13 Chapter Four - 2 || The Andelrins

The woman smiled genially and went to open the side door. The two traveling companions stepped up on the door ledge and entered. The mother and son sat on green cushioned benches that lined the driver's side of the wagon in a L-shape. The other side was a wall with a door that partitioned the sitting room from the storage room in the back.

They were the Andelrin family. The mother and father were Chona and Banran. Their son, Gerran, was eight. They were traveling spice and perfume merchants and had just left the farm town of Cerinalle that was known for its ability to grow a host of crops.

Cerinalle was situated at the eastern tip of the cliff range where the Spirit and Demon Forest gave way to rugged terrain before sloping down to shallow, flat, and fertile land. It then sloped back up into rugged terrain and forest again.

The aromatic flowers that grew in this valley town were Sol'h'meyr's finest. They were transporting Cerinalle's highly demanded spices and perfumes to the town of Reisparte, the nearby town that Essairyn had seen from above the ancient tree. The market area that skirted Reisparte made up half of the town and was a popular hub for traveling merchants because it laid in the middle along the borders of the two kingdoms As'pyze and As'rien.

Currently, Essairyn was in As'pyze, the land of humans. She had awakened in the Spirit and Demon Forest that served as a physical border between As'pyze and As'rien, the land of rain. The three other main kingdoms: As'iyse, the land of coldness; As'fyre, the land of warmth; As'eryt, the land of earth; laid westward where the Spirit-Demon Forest ended and the Eeuriyosmountain range began. She deduced all this from the Andelrin's explanations on their map of Sol'h'meyr they showed her.

"And now we're less than a third of a day's journey from Reisparte! Right Dad?" shouted the little boy to his father.

The father chuckled, "Yes Jerry, and now that evening is falling, we'll settle down for the night and continue our ride early in the morning in order to arrive by noon."

Banran slowed the wagon and parked it by the side of the road.

"Oh man! I wish we could just be in Reisparte now! I want to eat some of Leia's candies! Stupid demons!" the boy pouted with his arms crossed, map in hand.

Essairyn gave an inquiring look at the boy and he clarified, "There's this lady who has a candy shop in Reisparte. She makes the best candies!!"

Gerran's eyes shined as he imagined the taste of the sweets, and Essairyn giggled softly at his excitement.

"Well, it can't be helped, Jerry. You'll have to wait until tomorrow since we can't travel at night. So, make sure to go to sleep quickly, and it'll be tomorrow before you know it," Chona said with a wink.

"Yeah, I know," the boy mumbled glumly.

Chona patted her son's head as they all headed out of the wagon. Banran retrieved a rolled up tent from an enclosed compartment underneath the seat, and with Chona, they set it up in a matter of minutes.

He then struck protective poles into the ground around the encampment while his son watched in fascination. The poles were imbued with a magical spell that warded off demons and phantoms of the night. The wagon already had the same spell imbued within its frame.

Jerry then helped his father arrange the inside of the tent while Chona cooked dinner in a pot overhanging a fire.

"Is there anything I can do?" offered Essairyn as she watched Chona heat up broth for a stew.

"Oh don't worry, honey. You're a guest, so just relax while I make dinner," replied Chona.

"Okay," smiled Essairyn as she plopped herself on a wood log.

"Oh, I know! Why don't you try these perfumes I made while traveling; I haven't yet gotten a chance to get a young lady's opinion on them. As you see, I don't have daughter yet," Chona exclaimed with a clap and a regretful sigh as she rushed off to fetch them.

"You make your own perfumes too?" Essairyn asked after she returned with an uncovered box of perfume bottles.

"Yes, I have a line called Choerin, after Chona and Cerinalle. Here," Chona explained, uncapping a deep rose colored bottle, "Smell this."

Essairyn tentatively inched her face forward to get a whiff of the perfume. A warmly dulcet and lightly tropical scent suffused throughout the air. She twitched her nose, trying to pick out the familiar fragrances.

She smelled what seemed to be rose, honeysuckle, lavender, wisteria and plumeria, balanced with sandalwood and cotton flower for an underlying comforting and fresh feel. Altogether, it was an enchanting yet relaxing aroma, like being on an exotic beach in a high-class resort.

"Wow, this is amazing," Essairyn gasped, thoroughly impressed, "You really made this?"

Chona beamed in pride, replying, "Yes, I enjoy experimenting with different scents. Cerinalle has the most magnificent assortment of fragrant flowers and plants!"

Chona capped the bottle and placed it back in the box before handing the entire container to Essairyn. While she enjoyed smelling the handmade perfumes, Chona continued cooking the stew. Ten minutes later, the meal was ready, and they all began eating.

The Andelrin's made light conversation with Essairyn and described Reisparte in greater depth. She in turn listened and imparted her thoughts on Chona's perfumes.

The family's happy chatter and the fire's cozy warmth made Essairyn pleasantly wistful. Her thoughts wandered, and she looked up at the night sky. It was a starless sky, devoid of a galaxy, outside of her universe.

Yet, it was softly lit with glowing drifts of languid light that bobbed airily above the world. Somehow, the similarity of the sight to Earth's stars made her feel at ease. Perhaps, even now, she was searching for familiarity, for some solid ground in this strange world.

After dinner and cleaning up, everyone prepared to go to bed; Chona and Jerry headed inside the tent to sleep, and Banran went inside the wagon to sleep while watching out for thieves.

Essairyn lingered outside the tent door and gazed up one last time at the magic lights. Each illuminated the dark like a nightlight.

"Akari," she whispered almost soundlessly, "I'm glad.."

The fox perked up her ears and peered inquisitively at the girl in the dim light. Essairyn smiled wistfully at Akari.

"..that you're here with me."

The fox turned away bashfully, mumbling, "H-huh, what are you even saying? Come on, let's sleep."

The girl gave an inaudible chuckle, and the fox gave a sheepish huff as they entered the lamp-lit tent. Chona was readying Essairyn's covers, and Jerry was already half-asleep beside his mother.

She patted the pillow and gestured for Essairyn to sleep. The girl settled into the covers, and Akari nestled on top by her side.

"Good night," Chona murmured, extinguishing the lamp.

"Night," Essairyn murmured back, "…Good night, Akari."

"…Night."

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Banran's eyes flickered somnolently open. The wagon was wobbling, and he could hear the nervous neighs of the horses. Something had spooked them, and something heavy was scuffling by the back door.

"Thieves?" he hissed softly.

He stood up sluggishly in the darkness and searched under the seat for his magic rifle. He grabbed ahold of it, lifted it in position, and stalked carefully to the door.

As he neared the door, the scuffling stopped. Banran inhaled sharply. The sound was moving to the right. Whoever or whatever it was, it was heading toward the tent.