A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3) (9 page)

Fioshrach grinned, “I enjoy being outside. No special accommodations are needed.”

Cracklecord nodded, “A warm fire is always welcome, however I plan on being a visitor. I will most likely come and go.”

“I think we can manage all of that. I have to talk to Raven, we need to work out some basics so we know the size of wagon to locate.” I walked up around Tulip’s wagon where she sat talking to Raven.

“And here comes your young man.” Tulip looked back around the wagon’s side at me.

“How do you know I am coming?” I asked Tulip once I came abreast of their seat.

She pointed at a small object mounted in front of her seat. “Something you might consider.” I looked closely and realized that there was a small, round, metal mirror mounted on the wagon. When I looked closely I could see that for someone in the seat they would be able to see down the side of the wagon. “It helps an old lady keep her wagon in good shape, I avoid hitting the sides of the wagon on objects or running over people.”

“That is ingenious!” I exclaimed.

“Thank you. One of my family developed them. He was tired of fixing the paint on everyone’s wagon.” Tulip grinned broadly. “Now, I imagine you did not just come up here to discuss wagons. What is on your mind?”

I blushed and smiled gently, “Actually I did come up here just for that. I have been looking around at everyone’s wagon. I have been considering all the various options and accessories that are on each wagon with the thought to what we would need on our wagon.” I addressed this last part to Raven.

“Smart boy!” Tulip exclaimed. “Always consider your partner’s position or ideas on a subject. You will live happier that way.” She turned to Raven, “What thoughts do you have?”

Raven was watching the road but had started smiling at our conversation. “I think that there are many good ideas. But there are also some really bad ideas. We need to make sure that we only have those things that will work for us and not against us.”

Tulip thought about this a moment before asking, “What kind of bad ideas have you noticed?”

“One thing I have noticed is that some of the wagons lack any way to cook food during bad weather. They obviously plan to only cook outside. I think this is poor planning.” She pointed at a green wagon. “If you look closely you can see a small smoke stack poking up from their roof. That means they not only have some way to heat the wagon during cold times, but also a way to possibly cook some food.” She pointed to another wagon, “They have no awnings on their wagon. That means to have any kind of shade they must unpack something and set it up.” She pointed to another wagon, “They, on the other hand, have a roll up awning that is always attached to the side of the wagon. To have shade they just have to unroll it and lean the poles away from the wagon. Instant shade. It can also be put back up quickly.”

“These are all good points.” Tulip smiled. “I am glad that both of you are thinking about this. It is important to make a wagon as much yours as you possibly can. Mine has many features that I have added over the years. Some have worked out, others failed horribly. Learn from others, both good lessons and bad lessons. Better to learn from someone else’s mistake than to make it yourself.” She pointed at a yellow wagon, “That one has a nice feature. They have a water tank that is under the wagon. It makes the wagon ride smoother for some reason. Less rocking and bouncing while rolling. At least when it is full. I plan on adding that to mine in the future.”

I looked at the wagon she pointed at and nodded. I had wondered what the odd cask under the wagon was, it seemed an odd place to place such a thing. “I have been asking a lot of questions. I guess I will need to ask more.”

Nodding, Tulip stated, “Yes you do. But you also need to talk to Raven about some basics. All wagons have some basic needs that must be addressed. These all address the basic human needs; food, water, shelter, and rest. Most of the rest of things are about comfort and convenience. You must have a plan on how you will store your food as well as cook it. What kind of food will you carry? Fruits have different needs than dried meat. Water must be carried, enough for at least a few days. Just in case you find yourself stuck between good sources of water. The wagon itself provides a shelter, but what kind depends on how you design it. All creatures need rest. You will have yourselves to be concerned about plus your companions. Also your team. How will they rest? Your wagon must be designed with all of these in mind first. Then add on the features you want. Perhaps sleeping in a hammock is what you want. Then you can change your design to allow this to be easier. Maybe even count on sleeping in your hammock outside most nights. But always have a plan in case of bad weather. If you want to cook inside then you have to have a way to protect your wagon and it’s contents from the heat of cooking. You will need a stove of some sort, most likely you will need to store some form of fuel. Each thing you add to the wagon adds to the complex nature of the wagon. Start simple and work up from there. Food, water, shelter, and rest.” She smiled at our expressions. “Do not worry, we have many years of experience. No matter what challenge you face, someone will have some manner of helping you come to a logical solution.”

I grinned nervously, “Thank you for that. I hope that we might have at least a basic idea of what we need when it comes time to pick out a wagon. That way there is less to alter as we work on it.”

Raven nodded, “Perhaps we should talk about that at our breaks. Right now I am focused mainly on working the team.” She smiled gently to take the sting from her words.

I smiled, “I understand. Just think about it and we can discuss it later. I already have some ideas of basic things we can do.” I turned and slowed down, allowing the wagon to pass me by.

“Get some of it figured out?” Stain asked as he drew even with me.

I smiled and shook my head, “Just more questions, but at least I know we are all thinking about it. We should figure it out with all of us working on it.”

“That is the way of the Travelers, to work together to figure it out.” He smiled and kept walking. “They believe that a large community can solve problems better than most individuals on their own. That is both a strength and a weakness. Keep that in mind when dealing with some of your unique problems. Be careful of whose counsel you seek.”

