Climbing in Calradia: Part Nine

The party continued towards Uxkhal once the carriage driver was deemed to be well enough. With Brigid riding close to the carriage, protecting the damaged door, they left the Crescent Forest and crossed the river near the village of Yaragar. The group avoided the village, going round it and heading straight for Uxkhal, although Louis had broken off so he could ride to Vyincourd Castle, planning to inform Count Montewar of the bandit infestation. The senior Knight had told Brigid where his estate was within the town, promising that they'd be welcomed there, and it was a watchman who opened the gates into the courtyard of Louis' estate, looking on as the carriage went past. The estate librarian, having seen the carriage, hurried into the courtyard as Brigid helped Lady Nelda down, the man moving to the noblewoman's side.
"The house is yours my lady. Do you require anything?"
Nelda glanced at the librarian before shaking her head.
"No. I assume we won't be here long."

Nelda turned out to be wrong about the length of time spent in Uxkhal. Upon arriving at his house Louis ordered the carriage door replaced with a solid block of wood and then commanded that the group stay at his house for the rest of the day, although the Lady Nelda decided to intrude upon the hospitality of Count Delinard. The Knights enjoyed a sizable mid-afternoon meal as the noblewoman climbed into a palanquin, a detachment of the count's soldiers serving as an escort through the town. Louis watched the palanquin leave before returning to his squad, taking a seat at the table.
"You all did outstanding work today. You should be proud of yourselves."
"Not all of us made it though."
Louis sighed heavily as Henri spoke, glancing at the younger mercenaries.
"No. Not all of us made it. Franz will be remembered and his name added to the scrolls."
"He was avenged. His spirit will be at peace."
Everyone turned to glance at Brigid, questions on each face, before Louis slowly nodded.
"As you say Brigid." The two watchmen switched their focus between Brigid and Louis. "The Nords believe that it is not enough that someone must be remembered. A murdered person must also be avenged. Preferably with the death of their killer."
Brigid nodded when Louis looked at her for confirmation, trying to keep the sorrow from her face as the conversation bought up memories of her mother.
"The spirit of an unavenged person will know no peace, and will not be able to move on."
A servant entered as Brigid finished talking, a tray of cakes in his hands, and Louis took a cake before standing, clapping his hands together to draw attention to himself.
"We'll try and get all the way to Dhirim tomorrow. Go and get some sleep."

---

The Knights left Louis' estate early in the morning, weaving through the citizens on their way to the markets as they approached the castle of Count Delinard. Lady Nelda was waiting, a sour expression marring her features, and she stormed over to Louis.
"You dare to command me!"
The Knight smoothly dismounted from his war horse, towering over the smaller woman, and she involuntarily took a step back.
"I am commanded to escort you to Dhirim. If we leave now we will make it there by the end of this day. Any delay and it is likely that we will end up camping in the wilderness."
Nelda's expression soured even further and she slowly made her way to the repaired carriage, stepping up into its interior. The driver, who'd spent the night recovering from the battle in the forest, glanced at Louis and shrugged before spurring the horses pulling the carriage into action.

The group swiftly left Uxkhal far behind them, pressing deep into the plains to the south-east of the town. As with Yaragar they skirted around the village of Nomar, Louis preferring to not stop if possible, and had a late-morning meal on the move. Riding to catch up to Louis at the front of the party as they neared the village of Tshibtin Brigid glanced at him before glancing back at the carriage.
"Is there really no time for us to stop, even to rest the horses?"
Louis turned to look around, sighting only a distant forest to the south, before slowly nodding.
"Alright then. Only a short pause though."
Going back to the carriage she looked past Toban at the driver.
"You can stop if you want. Louis is allowing a break."
"If we're stopping you'd best tell Lady Nelda. No doubt she'll be happy to recover from the bumpy road."
Brigid let her courser drop back to be in line with the repaired carriage door, reaching out to knock on the wood. There was a slight pause before the top half of the door opened and the Lady Nelda appeared.
"We're stopping for a time, if you would like to disembark."

They rode just south of Tshibtin, planning to turn north somewhere between that village and its neighbour Yalibe. It was a route that would put a forest between them and the Rhodok border while also having Reindi Castle between them and Swadia's border with the Khergit Khanate. As soon as they drew level with the southern tip of the Senuz cliff Louis turned north, scanning the ridge of the cliff for the silhouette of Senuzgda Castle. It was the last fortification before they reached Dhirim, making it a good way to check if the town was safe to approach, and although he hadn't heard of conflict between Swadia and the Khanate Louis still thought it was prudent to be sure. Remaining at the base of the cliff's tip as everyone else began climbing the gentle slope Louis turned his horse in a full circle, making sure there was nothing trailing them, before finally starting off after the carriage and Brigid.

The last leg of the journey, along part of the Senuz cliff's length until the village of Emirin and then down the slope alongside an aquaduct, was quiet and uneventful, despite having joined another party at Emirin. The sprawling mass of Dhirim seemed to stretch on from their perspective, countless wispy plumes of smoke rising into the sky above the town, and steady streams of traffic moved in nearly all directions away from the gatehouses. Approaching the town the horse-riding Knights carefully nudged the carriage away from the other group, heading towards a squad of soldiers bearing the livery of Count Devlian. Louis and the carriage driver both dismounted and walked towards the ranking soldier, the Leonine Knight glancing at the two infantrymen.
"The Lady Nelda, delivered to her husband-to-be as requested. Was there anything else?" The soldiers sniffed, the infantryman in service to Count Devlian handing Louis a bag of denars, before both walked away without a word. Louis waited a moment before shrugging, returning to his own troops. "Have the next couple of days to yourselves and then meet me at the House of Lions, just to the right of the entrance to Dhirim's central castle."