Valorant said:
-"Vorkalis, the traders' city nestled among the mountains. We will be going there."
Attu asked:
-"How will we get there?"
Valorant inquired:
-"Attu, do you know how to ride a horse?"
Attu replied:
-"No, I've never ridden a horse."
Valorant explained:
-"Then we'll need to travel with one of the traders heading towards Vorkalis."
Attu asked:
-"Why don't we just go in the duke's carriage?"
Valorant replied:
-"We could do that, but we would be quite noticeable. We need to avoid drawing too much attention. If we join a trader's caravan on the road, it won't raise as much suspicion."
Attu nodded:
-"I understand now."
Valorant continued:
-"I asked if you could ride because I was thinking of taking Alaris's horses rather than his carriage. But that was also a mistake. Alaris's horses aren't just ordinary; they're thoroughbreds, so they could be recognized quickly. I believe the best way is to travel with one of the traders to Vorkalis. We need to move quickly; otherwise, we might miss the nearby traders' caravan."
Attu asked:
-"In that case, is everyone ready?"
Suna and Anna replied:
-"Yes."
Valorant declared:
-"Let's go," and set off.
Gustav remained in front of the house, saying:
-"I wish you a safe journey. Until we meet again, take care."
Anna and Suna put on their thick clothes and followed Valorant. Suna was carrying a bag for both of them.
Attu said:
-"Suna, the bag is too big."
Suna explained:
-"It mostly has Anna's things in it and a few of mine."
Valorant looked at Suna and Anna, asking:
-"Did you pack important things, or did you just take whatever you could grab?"
Indeed, Anna had managed to pack almost everything that was left from the fire, and Suna had no objection to that.
Anna replied with a smile:
-"Of course, I packed all the things I found important," as she approached Valorant.
Valorant responded:
-"Well then, if they're important, that's fine," not paying too much attention.
As Attu and Suna walked behind, Attu called out:
-"Suna."
Suna asked:
-"What do you want?"
Attu questioned:
-"Why do you refer to Anna by her name? Sir Gustav calls her 'little lady.'"
Suna explained:
-"What should I call her? When I was little, my master found me and brought me to his home. I was so small back then that I knew nothing, yet my master didn't mind keeping me in his house. He only told me that I needed to learn to do household chores and manage certain tasks. Slowly, I began to learn. Then, while I was doing my chores at home, I saw Anna. She didn't seem like a girl who spoke much. But later, after getting closer to her, I found out she talks a lot. That's how we became friends. My master didn't mind either; he told me to call her by her name. Since then, I've been calling her by her name at home."
Attu asked:
-"Then why are you calling her by her name in front of us?"
Suna replied:
-"Because you all don't care about titles or formalities, and I think we've become quite close."
Attu agreed:
-"Yes, you're right," affirming Suna's words.
Suna added:
-"Also, I'm sorry for hitting you. I thought you were one of the skeletons."
Attu reassured her:
-"It's okay. The important thing is that the pain has passed."
Thus, we traveled for about three hours. Afterwards, we encountered the caravan heading to Vorkalis. Master Valorant spoke with the traders in the caravan and requested them to take us to Vorkalis. The trader agreed, and we set off towards Vorkalis in his cart. The trader's name was Sven. Sven appeared robust, with a muscular build and was a man in his thirties, with black hair and a slight beard.
The trader said:
-"I'm heading for the city of Vorkalis."
Valorant said, "Yes, let me show you how the city will be."
Sven asked:
-"What did you say your name was?"
Valorant replied:
"My name is Hamos, and this boy is Ballo. These girls are Rouse and Manna."
Sven then said:
-"What would you be doing out in the street in this cold? Wouldn't you rather be lying at home with your feet stretched out?"
Valorant responded:
-"The kids wouldn't let me be. Seeing them like this, I realized I agreed to go to the city without even noticing it."
Sven replied:
-"Don't say that. Today's youth are clever; if you stay quiet, they will deceive you."
Valorant acknowledged:
-"You're right. If you don't mind, can we take a short nap? The journey has tired us out a lot." Valorant shifted the conversation.
Sven said:
-"Feel free to sleep; I will wake you up when we get close to the city in the evening."
