The Shining Wyrm

5.3

In the end the question of what to pack was quite simple.

And also entirely outside of Jewel’s responsibility.

They were going to pack food and drink, for the most part.

The wyrm share of that being water by weight.

Not just for Jewel, Father and Kraok, but for Zephyrvam, the warhorses that Kraok and Bromthil would be riding, the Hackneys For the twenty-five footmen and their riders plus four of the barony’s sturdier pack horses to carry extra supplies.

Tsulogothulan would not be riding any beast themselves but did promise they would be in attendance in case of bandits or monsters, and furthermore would be able to keep pace with the slowest of the entourage quite effortlessly.

They also promised that, if needed, they could bring forth safe water to drink for beast and man alike.

But according to every footman that had tried it, the silty and sulfurous scented water Tsulogothulan called forth was unpleasant enough that they would only take it when in dire need.

Even the horse and Zephyrvam were averse to the stuff, despite the bog wizard’s assurances that they would be left far less liable to be sickened by it then if they kept to small beer or traveler’s wine.

So water and two wooden rundlets of lighter ale were still going into the supplies. With a promise that if they made a good showing in Kaeketeh the general footmen could drink from the remaining beer on their return journey.

Otherwise it was for Father, Jewel, Kraok and Bromthil to share the ale for watering down to small beer over the journey.

(Already, Jewel had heard Bromthil planned to give some of his men a ration on the journey there to reward good behavior.)

Kraok would be carrying the coin owed in tithe to the Countess, so that father could be kitted in proper gryphon lord armor just in case Zephyrvam needed to take flight and go on the attack immediately.

And last of all among the vital baggage there were a dozen Rochford hatched messenger doves to reinforce the number which were already kept by the Countess.

All of that was settled and decided, which only left Jewel’s place in the party.

And the issue of provisioning for her that was causing Father and Bromthil some consternation.

Jewel had to admit, despite all her figuring on stewardship, the vital importance of storing up the grains and sillage for the feeding of animals and peasants over the winter, through the spring turns and first two summers, that she had never really appreciated just how much food and drink one went through in a day.

Even for simple footmen and horses!

Nevermind Father’s own meals and the expected rations for a Knight or Captain!

And the troubles there only grew when it was making certain there was provision for a dragon!

She was not proud of it, but Jewel easily put away ten times as much food as Father did any given day and that was if she was only eating enough to leave her quite peckish each evening and near starving come breakfast.

Trying to journey at a solid march on less than what would feel like a half meal ration did not sound appealing at all.

“How much weight can you manage in flight these days, Jewel?”

Father and Bromthil were considering the figures and planning out their route, which inns, temples or wayhouses would be their lodgings, where there was rumor of bandit or monster lairs.

Whether they would seek fording points or risk ferries.

She shook herself out a bit trying to get a feel for her memories from her latest ‘exercise flights’.

“I can manage forty-five ironstone worth for a single circuit of the manor but it leaves my Wyrmfire exhausted upon landing. At thirty, though, I could fly most of a day and still have enough for one flame strike across the longest northwest fallow field.”

Father considered the figures then nodded to Bromthil.

“That should be enough for your provisions for the journey there and back again. Plus some to spare. In case we are held up by weather or detours.”

He nodded to Bromthil and made a note on the poor quality vellum they were using to mark and plan out provisions. It was scrap apprentice work from the tanners, not even really suitable for cutting for pages or scroll work.

The Captain of the footmen nodded.

“I’ll check with the stablemaster and see that her saddle is adjusted and enough satchels and packs are found to carry it.”

That caught Jewel a bit short, she did not often speak to Bromthil directly but no one ever called her training harness a saddle.

“If possible use my spare panniers, we want them to be easy to drop from her kit in an emergency.”

At least Father tried to correct his first among the guards on the slight.

She was so distracted by Bromthil’s intimation that she was some beast of burden to be ridden that she only barely managed to remember to interpose herself with a few words before she was dismissed.

“Father, could I bring a few things? It is my first time even leaving the lands of the manor... just a few tokens. For good luck and fortune of course.”

Bromthil glanced her way and seemed to be about to say something before Father raised a hand.

“If it is important, it would be best to not bring it, Daughter. The road will be perilous and our lodgings with strangers-”

She began to droop involuntarily at his words. She tried not to but found it happening before she could brace herself.

Of course it would be stupid to bring anything precious while traveling for the four days or more required to reach Kaeketeh with full retinue.

“But a small token of not much weight should be fine.”

With a dip of her head to Father’s kindness, Jewel slipped away from his study to let him and Bromthil manage the balancing of provisions and the distribution of weight across the riders and horses of various kinds.

She knew it was foolish, but there was only one item she could possibly imagine bringing on her first ever journey away from home.

Jewel slipped into her bathing room a good quarter day before Jorge would be expecting her. She had to make sure she had something to properly wrap and secure her pail if it was going to be traveling with her for at the shortest a full ten days upon the road at military march.