SS [52] Traveling

Tanisha was thoroughly annoyed, she was hoping that their trip into Highhall would be exciting. She would be able to visit some of the herbalist, alchemist, and specialty shops to replace the equipment she had lost after being thrown naked through a rift and deposited out in the Deadlands. 

Drakvik wasn’t a place known for an abundance of alchemy supplies especially since it was out in the middle of nowhere and the vast majority of their consumer goods were imports. The forge town didn’t really produce much outside of monster crystal ingots and alloys. Well that and ale, she did work in a brewery while they were there after all.

Highhall, by contrast, was the capital of the Deadlands, while remaining far from the actually dead part. Everything funneled through it. Trade, administration, tourism, and wealth all converged here in volumes that made smaller cities feel like afterthoughts. It should have been overwhelming in a way that felt exciting.

With Bjorn finally able to move through the city without every drake in range panicking, it should have been the perfect opportunity to actually enjoy herself. All of that was ruined the moment she found out Soren was going to be their escort.

She didn’t say anything more about it but her displeasure was clear. Instead of complaining she sat in the wagon, legs drawn up on her travel bed while Bjorn and Anasuya rested nearby on the floor in the familiar way they had fallen into during travel. The wagon rolled along the concrete roads of the wealth district, smooth enough that even thinking felt easier than usual. 

She was beginning to feel restless so she decided she could take inventory. A few specimen containers, already filled with whatever useful plants she had managed to gather. A mortar and pestle that was functional but not proper alchemy grade. A handful of flare crystals. Compared to what she had lost, it was almost insulting. 

“I also need to get new armor.” Tanisha muttered to herself.

“What about weapons?” Bjorn asked.

“The staff is more than enough for now.” Tanisha said. “And I still have one of my daggers.”

She wasn’t lying either. The Angel Core staff was without question the most impressive weapon she had ever wielded. Most of the time she could just forget about it. It floated around without conscious thought and avoided colliding with things. It resonated with her soul and magic as both a focus and an amplifier.

“I do need to take it to a wandmaker,” Tanisha said. “Unless you can make the staff core if I get the material.”

“Unfortunately my wandmaker spell isn’t meant for making normal staves.” Bjorn said.

She would need to rebuild the Walking Armory spell but without a storage item she would still need to carry the real weapons around physically. The staff could not be added into the Walking Armory but with the dagger she could have both the real one and a copy when necessary. 

Weapons weren’t her biggest concern for the moment. It was the lost chemistry equipment. While alchemy and chemistry had similar concepts the tools used were different with the latter having far more precise tooling. 

She knew they weren’t planning on being in Highhall long enough to have the chemistry items commissioned or even if it was possible without Laxy or Ivoi’s fabricators. The real loss were the books she didn’t get a chance to read fully through. 

“I was really looking forward to that book on something called atomic theory.” Tanisha said.

“We are entering the city, Tani, Bjorn, Ana. If you want to see it, now's the time.” Aurelius called out.

Walked to the front of the wagon lifting the leather curtain letting in more light. The city unfurled and she climbed out to sit next to Aurelius. Bjorn cautiously poked one of his heads out. A drake passed by with little notice and no panic.

“You did it.” Tanisha said.

“Where to first?” Soren asked from beside the wagon.

Tanisha looked at the man assessingly before turning to Aurelius, ignoring the druid.

“I wanted to see if they had alchemy or cold infusion equipment,” Tanishas said.

“Would we find both of those in the same place?” Aurelius asked.

“Not always,” Tanisha said. “Infusion is often treated more like metallurgy than alchemy depending on the school. It depends on how they classify the process here.”

Soren cleared his throat lightly. 

“Flashwater’s Market Association might help.” He said. “They deal in both supply chains and specialized requests.”

Tanisha did not respond to him.

Aurelius did instead, after a brief pause that suggested he had noticed exactly what she was doing. 

“That sounds reasonable, Soren. We’ll start there.” Aurelius said.

Tanisha leaned back slightly as the wagon rolled forward again, already watching the city for what she had actually come here to find, while Soren’s presence remained something she refused to acknowledge even as it guided their route.

***

The Flashwater’s Market Association was an entire street and surrounding buildings and pavilions which acted as one of the main trade corridors for the west side commercial district. The wealth of the district was obvious in the architecture and the look of the people walking, shopping and enjoying the many venues and vendors.

Soren explained it was all owned by the Freshwaters, the same oligarch family that owned the water treatment facility and most of the rivers within a few dozen miles of Highhall. They make sure the water stays drinkable and of course charges a small fee for use of the water. Before they purchased the rights to water sources and purification of said water there used to be a terrible pollution problem. 

Tanisha mostly blocked out any comment Soren made outside of useful directions to different locations. Shortly after arriving at the massive shopping district, a dwarven man in a suit walked up to them. He was stalky for a dwarf and had a short managed beard styled to perfection.

“It is an honor to have the Runecrown banner flown in our Market Association.” He said with a bow of his head. “My name is Bofur. I am a representative of the Flashwater family and to act as your guide through our wonderful trade district.”

“Ah, well before that I will inform you that her Highness is not present. I am escorting her guests.” Soren said.

Bofur did not change his tone as he looked over the wagon. Then back at Soren.

“Guests of Runecrown are guests of the Freshwaters,” Bofur said. “We can even take your wagon to a holding area while you enjoy our facilities. Anything you purchase will be loaded before you leave.”

