Garia's party is delayed leaving Teldor when Jaxen discovers the others have split up. While they wait for information personal matters are discussed. The road alongside the river takes them through another town and then they begin searching for the others. As night falls certain truths are revealed.

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2011-2012 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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The gentle knocking at the door to the bed chamber roused Garia from a most peculiar dream. It seemed she was observing the vast, multi-dimensional beings again, and the original two had been joined by a third who had requested an explanation for the mistake which had happened. The two were explaining that, whatever had actually occurred, the probability for success had now increased and that they were at a loss to understand the reasons why. There was a dense explanation with terms such as 'quantum flux' and 'electron indeterminism' which passed over Garia's head. It seemed these beings were attempting to determine the future by extrapolating the exact positions and motions of every particle in the galaxy using some kind of insane multi-dimensional calculus...

The knocking came again and the dream vanished immediately. Garia sighed, opened her eyes and raised on one elbow. The first glimmering of daylight seeped through the window.

"Who is it?"

"Mistress, I bring hot water for you and your sister. Breakfast will be ready by the time you dress."

"Oh. Okay. Uh, just a moment."

She grabbed her wig from the night-stand and jammed it on her head, twisting it to position it and tucking stray strands of her own darker locks out of sight. She gestured to her head at Jenet, who had roused from her own bed on the other side of the small sleeping chamber.

Jenet nodded, and Garia said, "Come in."

The wife of the inn-keeper entered, a small bucket of steaming water in her hands. Behind her, a young girl, one of the servants, carried a pitcher. The two containers were placed on the night-stand and the women withdrew with curtseys. Once the door was closed Garia and Jenet rose from their beds, stretching and yawning.

"Mil- uh, Buffy," Jenet began in a low voice, "I like not that we may not bathe after rising. This is the third morning we have not freshened ourselves. What shall we do when Kalikan calls? And we are not able to do the Tai Chi either."

"I dunno, uh, Sara. Once we meet the... others, conditions ought to improve. Don't forget, we're traveling and this is only to be expected. We'll ask Sookie when we go downstairs. She was enthusiastic enough to want a bath when we were in Dekarran, so much so we scrubbed out that whole bathing room."

"As you say... Buffy."

Jenet inspected the two containers.

"This is enough to wash our faces... Buffy. And the other is fresh, cold water to drink or to mix. Shall you go first?"

They washed their hands and faces, the best that could be managed. Then came the question of what to wear.

"The clothing in these chests is quite reasonable," Jenet said. "Have you any preferences?"

"Hmm. I think, actually, we ought to put back on what we wore yesterday. Our dresses smell of those beans and if we wear fresh it will just mean more smelly clothes. What do you think?"

"I had forgotten the smell, I must admit. Yes, that may be for the best."

The two made themselves presentable and went downstairs to the common room of the inn, which was busy with travelers and others eating breakfast. Merizel and Sukhana were already at a table and Garia and Jenet joined them.

"No problems?" Sukhana asked, speaking low.

"No, except I had to remember to put the wig on when they brought up the water."

"Of course," Sukhana nodded. "I think you should be able to dispose of that after lunch today. We should be far enough away that you'll be able to drop your disguises and ride at the front of the wagons."

A serving girl brought fresh bread, cheese, sliced meats and cutlery and they settled down to eat. Pel was shortly provided in mugs drawn from a huge copper samovar-like device perched over a fire at the end of the large room.

Merizel muttered, "A pity we can't use forks here yet. They would be too much of a give-away. Still, this meal doesn't really need them. Lunch and dinner will be another matter."

"As you say," Garia replied as quietly. "Eventually it will be normal but right now we'd just draw attention to ourselves and that's the last thing we want."

Garia had chosen to finish her breafast with a yellow fruit from the bowl placed on each table, and was crunching into it when Sukhana began to rise.

"Jaxen's here. Looks like we'll be moving off shortly."

They all pushed back their chairs and began to stand, but Jaxen waved a hand at them as he approached indicating there was no hurry. He pulled up another chair and joined them at the table as they sat down again.

"There's no hurry, ladies. Slight problem."

"Oh?" Sukhana asked.

"Yes. We won't be able to leave just yet." He looked around for a serving girl, raising a finger to attract her attention.

"A tankard of -" He caught the glare on Sukhana's face. "Ah, perhaps not. A mug of pel, then, if you would."

Once the mug had been delivered and Jaxen had taken a good draw, he explained.

"When I left you all here last night after the evening meal I thought I'd go and find out if anyone had seen the... others. So, the obvious first step was the castle. As one might expect, someone... of his rank and accompanied by an armed guard would have been a guest of the area's overlord. I talked to some of the gate guards and I was right, they did stay that first night. They pulled out somewhat late the following day and, here's the odd part, only one of the wagons, together with an odd-looking buggy, were known to have passed through the north gate. I talked to the guards at the north gate and the west gate, and with the folks at both the Palar ferry and the Telar ferry and no-one remembers seeing any other men in palace colors passing through." He scratched his head. "It's as though half the party has just vanished off the face of Anmar."

