Cinnamon Bun Chapter Thirty-Three - The First Step in a Short Journey

Hi! My na is Broccoli Bunch! I declared with one arm raised to headheight and waving. This is Orange, I said as I raised my other hand to show off my cute kitty companion. Orange glared at my new potential friends.

There were three of them, two if I didnt count Milread. Both were grenoil, one a boy and the other a girl.

Hello, the man said with a nod of his big froggy head. He had a neat speckled pattern across his skin that I had never seen on a grenoil before and a pair of strange goggles hanging around his neck. Other than that, he looked like a business grenoil that had taken a tumble into so mud.

The girl grenoil looked a lot younger and a whole lot sadder. Her focus was almost entirely on the ground underfoot, one hand absently rubbing at the poml of her rapier-like sword.

You two ready to head out? Milread asked. When she got nods from both of them she turned towards a one-horse wagon sitting in the middle of the road. Well then, we just need to settle and we can be off. Broccoli, you missed it, but Im charging a sil for the trip. Its mostly to keep Missy fed.

Is Missy the horse? I guessed as I took in the horse hitched to the wagon, she--I guessed her gender because a boy horse called Missy would be a little strange--looked like a perfectly ordinary horse.

Thats right. Missy will save us so walking, Milread said. I hope one of you feels like holding the reins, I hate wearing gloves. She wiggled her hands to show the long talons she had.

The two grenoil found so coins to hand over to Milread, and I did the sa. One sil wasnt much for a multi-day trip. In fact, that was a great place to start a conversation. So, Milread, why are you heading to Port Royal? I asked.

Im a courier. I go from Port Royal to this outpost to Fort Tempete and then Deepmarsh and back. Round trip takes about two weeks. Its a living. The harpy flapped her arms and kicked off the ground to land on the forward part of the wagon where a bench was built into it.

The other two hopped onto the back so I decided to join her at the front.

All aboard? Milread asked. If you forgot sothing back here, its not my problem. She grabbed the reins from a hook next to which a lantern was hanging and handed them over to . Youve done this before? she asked.

Nope, but I like horses, I said as I took the reins. Yah! I scread as I whipped the long leather cords.

When the wagon finally stopped I ended up being sat in the back with the grenoil man.

The floor of the wagon wasnt very comfortable, especially since it was a small wagon with only two wheels and I was sitting right on top of the axle so that--even across the flattened ground in the outpost--my bum was bouncing all over the place and was going to get sore in no ti.

I ended up pulling out all the blankets I had and placing them on the floor to act as padding. The grenoil across from harrumphed then did the sa, pulling out a thick quilt from his pack and sitting on it with a humph.

We moved past the gates of the outpost and I waved to the two guards who looked just as bored today as they did the day before. One of them even waved back.

And then we were on the road.

So, why were you in Rockstack? I asked the grenoil man.

The grenoil looked at . Youre a chatty one, arent you? he asked.

Yup! I sure am.

Great. I was here for ze dungeon. I got what I ca for, so now Im heading ho. He leaned against the wooden sides of the wagon, then shifted to try and get comfortable.

You live in Port Royal? I asked. Ohh, I didnt get your na. Im sorry. Im Broccoli Bunch.

Severin Bleriot, he said. And no, I dont.

The grenoil girl leaned back a bit. Im Noemi, she said.

This is great, I said. Im making so many friends today. The wagon went over a rut on the road and I laughed as I had to grab the edge to stop from tumbling around.

Worlds tits, what kind of potion is she on? Noemi muttered. I dont think I was supposed to hear that, so I didnt comnt. I wasnt on any sort of potion, not unless friendship was a drug, in which case I was an addict.

So, mister Severin, if youre not from Port Royal, where are you from? I asked. We were moving at a fairly slow pace, no faster than I could walk really, but without any of the effort that ca from walking. If it wasnt for all the friend-making potential on the trip, I might have found it a little boring.

The older grenoil closed his eyes. Im from Deepmarsh, he said.

Thats twice now Ive heard about Deepmarsh, is that a town nearby?

Severin opened his eyes and stared at . Its ze capital of ze kingdom. Ze Kingdom of Deepmarsh... Ze Kingdom were in right now.

My smile beca a little fixed. I kind of got lost, I said. And I didnt exactly have a map, you know?

Milread looked over her shoulder. Why didnt you just open your map?

My map? I asked.

The harpy sighed. I know not everyone uses it, but did you really not know? Focus on the idea of a map, your magic should take care of the rest.

I did as she asked, because even if it was a joke, and it didnt feel like one, there was nothing to lose. It took a bit of focus, but I felt as if I had an option just waiting there that I had never toyed with, like an itch that I didnt notice until it was suddenly the only thing I could focus on.