“I like him.” Tanisha said.

“Is this normal, Soren?” Aurelius asked.

Soren looked slightly uncomfortable when he nodded.

“For associates of Princess Yrsa, yes. The Oligarchs like to keep associates of her highness in memory.” Soren said.

“Well said.” Bofur added. “Please follow me.”

Something about Soren’s wording seemed off to Tanisha. If Bjorn had not told them about his findings the previous night she wouldn’t have been so scrutinizing. However briefly before being shipped off to the academy, she had been taught the basics expected of a noble daughter. Most of it had been boring. Seating arrangements, greetings, precedence, introductions, and a thousand other little rules she never thought she would use.

One lesson had stuck with her, especially now. Powerful people rarely said exactly what they meant.

Wendigo society worked differently than most kingdoms. Princes and princesses gathered followers, formed factions, built alliances, and accumulated real power. It was expected. The royal family was less a single institution and more a collection of competing interests held together by blood and tradition. 

She knew most countries were not like that. Mat and Julia talked about their home countries all the time. Neither Mesha nor the Force Isle would allow heirs to build up forces so brazenly.

That got her wondering. What would it mean to be an associate to the princess? Why would Soren choose now to emphasize that the Oligarchs like to keep associates in “memory”? One of the oligarch houses might have already tried to kill her. If House Potwarden was willing to target Yrsa, would they also target anyone perceived as supporting her? 

From everything Bjorn had uncovered, Princess Yrsa seemed dangerously isolated. She had no household knights, no visible faction, and no family retainers of her own. Even her security came from the oligarchs. On the road she had traveled with little more than Soren and a carriage.

The more Tanisha thought about it, the less this looked like a princess visiting a distant city and the more it looked like someone being quietly removed from power.

Then there was Soren himself. Where did he fit in this whole situation? He was a foreigner, practically a mercenary. Why would anyone like her want a druid from the Force Isles? Yet he was carrying the banner of House Runecrown on his tabard. That alone felt strange. This whole situation smelled like a trap.

“Please hold on.” Tanisha said.

She knew that she couldn’t disassociate themselves from Princess Yrsa completely; they were staying in her manor, they did arrive in the same convoy. Something about the whole thing seemed like a trap. Like this was an important moment that required clarification.

“Is everything okay,” Bofur asked.

She glanced toward Soren. For just a moment he met her eyes. There was tension there, the same tension she had noticed since arriving at the manor. It was the look of someone listening to a conversation while carefully choosing every word he spoke.

“Tani, you good?” Aurelius asked.

“Yes, give me a moment.” Tanisha just loud enough for him to hear.

She rose from her seat and dismounted from the wagon. 

“Nothing is wrong,” Tanisha continued with a courteous tone. “I just wanted to make sure we made a proper introduction. While traveling to this great city we happened to meet Princess Yrsa during an unfortunate monster attack. It was a harrowing ordeal but we pulled through. After aiding in her defense she graciously invited us to say at her estate so she could reward us.”

Bofur nodded along as if he had already prepared a response even before she finished talking.

“To save a member of the royal family is a great service to Isopike.” Bofur said.

“Oh, I am not diminishing our contribution,” Tanisha said. “Though I suspect Soren could have handled the creatures eventually.”

“You are being modest.” Soren said.

Tanisha ignored him and kept her eyes on Bofur.

“My concern is simply that our relationship with the princess is being overstated. We are travelers. Guests. Nothing more.” Tanisha paused to let the words settle. “So perhaps it would be better to introduce ourselves as individuals interested in building relationships with the Freshwaters directly rather than as associates of Princess Yrsa.”

Bofur's professional smile faltered for the first time. It lasted less than a second before returning.

“Even so you are guests.” Bofur said but less confident in the direction of the conversation.

Tanisha turned to the wagon and raised a hand to guide the eyes to her companions.

“This is Aurelius Lyns of the Force Isles, this is Bjorn Isin Scalebound of Yuhia, this is Anasuaya Hashemi Scalebound, his daughter. I am the Fourteen Princess of Yuhia, Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound.”

There was silence after that. Well as silent as the busiest market district in the city could be.

“You are a princess?” Soren said almost absent mindedly. “A wendigo princess… oh. That makes sense”

Tanisha kept the fact that she was an Honorary Princess of Yuhia to herself for the time being. Technically she would be fully recognized as a princess as soon as Sigrun confirmed she was a Greater Wendigo with her faction. She doubted anyone in Highhall cared about the finer details of wendigo succession law. What did matter was that this would throw complications into whatever schemes were going on.

Bofur recovered from his stupor. His professional smile returned, though it seemed a touch more careful than before.

“A princess of Yuhia,” he said. “I see.”

His gaze briefly flicked toward Soren before returning to her. He cleared his throat and added a bow.

“Then allow me to properly welcome all of you to the Flashwaters Traders Association. Please, follow me inside. It would be our pleasure to serve you.”

“Thank you.” Tanisha said.

She promptly hopped back into the wagon next to Aurelius. The ox panthers lazily followed the dwarf.

“I am going to assume noble shenanigans just happened,” Aurelius said confusedly.

“We will talk about it later.” Tanisha paused and furrowed her brow. “Hey wait a second, you got on me for saying swanky once and you are using the word shenanigans?”

“No one says swanky.” Aurelius said.

“I do!” Tanisha folded her arms. “No one says shenanigans. What does that even mean.”