Valorant thanked him, saying:
-"Thank you for your kindness," then closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
The caravan of traders did not stop traveling until evening. Valorant kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep while listening to everything around him throughout the day. Suna and Anna rested in the cart. During this time, I occasionally napped and sometimes just watched. When we got into the cart, my master said that he wouldn't see me, so I wore a blindfold over my eyes. They said the caravan wasn't very big, but I noticed there were more than ten carts within this caravan.
As dusk fell and the surroundings began to darken, the caravan arrived at the gates of Vorkalis. Six guards stood at the gates, checking everyone before allowing them to enter the city. "We are travelers coming to this city," we said, so there was no issue entering.
Once we were in the city, we bid farewell to Sven and headed to the nearest inn to stay the night. We all gathered in one room to discuss our plans for the next day.
Valorant announced:
-"We'll be staying here tonight. The teleportation portal will be closed overnight, so we will pass through the portal tomorrow."
Attu asked:
-"Are you saying there won't be any issues tomorrow?"
Valorant replied:
-"I believe there won't be any problems. Alaris built his house far from the city, so they won't have enough time to learn about his death and pursue us."
Suna asked;
-"Will we pass through the portal tomorrow morning?"
Valorant confirmed:
-"Yes, if possible, we should be among the first to go through the portal."
Attu inquired:
-"What will we do after that?"
Valorant explained:
-"That portal will take us to Obilvor, which is closest to the Elves' forest. From there, we will head towards Ygdrasil."
Attu asked:
-"Is Ygdrasil the name of the elves' country?"
Valorant confirmed:
-"That's right; it's the name of the elves' country. The name comes from the biggest tree in that area."
Anna added to Valorant's statement, saying:
-"They also call it the tree of life. They say it's very large."
Valorant acknowledged:
-"Yes, that tree is huge, but not just that tree; all the trees in that area grow tall. When we reach the elves' forest, you will see for yourselves. Now, get some rest; we need to wake up early tomorrow. Attu and I will stay in this room, and the others can settle into the adjacent room."
Anna said:
-"Then, good night!"
Suna also added:
-"Good night," and the two of them left the room.
Valorant said:
-"You can choose one of these two beds to sleep in. I'll sleep later," as he looked at the two beds in the room and sat down on the chair facing the room.
Attu thought:
-"Which bed should I choose? The one on the left or the right? The one on the right seems better. I'll choose that one," and settled into the bed on the right.
As Attu lay down, one question came to his mind:
-"Master?" he called.
Valorant asked:
-"What are you saying?"
Attu replied:
-"Why are you helping Anna?"
Valorant responded:
-"Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?"
Attu explained:
-"I'm just curious; I'm asking."
Valorant said:
-"You could say this is to repay a debt."
Attu inquired:
-"Don't you have a debt to the duke?"
Valorant confirmed:
-"Yes, I had a debt to Alaris, and that's why I'm returning my debt to his granddaughter. It's best if you go back to sleep now! We'll have a lot to do tomorrow." Valorant commanded Attu.
Attu said:
-"Okay, get some rest, Master," and then fell asleep.
Morning came. Attu got up and looked around the room but didn't see Valorant.
Attu thought:
-"He must have gone downstairs for breakfast." He got up and went to the adjacent room where the girls were still sleeping.
Attu knocked on the door and said:
-"Girls, have you woken up?"
Suna replied:
-"Yes, we're up now," as she opened the door.
Attu asked:
-"Where's Anna?"
Suna pointed into the room and said:
-"Over here."
Anna greeted:
-"Good morning."
Attu responded:
-"Good morning to you too. Haven't you had breakfast yet?"
Anna replied:
-"Not yet."
Attu suggested:
-"Then let's go down and have breakfast together."
Anna agreed:
-"Alright."
Everyone went downstairs and began to have breakfast. While they were eating, Valorant arrived.
Attu greeted:
-"Good morning, Master!"
Valorant replied:
-"Good morning to you too."
Attu asked:
-"Where have you been?"
Valorant answered:
-"I went out to learn about the teleportation portal. After we eat, we'll head to the portal."