City by the Sea

Treasca leaned against her vardo starring up at the stars. The Traveler's wagon had been the previous Head Mage's before she had retired to the Alls Meet to spend the rest of her days in peace. It was painted a pale blue with navy birds and flowers on its sides. It was old and the paint chipped in places, but it was her own. The only thing Treasca could say she actually owned, well until she also grew too old to travel. She felt tears streaming quietly down her face. How long had her mother lived with that pain? Treasca heard a fiddle somewhere amongst the still burning fires somewhere in her clan someone was having fun. She sighed and climbed the rusting steps, and collapsed into her bedroll.

The jostling of the vardo woke her the next morning. Rownen who drove it had hit a fairly large pothole it seemed. Treasca stretched and dressed quickly the climate had been steadily warming as they approached the port town of Alonian. The warm sea breeze made the air smell of brine, and fish. Treasca rather enjoyed the smell ,and hung her head out the door the warm air cheering her up considerably. She yelled at Rownen to slow down so she could hop off. He waved a hand at her as she jumped down. Most of the women and children would walk next to the caravan looking for edible plants, or anything of value as they went. The men took turns driving and hunting. Treasca headed toward the trees mot stopping to talk like she usually would. Instead she gave polite nods, and tried to force a smile. Treasca knew all manner of plants both edible and medicinal it was engrained in her from a very young age. She was eager to see what grew in these woods. She kept one eye on the caravan not letting herself fall too far behind. She had become lost once as a young child, and had never forgotten what her parents had been yelling for years.

'Keep an eye on the dust' The clan if nearly a hundred people created a huge cloud of dust everywhere they went unless the ground was muddy, but then everyone stayed to help push through the mud. Treasca walked up to a steep ledge and saw a slight that took her breath away. The high white walls of Alonian glistened in the early morning light. There was more glass than she had ever seen in her life. The sea sparkled as ships that looked like toys skated along the white crested waves. Treasca turned her head to the West and froze. There was a massive castle barely visible through the dense trees. She smiled pleased to just be someplace new. They rarely stayed in one place for long, but Traveler's where a people of habit. They made a large circle that always began and ended at the Alls Meet. She turned and headed back toward the clan by her approximation they would arrive by dusk. She hoped the city gates would still be open.