"The odd-looking buggy is the special carriage Duke Gilbanar had made for Captain Bleskin," Garia said. "I'm guessing that he wasn't feeling too good and it was decided to split the party, sending him on ahead with an escort." She explained to Jaxen, "The Captain very recently lost his wife of many years and we were concerned for his health. He comes from the north and they were returning to visit family there."

Jaxen nodded. "Ah. Yes, I have of course met Captain Bleskin but I did not know what you have just told me. That might explain the split."

Garia frowned. "But I would have expected the others to follow them out the north gate. What made you think of checking the other routes?"

"I had to make sure there was no reason which might have sent them another way, Buffy. There's a slight complication in the route north, as well. You know we came up from Dekarran along the western side of the river?"

"Yes."

"There's another road, just as good, along the east side. Here at Teldor there's a ferry which connects the two across the Palar. I wondered if they may have chosen to continue up the other side."

Garia shook her head. "Don't forget, they want us to find them. That won't happen if they're the wrong side of the river."

"I know, but it was a possibility." Jaxen looked frustrated. "I want to go and make a few more inquiries before we leave. It will delay us a day, but I don't see what else we can do."

"Where's the next stop, Jaxen? I'm assuming we'll be finding another inn tonight, won't we?"

"Haligo. It's a full day's travel away. Normally, we'd be getting ready to go by now if we want to reach there in daylight, but if we pass the... others because we're on the wrong side of the river..." Jaxen spread his hands in a shrug, "I'm sorry, but we'll have to delay a day."

"Perhaps not," Garia said. "The wagons are all set up for camping, aren't they? Seeing as how we'll be doing that in any event soon enough. Why don't we just start off after lunch, then camp along the way? That means we'll pass through Haligo lunch-time tomorrow. We'll lose half a day instead of a whole one that way."

Jaxen scratched his chin."You're right. I'm so accustomed to using the inns along the route when we're in civilized areas that I never consider camping out." He nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, we'll do that, I think. That will give me a morning to find out what I can. It also means there will be fewer people around when we reach the depot at Haligo. Sookie? Any objections?"

"Not from me, brother. It will give me a chance to go to the market and see if I can find waist pouches for these two. I notice they have already had some looks from those girls in the corner over there. These two may look like traveling women but no woman leaves her chambers without her pouch." She dropped her voice. "Unless she's a noblewoman, of course."

"That's agreed, then," Jaxen said, draining his mug and rising from his chair. "I'll join you back here for lunch and then we'll all depart."

"If I may," Jenet put in. "I wish to join you at the market, Sookie. Would you object?"

"Of course not, Sara." Sukhana regarded the other two. "You two will have to stay out of sight again, I'm afraid. You'd probably be safe enough but we just don't need the complications."

"That's not a problem, Sookie," Garia said. "Uh, Karizma and I know what's involved."

Back in Garia's chamber Garia and Merizel each sat on a bed and looked at one another.

"Here we are again," Merizel said. "Didn't I tell you plans can change?"

"I knew that but I just hoped... what do you think happened to them? I guess the... uh, leader of the others wouldn't have gone with the captain, would he? I would think that the captain's son would have gone with him, leaving the leader and some men to wait for us."

"We can only guess... Buffy. As you said yesterday, there's no use worrying over it. We just have to wait for Jaxen to return." Merizel leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "So, tell me about you and... him."

Garia spread her hands. "What more is there to say? We can't, and that's that. I know it, he knows it, you know it, heck, the whole... country knows it!" She dropped her hands in her lap, her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "When I first arrived I speculated what my future would be, where boys and men were concerned. I have the body of a girl, a proper female body, and in theory there's no reason I couldn't live like any normal woman might."

"How is that affecting you?" Merizel broke in. "I find it very difficult to understand the way a man might see the world. I can't imagine what you must have gone through."

"I wondered if my background, my previous way of looking at things, might make a difference but I've been surprised by how easy it has been for me to adapt. It was really uncomfortable to start with. I have body parts in different places and I could barely keep my balance at the beginning. I think... the fact that this is a completely different world, where everyone dresses different and also because I had lost my memory, that helped a great deal. By the time I eventually came to my senses I'd been a girl for several days and I'd gotten used to my body. Hah! Until the first call came from Kalikan, that is. These," she cupped her breasts, "were very strange to start with but I'm beginning to think now that they are part of me and I'm not sure I'd like to be without them again. If only they weren't so darned sensitive, not to mention wobbly. They are really peculiar things to have hanging off a body, don't you think?"

"If you describe it like that, perhaps you have a point. But they are part of what makes one a woman, aren't they?" Merizel wrapped her arms around her own breasts. "I'm not sure how I would feel if these were taken away from me." She pointed. "What about... what men have down there? Do you miss those?"