We walked all morning, Stain and I discussing different wagon designs. We talked about those basics that Tulip had mentioned. Stain described some methods he had seen in his travels for handling those needs. Some were effective, others failed horribly. Sometimes the stories were funny. We figured out a plan on a basic wagon and a possible set of basic requirements. At the noon break we all sat down and talked. Raven and Tulip had also been talking. Tulip had drawn upon her many years with wagons to share with Raven. Many of the ideas we had were also shared by the them. We worked on the basic wagon idea and worked out a list of requirements for a base idea to start with that we would customize to suit our needs.

“Well, it sounds as if we have a good idea of what you two will need.” Tulip stood up at the end of the break. “I believe that I have a relative that might have a wagon that would fill that basic lists. He buys and trades wagons. He also repairs them, so sometimes he has ones that have reached the end of the road. If my memory serves me right then he might have one or two that are new. One is a family wagon and the other is a trader’s wagon. I think the family wagon would be best, considering the length of your stay on the road and the fact you have companions that will be traveling with you. The trader’s wagon would not meet some of the needs you will have, plus it is built for hauling large amounts of goods between cities, not living out of full time.”

Stain stood also and poked me with his walking stick. “On your feet apprentice.” He grinned as I jumped up and grabbed my stuff.

I pulled Raven to her feet and grinned as her hand lingered in mine. “Shall we continue our journey?” I asked as the horn called out.

Raven grinned and hurried around to the front of the wagon to drive the team. Tulip followed her, if at a more sedate pace.

“So we have a possible wagon for you two, good.” Stain seemed relieved. “Sometimes it takes time to locate a suitable wagon. I worried that would be the case.” He looked at me and grinned, “Which means one more thing to work on in the evenings and at stops.” He started walking behind the wagon. “We will be camping with the larger group tonight. Tulip has made it clear that we are to keep pitching our tents with her. She is acting as our endorser to the larger group until I have a chance to provide my credentials. I think she also enjoys the company.”

I grinned, “I think she truly enjoys your company Stain.”

Stain grinned broadly, “She does at that. I enjoy her’s also. She is a lovely woman.”

We kept walking, discussing different things. At times the road seemed to roll randomly through the countryside. At others it ran straight with no changes in it’s course. As the day wore on I noticed a noise growing in the distance.

“What is that noise?” I posed this question.

Stain pointed past the wagon, “The larger camp is just ahead. What you are hearing is the normal noise of a camp of many people, animals, and wagons. I have missed these large gatherings.” He looked excited. “I get to meet so many interesting people when this many Travelers group up together.”

I stepped to the side of the road to look past Tulips wagon. I could now see that the road curved gently around and down into a large depression in the countryside. The depression was dotted with trees but between the trees lay all manner of tents and wagons. The colors ran to every color in nature and a few I had never seen before. Some colors were repeated. There were a few that were green, healers by the look. Many red ones seemed to be smiths of some sort.

“Is there an organization to the colors?” I asked Stain.

He stepped up beside me and nodded, “There is a loose idea. Most healers go with greens, smiths go with reds, and craftsmen usually are blue or yellow. Other than that you can pretty much pick what you want.” He pointed at Tulip’s wagon. “Her’s is mostly blue, she repairs clothing and other items made from cloth. The blue usually denotes repair or custom work. The yellow has to do with creating. And if you have a couple that have different skills then you might have a wagon painted in two dominant colors.” He pointed down at a wagon that was half green and half blue. The colors split right down the middle of the wagon. “Most likely a healer married to someone who repairs some manner of goods.” He pointed at another wagon, this time a blue and yellow swirl motif ran across this wagon. “They most likely both create and repair. Maybe a seamstress and a tent maker.” He looked for a moment longer and grinned, “Shall we catch up with Tulip and Raven before they enter the camp?”

We hurried down just in time to follow the wagon through a rough barrier formed of growing trees and spiny underbrush. A few men, lightly armed, guarded the entrance. They welcomed each wagon and it’s driver as it passed through the entrance. I could hear Tulip talking to them as she rolled past. The guards looked at Stain and myself and nodded. As we walked past one of the guards stepped up to Stain.

“Welcome to our camp. Please follow Tulip and listen to her as she is your endorser. Someone has gone to alert the elders of your presence and they will visit you this evening.” He stepped back after his comments. Stain simply nodded and followed Tulip through the barrier.

“That went rather well. Tulip must be a larger influence than I perceived.” Stain was scratching his beard gently. “Keep alert and pay attention.” This comment was delivered gently and quietly.

I nodded and looked around me as we walked deeper into the camp. I saw many wagons that shared the same basic barrel shape as Tulip’s wagon. There were a few other shapes, but most were like a large barrel. I looked for new and unique ways of doing things. But I also paid attention to the people. Children stopped and watched us walk by, the adults only paused a moment and then continued with what they were doing. We finally reached an empty camp site and started setting up our own set of tents. Tulip backed her wagon up to establish the main entrance of the campsite and we set our tents up around the fire pit that existed already.

Tulip pulled her awning out and sat on her back step. “The elders will be here before too long. Keep everything special a secret until I reveal it. Trust only those I tell you to trust. Even among family there is troublemakers.” She stood and turned to welcome a group of people who all resembled Tulip in some manner.