A Tale of Crown and Country

Tavin

Despite his vow to look around the city, Tavin felt in the way: he didn't know what to see, what to do, he didn't know anyone in Ilane, and ended up leaving just a little later than he usually did. But he took his time, wandering down the main streets of the city. Not as much of a merchant outpost, Ilane was more planned-out, as Tavin figured it. The streets weren't as crowded, the people weren't as pushy, and the air wasn't quite so dry. A cool breeze ruffled Tavin's hair and he smiled. This was a lovely city, as his mother would phrase it. There were undoubtedly some not-so-nice people here, but Tavin hadn't met them yet and so their image didn't stain his idea of Ilane.

    He set out a pleasant hour. Tavin slipped past the eastern gates well after the sun had risen but while it was still relatively low in the sky. It was amazing how the weather changed his mood; the daunting sun of Illane that had fouled his day was pleasing to his cheeks by the waters of Lake Ayera. While rain was his preferred type of cloud, Tavin found the fluffy white pillows that interspersed the greying sky rather nice.

    In a much better mood than the previous few days, perhaps on account of the amount of sleep he'd gotten that night, Tavin wasn't as tense as he walked. He didn't focus on anything to distract himself from the monotonous few days he was about to have. He walked and thought without retaining any of it. He peered at the forest and the far-off lake without remembering what they looked like. He watched carts and, more frequently now, carriages pass him without wondering if anyone would stop to offer him a lift. He didn't think about the prophecy, nor did he stop himself from doing so. He didn't think about his family, about Nasta and Mother and Grandfather and the little ones who were not quite so little anymore. He didn't think about Reichie or Edwein and Dialla. He did think briefly to Atryada and Fenwur but was presently taken to step to the side of the road to avoid a passing carriage and prompty forgot what he had been thinking about.

    It was a pleasant, care-free day, and Tavin rejoiced in the repetitive nature of placing one foot in front of the other. He munched an apple and smiled whenever a breeze crossed his face. It was a strange sort of elation, one derived from overexertion and the aftermath of the discomforts of Allriya.

    Tavin travelled along the Ayera River. When he became tired around dusk, he started searching for a good place to spend the night. For such a well-travelled road he found it strange that no one had thought to build an inn anywhere along the river. They would make a fortune, he figured. But maybe that was because hardly anyone travelled by foot, instead seeking out horses, carts, and carriages to carry them to and fro. Tavin didn't have that luxury. The only satisfaction he had was that the ground would be more comfortable than the unnamed inn in Odeila.

    He found a spot in the crux of the Ayera River and the stream that spread from it. A while back from the water and the road, Tavin nestled himself into the edge of the forest that spilled out towards the river. He was content in amongst the trees, having spent the majority of his childhood either in the forest that threatened to overtake Revdellen, or being coerced away from said forest. The ground was considerably drier than at home, and Tavin had no trouble finding some leaves and moss for a makeshift bed that wouldn't leave him soaked to the bone. He didn't make a fire for fear of causing the entire forest the burst into flames, but more than that so as not to draw attention to himself. He was all too well aware that bandits would be out on the road soon. He had chosen this specific spot carefully: in amongst the roots of a large oak, he was shielded from the road by sparse shrubbery and yet close enough that he could still benefit from the sky's natural light. The perfect balance, Tavin was quite pleased with himself for having found such a perfect spot. If only Atryada could see him now, having made a pristine shelter that even their professors would be proud of. Maybe then she'd see how capable he was.