"Sometimes. It's more bother taking a pee for a woman, that's for certain. Beforedays I'd just stand there, pull down my zipper, get my thing out and just point. It's said that a favorite pastime is for boys to write their names in the snow although I never had the opportunity. Now I have to hold all my skirts up out of the way and squat down and there's more mess too."

"What about boys? I'm guessing you wouldn't have been looking at boys in your old life."

"There's been a certain reluctance, you might say, in how I look at everybody since I've not been used to doing things that way but I've discovered that this body has certain definite ideas of it's own... I'm not sure if that ought to terrify me or not." She managed a smile. "Still, I never expected anything to happen quite so fast. I thought I would have some years to adapt to my new circumstances."

"Then you met him."

"I met him before I even had my memory back! Don't forget, to start with everything was just so strange. I didn't understand any of the customs or practices that anyone did. I wasn't even able to put my own clothes on or take them off! Only people doing historical dramas dress like this at home." Another smile, warmer this time. "Then, before I realized it, he was there, and it was as if he'd always been there. Whenever he was around, it was always different than when any other boy was around, although that didn't occur to me to begin with. Every time we were in the same room, everything felt different. Then, during training one day, he touched me."

"I remember. It looked like every other time but your reaction was noticeably different."

"It was! You know how everything seems different when the call of Kalikan is near? It was something like that. Everything suddenly seemed so much more... intense. Every time he touched me it just fired off all sorts of things inside... and I didn't want it to stop." She paused, remembering the waves of emotions that had overwhelmed her. "Then, one day, he gathered me in his arms... Merry, it was the most amazing feeling ever! I never knew it was possible to feel like that. It was then that I knew that was where I was supposed to be, in his arms. The feeling was something I knew no boy could ever feel, but then no boy would ever need to, because it was a feeling that he would look after me, protect me, care for me. And I knew in that moment that he wanted the same things and that we'd gone way too far for it to have been just an accident."

"Oh, Garia, how wonderful!" Merizel reddened as she realized that she had let the name slip, then continued, "I wish I would find someone who could make me feel like that. It's what a girl dreams about, after all. Then... his mother found you?"

"Then his mother found us. Oh, Merry, I felt so miserable, and I knew... he was miserable too. We both knew that it was impossible from the start."

"What will you do?"

"What we are able to do, which is to just enjoy what we can of each other's company while we may. We both know it can go no further." She shrugged. "We're just behaving like brother and sister now, I suppose."

"Will you find someone else, do you think?"

"I expect so. Eventually. On... where I come from, romantic entanglements like this happen all the time, and both parties usually get over it and go on to find someone else. I've been around long enough now to see that there are one or two other prospects hereabouts. Once we get back to the... um, back home, perhaps things will cool down and then we can begin living our normal lives again."

Merizel gave Garia a measured look. "With both of you living in the same building, I'm not so sure. But at least you're both aware of the problem."

"Yes. And I hope your own efforts are more successful."

~o~O~o~

As he had arranged Jaxen joined them for lunch but it was Sukhana and Jenet who were bursting to tell the news.

"We had a good time in the market here," Sukhana said, "but it was Sara here who overheard a conversation. Jaxen, you need to listen to this."

"I hope you've managed to find out more than I could," he said. "Sara?"

"We were at separate stalls," Jenet said. "While Sookie was purchasing a pouch I noticed some items on another stall that looked interesting so I went to see what was there. The stall-holder was talking to his neighbor on the other side and they were wondering what men in palace colors had been doing this far north. I asked them what they had seen, telling them I had a cousin in the palace guard. They said that two days previously two men in palace colors had been in the market buying clothes, particularly tunics and tights and they wondered what they were doing. There was some speculation but none of us could think of a reason for them to do that. I bade them farewell and rejoined Sookie."

"Interesting," Jaxen said. "Anyone any ideas?"

Garia concentrated on pushing some purple pea-like objects onto her spoon with one of the knives. When she had finished chewing she replied, "Once two of them had been kitted out with anonymous clothing it would have been easy for them to go back into the market and buy more without anyone noticing. That way all of them could be kitted out without drawing any more attention."

"Of course," Jaxen agreed, nodding. "But why would they want to do that?"

"Well, look at us," Garia pointed out. "We're trying not to be noticed, aren't we? Suppose the... leader thinks the same? Suppose he doesn't want to have to stay with the local overlord every night, suppose he doesn't want to draw attention to his party, especially once we join him? This way, they can be just another two anonymous wagons on the road like ourselves."

"See?" Jaxen said to his sister. "I told you she was smart." He turned to Garia. "Unfortunately, that only makes our own problem harder, since they will be harder to find along the road."

"Two wagons, more men than usual," Garia said, thoughtfully. "And wanting to be found by us, remember. I don't think it will be so difficult as all that."

