Legacy

Chapter 17 - The Long Road

Life in the caravan was very different from anything the prince had ever experienced. It had a unique social culture and approach to ownership and responsibility. Everyone was effectively equal and could be called up on to perform whatever task needed doing. Talus Morgan was in charge of everything and responsible for seeing that every load reached its destination. But the individual carters and drivers were accountable for what they were carrying at the time. They were all going to different destinations with new ones joining as others dropped off. Morgan supplied fodder and fruit for the yarn and cooked meals twice a day for everyone in the caravan. Each person's chit was duly marked when they took either and their accounts settled either by the receiver of the goods or by the individual, if they were hauling their own load when they exhausted their tab.

If a driver or carter became ill or injured, Morgan found someone to drive their wagon or pull their cart. In that way the responsibility was shared throughout as were the duties when the caravan camped for the night. Kane found himself working one of the big stew pots or cleaning up empty plates on more than one occasion. The prince would no doubt have ended up doing much the same if he hadn't managed to go missing whenever Morgan made his rounds.

The journey to Cold Moon arc would take the better part of a month along good roads and hopefully through fair weather. It was a long winding road through rolling hills and pastures, through towns both big and small, and on one day through a seemingly endless meadow of crimson wild flowers. Isaac had more or less adopted Kane into his fellowship of travellers and been excited to discover that he once served as member of the imperial guard in the palace. He even joked that Kane was probably the second most important person from the old empire that he knew. As it turned out, his family had lived in the capital for many generations, yarn drivers every one. He had built his first wagon and started pulling his own load only a few months after his naming day.

"So, Kane, what do you reckon will happen to the traitors from Hundred Orchards?" Isaac called over from his cart. It was a large two yarn wagon that had been decorated and furnished with all the comforts of home, and in many ways was more of home to him than his house in the City of Wind.

"Death, I suppose," Kane replied.

"No, I don't reckon so, not that plenty wouldn't argue that they deserve it. But we aren't in the empire anymore where someone is put to death for every little offense."

"Best to kill criminals, that way they get what they deserve," the prince called from atop the wagon.

"Oh aye, kill them all. A man steals a loaf of bread, best put him to death so he doesn't do it again."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"I suppose there were very few repeat offenders if that's what you mean. But I think they'll be sent to Elba."

"Elba?"

"Penal island somewhere off the coast. They send criminals there to work off their debt to society. A lifetime of service without name, rank, or privilege doing the most menial labour for the betterment of the Republic."

"That seems rather lenient, all things considered," Kane said.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Life can be long and made all the longer with the memory of all you've lost." Isaac remarked.

"What sort of work do they do on an island?"

"Well you know, labour... menial back-breaking labour."

"That clarifies things, I suppose."

"Don't be looking down on islands now, they come in all shapes and sizes. Why the lands of Praxis consist of three islands – Prome, Theus, and Epime."