. To here. To now.

It stopped raining the morning of the fifth day, and they entered a small village near Sernaxa. Farryn bought Luli an appalling amount of candy, and she bought rolls of ribbon in all Liviana's favourite colours. She bought a lot of things they didn't need, and when Chibem sniffed at them she only grinned. "I have a lot of catching up to do."

He grunted in response, as he usually did, but then he gave her some money to buy a present on his behalf too. "None of that flighty nonsense. Buy her something good, and practical." She thanked him and used the money to buy Liviana a pair of boots, just like hers.

On the ride to Sernaxa, Farryn didn't sleep a wink. They'd been driving all day, and then late into the night. Chibem explained he'd have to drop her off at the city's Sivil location, and she'd have to board elsewhere for the night, but when he finally opened the door she forgot all about that.

She heaved a sleeping Luli out and thanked him, before hurrying down the road, gifts and food in tow. It took her a moment to realise she had no idea where she was going, or where she was. She slowed down, and stood there in the darkness for a moment, watching the flickering flame in a streetlight above her.

"Can I help you?" She jumped, and came face to face with a stubble-faced Peeler. 

"Ah." She breathed, shifting Luli's weight on her hip. "No sir."