Back in their rooms Sukhana produced two pouches, one of tapestry for Garia and the other of a hard-wearing plaid cloth for Merizel. Both had to be shown how to secure them to their sashes. Each pouch was just large enough for a handkerchief or similar, a metal hand-mirror, a comb or small brush and an even smaller leather pouch for holding a few coins.

Once their chests had been packed and sealed two of the inn's male servants carried them down to the rear entrance from where four of Tanon's men took them the short distance to the depot.

As Garia, Merizel and Jenet climbed the ladder into the wagon, Garia noticed that the level of the sacks seemed lower.

"Yes, we off-loaded eighteen sacks last night. The rest will be taken off in Haligo. From then on the wagon will be empty, so we'll redistribute some of the contents of the other wagon. That way the beasts will have less to pull and we'll be able to go a little faster."

"Oh. That's good, I'll be able to get a better view of the countryside, then."

"As you say. I'd still like you to keep yourselves as much out of sight as you can until we've passed through Haligo. First stop after that and you can be yourselves again."

The wagons departed through the north gate and soon were rolling along the well-made road again. Garia noticed that the terrain, what she could see of it, was changing. No longer were there towering mountains to either side of the Palar valley. Instead the tall hills could still be described as mountains but were much less rugged. The vegetation was more lush as well, growing right up to the ridges on either side. Every so often mine workings could now be seen high up the valley sides, the tailings forming scars below the entrances, stumps of trees visible around the shafts where timber had been felled to shore up the tunnels. Nearer the river there were still farms but more often these were of stock rather than crops. The river itself was still of respectable width, though much narrower than it had been below Teldor. There were still many craft making their way up and down by sail or by towing, just as there were still many wagons on the road they traveled.

The sun slid behind the western mountains and the light was visibly fading as Jaxen selected a camping area for them to stop for the night. The wagons were lined up some ten strides apart and the beasts were led off to the large rear corral which was usually a feature of such places. On the facing sides of the wagons the awnings were rapidly put up to provide night shelter for the four women. Between the awnings, in a prepared hardened base, a fire was lit and the evening meal begun. All four women were involved in the preparation and cooking of the food.

"You've done this before, then." Sukhana offered a statement rather than a question.

"I have. Every summer I used to go visit an uncle who owned a dairy farm." Sukhana frowned at the word so Garia added, "Milk-giving animals, bigger than a frayen. He had a son and two daughters and we used to go camping on his land. Oh, maybe ten, fifteen marks from the farm itself."

Sukhana's eyes widened. "So big a farm, then?"

"Oh, we didn't go far, really, just enough that we were away from any buildings and artificial lights. We camped out and, yes, we cooked our own food. How we never poisoned ourselves to begin with I don't know. And we only cooked basic meals, nothing fancy. How many more of these do you want me to do, Sookie? Another four or so?"

Sukhana looked in the pot. "Nearer six or eight, Buffy. Some of those are quite small. Karizma, you seem to be struggling."

"I am," Merizel agreed. "Unlike my sister, I have never done anything like this before. I find it difficult to take the rind off without removing any of the flesh underneath. And these knives seem awkward."

"Indeed. They are quite different than those you use at table, aren't they? Hold the knife in your fist like so, you should find it easier. Is that blood?"

"Yes, the knife slipped."

Sukhana tutted. "You can't carry on like that, we'll end up with noble blood in the pot. Put those down and come with me, I'll find something to wrap that hand in."

So Garia ended up doing most of the vegetable peeling assisted by Sukhana. Merizel tended the pot and the fire. Jaxen had purchased a half-carcase of some animal the size of a large piglet, which Jenet deftly boned, cubing the resulting meat. Everything was thrown into the pot, some herbs were added and the whole lot was left to simmer.

The benches were set up to encircle the fire and those men not on watch joined the others for pel while they waited for the stew to become ready. Garia was formally introduced to the men although the real names of the women were never mentioned.

"This is Keet, Samir, Bildo, Then and Berd. You already know D'Janik. The fat wagoneer over there is Joolen and the other one out that way is Helen. These girls are Buffy, Karizma and Sara."

"Helen?"

"Yes, why? What's wrong, Buffy?"

"Oh, um, where I come from Helen is exclusively a woman's name. Not that I'm suggesting anything, of course."

"As you say, Buffy. How strange, but not that unusual. Some of the places we've been to, the locals have quite strange ways of naming themselves to our own way of thinking. They probably think our own names are odd."

"This seems like a large number of men," she remarked. "On each wagon we've passed there were only one or two that I could see."

"You're right," Jaxen replied. "That's because this part of the Palar valley is reasonably peaceful. Having said that, no wagon or carriage will go anywhere without an armed escort, you must know that." Garia nodded. "But we will be traveling into wilder parts and especially regions none of us know very well, so assigning extra men was prudent." He grinned. "There is another reason. I was informed, rather forcefully, by Master Tanon that you were much more valuable than a mere wagonload of spices. If anything were to happen to you I do not think it would be safe for me to return to report my failure."

