Reader Beware

Chapter 19

            It wasn’t until the sun was sending shafts of dark gold through the trees that they saw the caravan. Or rather, heard it. The creak of wood, rolling wheels, and sound of hoofbeats were overlaid with the sound of many voices. As they got closer, Rika finally caught sight of it. Four plain wooden wagons seemed to make up the centre of it, their beds piled high with boxes, barrels, and crates, armed men sticking close by. In front of them were two horses, each of them bearing a rider, only barely visible. Just behind the plain carts were three smaller covered wagons, but what they lacked in size they made up for in colour. Each one was another eye-blinding shade, covered in strange designs and patterns that were hard to see from a distance.

            It was only when they were a few metres behind the last of the wagons that Rika was able to make out what was actually painted on them. One had scenes of people changing into animals, both in the forest and city, while another was covered with the sky at all times of the day. The last one, the only one covered in abstract designs, was also the only one that had writing on it. Elaborate script that said “Master Marvillosio’s Travelling Spectacle”.

            Rika stared, especially at the colourfully dressed people driving the wagons. Damek barely glanced at them, weaving around the wagons and the horses pulling them, until he reached the first of the guarded carts. All smiles as the nearest guard looked him over, he said “I’d like to speak to your master, if you’d be so kind.”

            The man snorted but waved him on, turning his gaze onto Ahisu and Rika. The mage was staring in front, paying no attention to what was happening beside him, the complete opposite of Rika. She watched as Damek gave a little bow to the silk clothed man who sat, almost enthroned, in the back of the cart, just behind the driver. “What do you want?” he asked, voice wavering slightly.

            “We, my two companions and I, would very much like to join your caravan. If you’re heading in the direction of the capital…?”

            The merchant, Rika guessed him to be one since she couldn’t imagine why anyone else would be travelling with a cart full of crates and barrels, looked them over. “We may be. Can you fight?”

            Damek nodded. “I’m a travelling martial artist, and the man over there, as I’m sure you can tell, is a mage. And,” he said quickly, before the other man could say anything. “If it were just the two of us, we wouldn’t be here asking to join. But my sister is with us and I would rest easier if we could join with you. I don’t want to drag her into unnecessary dangers. I’m sure a man such as yourself can understand how a brother might worry, especially when his sister is young and pretty.”

            “Hmmm,” he said, staring at them again. After a long measuring look, he turned back to Damek, frowning slightly. “If we’re attacked, you’d be expected to help defend us.”

            “We would do so with vigour and enthusiasm.”

            Rika was the only one to hear Ahisu’s faint snort. She glanced at him, catching his eye and doing her best to give him the look her brother always turned on her when she was doing something stupid. The mage returned the stare without even a flicker of emotion marring his usual blank expression. In the end, it was Rika who broke the staring contest, gaze going back to Damek when she heard the merchant speak.

            “If that’s the case, then you may join us. We won’t feed you and you’ll be responsible for guarding your own camp area.”

            Damek grinned, nodding. “Of course. Thank you. You are too kind.”

            The man harrumphed and turned away. Damek didn’t look the least bit bothered by it, coming back to the others then waving to tell them they should drop back. Only when they were well behind the last of the painted wagons, where the sound of the caravan would cover their words, did he speak. “Okay, so we’ve been accepted. Now especially, we need to be careful to stick to our stories. I wouldn’t trust performer types to keep a secret. Doubly so for one that soldiers might be willing to reward them for. So you absolutely can’t reveal to anyone here that you’re from another world or tell them about the book, alright stranger-girl?”

            Rika frowned, but nodded. “But we don’t know for sure that the soldiers are after me.”

            “No, but it’s safer to pretend they are. Now you,” he said, turning to Ahisu. “Are you going to be able to keep to the story too? One slip up and we’re all screwed.”

            The mage snorted.

            Damek glared. “We’re all in this together, so you at least owe me a proper answer.”

            “Simple story,” Ahisu said, after a moment of increasing tension between him and the blue-haired man.

            As Damek’s glare intensified, Rika did her best to puzzle out what the mage was trying to say. Pursuing her lips slightly, she said “Are you saying it’s a simple story so you’re not going to forget?” Her other thought, that he was criticizing the story, she decided to leave unvoiced, even if she was wrong. She didn’t need to add fuel to Damek’s anger.

            But Ahisu dipped his head in her direction. Rika grinned, feeling a thrill of pleasure at the realization that she was slowly getting used to the mage and his habits. It was almost like learning another language.

            Damek rolled his eyes, shoulders draining of tension. “That was the point of keeping it simple. I just want to make sure we’re all ready for this. What sounds easy in a safe place can become all kinds of difficult when you mix in a bunch of strangers.”

            Rika heard Ahisu’s quiet “Fool.” Thankfully her friend had turned his attention towards studying the wagons in front of them. She gave Ahisu another look, trying to shame him into better behaviour. Seeing the expression he faced her with, she had a feeling it was going to take a long time before she made any kind of progress.