The stew, accompanied by bread bought in the market before they left, was delicious. The sky had turned completely dark by the time the women took the plates and cutlery over to the nearby pump to wash them off. Garia looked up at the magnificent spectacle.

"It's a nice, clear night, isn't it?" Sukhana noted.

"I think that's one of the best parts of coming to Anmar," Garia said in an off-hand way that made Sukhana's heart skip a beat. "We just don't get skies like this back home."

Above the eastern mountains the Veil was slowly rotating into view, lighting up the campsite in a way that only the Sun or Kalikan could better.

"No Veil? Nothing like that?"

"No Veil. We have something we call the Milky Way, but it's pale and fuzzy compared to that. We can see spectacular nebula using special equipment but with the naked eye there's nothing at all like that."

"Come on. These plates won't clean themselves. By the time we're finished the Veil will be right up and we can all enjoy it."

With the meal finished and everything put away most of them sat around the fire for a while, talking quietly. Garia wondered that the men were reluctant at first to speak to the women but realized that as they were still 'under cover' and also paying passengers the men might not wish to become too familiar with them. Privately she wondered what would happen when they joined forces with the other party, where she was on good terms with all the guardsmen. Their journey to the north would bring the two groups closely together and they would need to find a good working relationship if the trip was to be a success.

Eventually she began to yawn and Sukhana decided it was time for them all to retire. As before Garia and Jenet would sleep together in one enclosure while Sukhana and Merizel took the other. This campsite possessed no bathhouse so the women rinsed their faces in water warmed over the remains of the fire before retiring to change into nightgowns. With a muttered 'good-night' they settled down to sleep.

~o~O~o~

After breakfast the following morning, as they were packing up ready to move off, one of the wagon guards approached Garia.

"Your pardon, mistress," he said with a bow. "I don't think you remember me, do you? I was the one who originally spotted you, lying on the mountainside on the way back from Moxgo."

"You're Berd, right?"

"As you say, mistress."

Sukhana frowned at the pair of them. She wanted to clear away and get going. Garia waved a hand at her to indicate that she should carry on.

"This isn't really the best time to talk about such matters, Berd. Perhaps you could tell me over lunch?"

"As you wish, mistress. The story is simple to tell, but I would be surprised if you do not have questions."

"Of course. Lunch-time, then."

"Some problem, Buffy?" Jaxen had come over to see what was happening.

"Not really. Berd here tells me he was the one who found me."

"So he was. I had forgotten, it was six months ago after all."

"Can we talk about it over lunch, please? I'd like to know all that you can tell me."

"As you wish, Buffy. Now, we must get ourselves back on the road."

"I know a hint when I hear one." She smiled at Jaxen and made for the wagon.

The valley here was no longer straight so the road zig-zagged from one bend to another, the preferred means of construction apparently being straight lines. Garia frowned at the thought, something being in the back of her mind but never quite making it out where she could examine it. Every so often they would pass a marker by the roadside, the stone being painted white with black lettering and numbers indicating the distance to the nearest town in each direction. Again, there was a faint memory of something but it eluded her.

Garia ducked down as a large train passed in the other direction so as not to draw attention. Both convoys stopped so that Jaxen could confer with the wagonmaster of the other train, relaying knowledge to each other of the conditions ahead. It appeared that the other train was also one of Master Tanon's, mostly open wagons laden with iron ore for foundries further down the valley. Soon they jolted into motion again, heading now through more forested lands.

There was a brief stop at another camping area where everyone made use of the facilities to relieve themselves. Some of the men bought snacks from a vendor at a canvas booth before they rejoined the road. Soon the valley began to narrow again and Garia was eager to find out what was around the next bend. It turned out to be the end of the road, a huge outcrop of rock blocking most of the valley and a bridge across the river. On the other side stood the town of Haligo, wedged between the river and the mountain on the eastern side of the river.

Downstream, there were wharves where river craft were being loaded and unloaded. Looking at the river, Garia could see rapids, this was obviously as far up-river as any barge could come. The bridge they crossed the river on was wide enough for wagons to pass and had been constructed on top of rocks poking out of the rapids. On the eastern end of the bridge was a gate but their wagons were waved through, the men familiar to the town guards. A narrow street led through the most crowded part of Haligo and their wagons joined a slow procession of vehicles heading north through it.

Once through the busy town they headed for the inevitable warehouse district where they pulled in at Tanon's establishment. The dranakh were released and taken away to be fed, the humans heading for the building next door to clean up and get something to eat. Jaxen and Berd joined the women at their table.

"So, tell us about when you found me, Berd."

"It was the trousers you were wearing, mistress. The blue showed up quite well against the gray of the rocks. I thought at first you was a body, someone who had fallen from a wagon or carriage. Still, a body ought not to be left like that so I called to Jaxen and he stopped the train. I climbed down with another man to lift you up and that was when we discovered you wasn't dead and you wasn't a man, if you understand what I mean."

Garia nodded. "I do, Berd. Go on."

"Wait a moment," Sukhana put in. "You were wearing trousers? Seriously?"

"Yes, I was," Garia confirmed. "Where I come from it's not unusual for women to wear trousers of various kinds, although they are often designed differently than what men wear." She didn't want to muddy the waters by explaining that she had been a boy, since some of the caravan men might not know that. "Go on, Berd."

"Well, we took you to Master Tanon and Mistress Merina and they looked after you after that. Perhaps Jaxen can tell you more about what happened later."

"It was very puzzling, Buffy," Jaxen took up the tale, "since your clothing was strange and what you had in your pockets was even more strange. I knew at once you'd have to be taken to the palace. We weren't sure if you had been running away or if you had fallen from a wagon, walked across the mountains or what. You might have been an escaped slave or you might have been kidnapped, in which case you might not wish to be found. We thought the best thing to do was to bring you quietly back to the palace and let better men than us decide what to do with you." He grinned at Garia. "Seems I did the right thing, didn't I?"

She smiled back. "Yes, I think you did. Thank you, Berd, Jaxen. Now, a question or two. Do you think you can find the exact spot again where you found me? Down to the rock I was lying on?"

The two men looked at each other.

"Probably, mistress," Jaxen replied slowly. "It wouldn't be until next year, though. By the time we get back to Palarand it will be almost winter and the high passes will be closed. Next spring, though, we'll have caravans to Moxgo as usual and I can make sure Berd is assigned to the first one. Any particular reason?"

"Two things. First, I think there ought to be more items than you found in my pockets. For example, there should have been a bunch of keys. Oh they'll be smallish keys about this size on a metal keyring. It's possible that my keys fell out my pocket and dropped somewhere nearby." Both men nodded. "And I think there should be a cell phone as well." Both men looked blank at the strange words. "It's a smallish block about so big made out of -" what do I tell them? Can't say plastic. "- uh, maybe something like a very hard black wax, but parts will be metal and there will be a small crystal window on one side as well, above a number of tiny buttons."

"If you say so, mistress, though I don't remember seeing anything like that. Is it important?"

Garia shrugged. "Not any more. If it's been left up there all this time exposed to the weather it will be ruined by now, but it would be good to know if it came across with me or not. It might help me understand exactly where and when I was when I came here, because I don't remember any of that."

Jaxen frowned at the strange phrasing but he eventually nodded. "As you wish, Buffy. I'll give instructions for a search to be made by the next caravan to pass. Mind you, if they go to Moxgo and farther you may not see anything we find until next summer."

"I understand that. That's fine. Just so long as the attempt is made."

"The second thing, Buffy?"

"I'm wondering about how exactly I got as far as that rock. It seems to me, there might be some kind of gate there, in which case others might come through, or it's even possible I could get home that way."

"Gate, mistress?" Berd asked cautiously. "Do you speak perhaps of magic?"

Garia shook her head. "No. Absolutely not. I'm talking about, I think, machines beyond anything you or I know anything about. Machines we might not even be able to recognize as machines. Machines which might be able to move people, animals and things from one world to another."

Jaxen raised an eyebrow. "A wild claim, Buffy. But you will already have considered this. Have you evidence such as we might understand?"

"Tricky. Let's just say that there are a number of animals here which look as if they originated where I come from. Dranakhs, for instance, resemble remarkably an Earth animal called a Hippo, although there are differences. Frayen resemble - a little bit - an animal we have called a Rhino. The Pakh I've seen in the fields as we go along are exactly like animals from my world called Alpacas. Equally, there are animals here which could never have come from Earth, like ptuvils. Grakh, on the other hand, may have come from Earth but we only had them millions of years ago. The insects here are nothing like Earth's. It's a weird mixture."

"You're saying that it's possible some of the animals here may have come through a gate, then, just as you did."

"It's possible. That's not all, though. In Master Morlan's laboratory - um, his workshop - we found an instrument made of brass that did come from Earth, because there's one exactly like it still there. It has writing in an Earth language all over it. I believe that when it came here it was brought by someone, probably in a bag, because it is quite large and heavy."

"Then what you imply, Buffy," Jaxen said slowly, "is that men - uh, and women, pardon me - came from your world to Anmar, and possibly through these gates you speak of."

"It's just a theory, you understand. I'm trying to work out how I came here, after all, and all around me I observe things which could easily have come from my world."

"This talk is too heavy for me, mistress," Berd said. "Can we tell you any more about when we found you?"

"I can't think of anything, thank you. Only, when you go back up there and find that rock, can you mark it? Like with a splash of paint, or something? Just so it can be found easily again if we need to."

"That we can do, mistress."

When they returned to the warehouse all the remaining sacks had been removed from their wagon and some of the chests and other gear transferred from the chuck wagon. Garia, Merizel and Jenet sat in the back on the chests, keeping out of sight as the two wagons regained the road and continued north. Once they had cleared the habitable zone Jaxen reined his frayen in beside their wagon and called in.

"I think you may show yourselves now, ladies. There's still traffic but I can't imagine anyone will connect you with whoever you're supposed to be."

The three climbed out onto the bench which ran the width of the wagon. Helen, their wagoneer, moved over to give them room.

"Besides," Jaxen continued as Garia pulled the wig off and shook her hair free, "if we're to find your friends we'll need extra pairs of eyes, especially those who might recognize those we are seeking."

"I hadn't thought of that," she said, moving over to allow Merizel to sit between her and Helen. Jenet had taken a place on the other end of the bench.

The road they followed ran through a gorge with Haligo as the southern entrance. To their left the Palar ran in a deep, fierce torrent which no water craft could ever navigate. Although, it might be fun to go white-water rafting here. To either side the walls of the gorge rose steeply but even here they were covered by vegetation. Garia could see that the gorge ended a little distance ahead, the obstruction caused by no more than an outcropping of harder rock. Beyond, the sky was blue and large.

They popped out of the gorge into a valley at least as broad as that below Haligo. Everywhere in front of them was green although in one or two places there was a hint that fall was imminent. Almost immediately there was a campsite between the road and river and they all turned to check over the few wagons parked there.

"No sign," Garia said with a sigh.

"Would they have stopped so close to Haligo, Garia?"

Helen blinked as he heard the name but kept his eyes on the road.

"Probably not. They were supposed to have had a breakdown but that close to a town it would be easy to send someone back for help, wouldn't it? No, I think they must be some way along the valley from here."

"Milady?" Jenet called from beyond the wagoneer. "I think perhaps we ought to put on our hats. The sun is still bright and all those women we have seen along the road have covered heads."

"Aye, she's right," Helen said. He glanced at Garia uncertainly. "Uh, how should I address you, mistress? I do not know your rank."

"Garia will do fine, Helen. Technically I'm a Baroness but we're going to be living with each other for weeks so there's no need to get all formal. If we're ever in a situation where you need to give me a title it would be 'Lady Garia' or 'Milady'. My friend here is Lady Merizel but just call her Merizel as well." Garia looked beyond the wagoneer at Jenet. "Are our hats in the chests in back, do you know? Can you get them while we're moving or do we have to stop?"

"I think I can reach them, milady. If there is need to stop I will inform you."

Jenet climbed back over into the body of the wagon and for some while the procession rolled along the broad road. Eventually a tap came at Garia's shoulder.

"Milady, your hat. The chests were not stored in a way that made them easy to open. Milady Merizel, here is your hat."

With broad-brimmed straw hats shading their eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun, now directly ahead, the women sat comfortably as the two wagons moved on toward the north. There were places every half-mark or so where travelers could pull from the road to rest but only every two marks or so were these developed into properly organized camping sites with latrines or washrooms. At each stopping place they slowed and examined every wagon in the area without seeing any that appeared familiar. Finally they reached a campsite more organized than before and Jaxen gave the order to pull off and park up.

"We'll stop here, ladies, and refresh ourselves. I wouldn't mind a drink and a bite before we move on. It will give me a chance to go and inquire whether wagons like those we seek have been noticed recently."

Garia squinted up at the sky, estimating the time of day. "You're not planning to stay here for the night?"

"I'd like to push on, if I may. There's a much better site about eight marks further on I'd like to reach before we stop." He appeared uneasy. "I'm wondering just where these friends of yours might be. From what I was told before we set off from South Slip, I would have thought we had found them by now."

"Eight marks?" Garia was beginning to get a feel for the distances involved by now. "Won't it be dark by then?"

"We're actually making better time than I thought, milady, since we unloaded the irris beans. The sun will be setting, aye, but there should be no difficulty."

"We still have to check over any sites we pass," she reminded him. "It's not as if we can just roll on by."

"True, milady, but the delay is trivial. Shall I conduct you ladies to the washrooms?"

After a brief stop to freshen up and have a drink and a snack they set off again. By this time Garia's confidence that they would easily find Keren and the others was beginning to evaporate. They had to find somewhere plausible for themselves to fake some kind of mechanical trouble, true, but they were now a long way from Teldor. Would they really have traveled this far before stopping? Was there some other reason they had not found them yet?

With the sun now noticeably lower in the western sky the two wagons hastened to reach the campsite Jaxen had chosen for their night's rest. They passed two other sites in which pairs of wagons were parked, and in one of them the wagons looked so familiar to Garia that they pulled off the road to investigate. It was not to be, the pair belonged to some strangely-dressed traders traveling south from lands beyond the northern boundaries of Palarand. The occupants did tell Jaxen that they had passed two wagons at another site which had a number of fit men sitting around apparently waiting for something - or someone.

Even so, they still had to check every place that the road passed and that took time and attention, especially in the fading light. Garia was now anxious to reach their stopping place and anxious to find out if the two wagons mentioned were those of Keren and his men. She sat on the bench mentally urging the wagons to go faster but as far as she was aware the dranakh which pulled them only had one speed.

"Merry, tell me again, how did we talk ourselves into this? Could we have possibly made this whole business any more complicated?"

"I know, Garia. I know I said that plans changed, and by the Maker, haven't ours changed along the way! I thought it was going to be easier to find them than this, though."

"Why didn't we ask them to leave messages for us to find? That would have been the sensible thing to do, then he could have told us more or less where to find them."

"As you say, Garia. Do you know how far it is to our own campsite? I must admit I haven't been taking enough notice of the marker stones as we pass."

"Me neither. It can't be much further, if it is we'll be driving in the dark, and I guess Helen here won't like that too much."

"That's true, my lady. Although the road here is straight enough and the beasts are smart enough to keep us on the road by themselves. As for the stopping place, that must be it up ahead. Can you see those buildings? And the groups of wagons? This is one of the bigger stopping places between Haligo and Holville, called Toomer's Gully. Normally our trains stop here for lunch so I know the facilities are good for the likes of you ladies. You might be able to convince the wagon-master to delay our departure tomorrow morning, they have a proper bath-house here, with hot water and everything."

"A bath? With a hot tub and everything? I'd almost forgotten what they were. Thank you, Helen, I'll certainly ask Jaxen when we get there."

It was definitely beginning to get dark by the time they pulled in and found a place to park the wagons. Certain urgent requirements meant that the four women made immediately for the washrooms, leaving the men to set camp. When they emerged, relieved and somewhat cleaner, the parking area was lit by spaced torches and they could see the bustle round their wagons as the benches were set out ready. Garia groaned.

"What?"

"We have to peel vegetables again, remember? Is that cut of yours healed?"

"I don't think we'll be making our own meal this evening, Buffy," Sukhana said. "We'll take advantage of the local kitchen over there and buy our meals this time. We'll have enough of cooking our own food once we leave the main trade route. It's late, and I think we've earned the right to let someone else cook the evening meal for us."

Garia looked at the brightly lit timber building with tables and chairs on the porch and remembered the stop on the first night after they had left the palace.

"I can live with that," she agreed.

She began looking round at the other groups parked at the site. A big group of at least ten wagons was pulled up in a circle way over to one side. All the wagons were open and had tarpaulins stretched over their loads. In another direction there was a group of five covered wagons with a mixed crowd of men, women and children enjoying themselves in the evening air. Behind them was a pair of wagons, poorly lit, and she made a mental note to remember to check them out in the morning. Turning her head, beyond the diner, she spotted a group of six wagons and near them, another pair.

"That's them," she said, pointing.

"Where? Over there? How can you see in this gloom?"

"See those six in a small circle? To the right. Those are guardsmen for certain."

Without thinking she began walking towards the wagons.

"No, Buffy, wait!" Sukhana grabbed her arm to stop her. "You can't go wandering off like that, not in a place like this. Come back to our wagons and we'll all go over as a group if you're that certain they are the ones we're looking for."

Reluctantly Garia turned away and joined the others to walk back to their own wagons.

"What's happened?" Jaxen asked as they returned. "By the look on your faces -"

"Buffy thinks she's seen the wagons we're looking for. There." Sukhana pointed into the gloom.

"You're sure?" He asked Garia.

"It's them."

Jaxen turned to the men. "Right, Helen, Joolen, watch the wagons. The rest, come with us. Keep your eyes and ears open."

As the group walked over the campsite Garia's body experienced a strange feeling, as though her very flesh was singing. She was certain he was there, and it was no longer possible to damp down the emotions she had been wrestling with all day.

I must keep calm. This is just the meeting between two caravan parties. Nothing unusual. We'll just make certain that it's them, say hello and then go off to get some food.

I must keep calm. Friends meeting friends, that's all it is.

It's not as if we've been apart for months, after all. It's been a bare five days since we were last together.

As they approached one of the men around the other wagons saw them and alerted the others. All stood up and turned in their direction, ready for greeting or action as any two unknown parties might when meeting each other. When they had gotten close enough for each other's faces to register in the light of the torches, but at a safe distance, Jaxen stopped and so did his men.

Garia kept on walking. From the other group a young man stepped out and came towards her. They had as much choice in the matter as two magnets had. When they reached each other they did not stop but simply held out their arms to let the other embrace them. Her hands wrapped themselves around his waist, his hands held her close. Her face came up, his face came down, and the kiss was long and profound.

"I thought she had a sweetheart up here with the other party," Sukhana said as they watched the meeting. "Is he a guardsman? He looks like a fine enough young fellow in this light, anyhow. What's his name?"

"That, dear sister," Jaxen said, "is no guardsman. That is His Highness Prince Keren, the next King of Palarand."

Sukhana suddenly understood the implications of what she was seeing.

"Oh, my!"