Rotae Fortuna, The Spinning Wheel

[Saej Mirilla]

Searing 3, 120th Year of the Age of Steel¤
Sundered Rise

It wasn’t often anymore that Saej was able to go through the Black Road for her shipments. And yet here she was, plodding along atop of her wagon while ushering her mule and horse along the road. She had been given a crate’s worth of left over goods that one of the merchant groups had forgotten, the shop owner they bought the goods from said that the group had just left hours prior and shouldn’t be too far along the Black Road yet. Giving it her best chase and enjoying being on the road she was having a great time, in fact she could be heard whistling a made up tune. Poppy was in the wagon hiding from the sun, even this early on in Searing she hated the sunlight.

A bump upset the wagon for a moment before the turbulence settled back down. She wiped a stray dreadlock from her face that had fallen from her bun, trying to stick it back into place. Up the road a spell she could see a mud hole had formed on part of the path that was dirt. It had many ruts from feet, wagons, and horses hooves, in fact there was also a broken wagon wheel off to the side past it as if some unlucky traveler had to replace their wagon wheel due to the hole. If she was smart she would be able to use the small strip of untarnished, dry dirt next to it to get by. Slowing her horse and mule’s canter she went at a snail’s pace around the mud pit. It was a success!

Now past the mud hole just up ahead she could see smoke, though the people yet were hidden by the horizon. Hoping it was her merchant customers and now well out of the way of the mud hole she ushered her buggy faster, hoping to reach them as quickly as possible. It was proving to be quite the lucky day!

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

Up ahead in the distance she could see the shimmering light of the campfire and the people, wagons, and horses that had surrounded it. They were stopped in a larger area used often for resting and campsites just off the Road. Making her way closer she could see some humans dressed in Alfsos style travel clothes.
“Hail!”
She said in common and as she strode up all eyes were on her, causing her face to become a little pink. Parking her wagon she hopped down leaving her chakram behind, the Black Road was safe enough that she wouldn’t need to brandish a weapon. Not to mention these were clearly her ilk, merchants.

“Hail and regards, need something?”
One of the women greeted back. Saej merely nodded at first in reply then said,
“I have a shipment in my wagon that you had forgotten back in Kalzasi. I was paid to bring it here.”
Everyone in their party looked surprised for a moment before the woman said,
“Thank you! I’m very grateful. That was some important stock, I was upset we had left it behind. My son,”
She nodded to a young man smoking meat over the fire,
“Has trouble keeping his head out of the clouds. I swear his memory is worse than his father’s.”
Saej smiled at them and then went to fetch the crate of goods. Once the transaction had been completed and Saej received her tip she asked if it would be okay to rest here for a moment with them, the woman explained about their wagon losing its wheel and that they were going to wait out any further bad luck, that Saej was welcome to stay for as long as she needed.

Preferring to stay off by herself she fiddled with her horses and watered the dog then decided to take a nap in her wagon. By the time she woke it was sundown and much later than she intended to sleep. She made a bowl of soup from her rations to fill up her stomach then, after a good stretch, headed out, waving goodbye to the Alfsos merchants as she left.

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

Now that the darkness was encroaching Saej ushered her wagon faster than previously on the Road. While she knew that it was relatively safe on the Black Road she wasn’t willing to take any chances, plus she was ready for a good supper and bed. It was common for her to sleep in the wagon rather than taking her set up, horse, mule, and dog all the way into the city for room and board. She could most nights be found on the outskirts of the city along the road with other caravanners just in sight of the city’s entrance. This is where she was headed now, she would check in with the shopkeep to tell him about the shipment in the morning.

Lost in thought as the wagon rushed down the road she found herself drifting back to when she was younger and just starting out with her trade. It was a simple time then, much like it was now, but it felt good back then to be part of a bigger group. These days she mostly was just a courier around Kalzasi, it had been some time since she had made her way along the Black Road. It felt sort of nostalgic to be with the merchants earlier, camped out with the smell of smoked meat while listening to their off and on conversation. Perhaps she would start her own faction soon and gather a few people for the road.

Unfortunately while having this stream of thought Saej had forgotten about the mud hole she passed before. At the last moment with the horse and mule rushing forwards she saw it and gasped, pulling on the reins to little avail, they skid right into the mud hole and stopped there, mud slinging in every direction in the dim orange light cast by the setting sun.
“Oh by the dragon god’s beards.”
She snapped the reins urging the horse and mule to go on, but alas, they could not. It would seem they had gotten stuck. Putting her hand to her face in frustration Saej looked back into the wagon at Poppy, who had poked her head out of the wagon cover to see what was going on. Her tongue lolled out to one side as Saej scratched her head. Saej hopped off of the driver’s seat and plopped straight into the mud. It was about halfway up her calf as she sloshed over to the wheels, one in particular was stuck in a deep rut. It wasn’t going to budge without some help. Frustrated she went to kick it but slipped in the mud instead, falling ass first into the mud hole. She groaned in anger.

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

Readjusting her glasses she got a bit of mud on them from her hands. Growling to herself as she attempted to stand, she braced herself on the wagon but slipped back in. The wet mud made a shluck sound as she hit the ground again. Eventually, after being covered in in too much mud, she pulled herself out, wiping her glasses off on the cleanest spot of clothing she could find. Sloshing back over to the driver’s seat of the wagon she pulled herself up and waited, feeling a bit chill from wet mud clinging to her and the now rapidly approaching night air.

Having nothing else to do she devised a plan to feed her poor horse and mule, who of course were getting restless. Having only one set of tack she had only one lead, and she knew it would prove hard to drag one out, get them to chow on some scrubby grass nearby, then hook them back up to the wagon harness to do the other. Thinking hard, she realised there must be something she could use in the wagon. Clambering back into the wagon from the seat she rifled through her chest until she found the 50ft of rope she had stashed away, this would have to do! Poppy gave her a bored look and sighed, she would also have to go out soon too in order to do her business.

Just as she was about to reappear from the wagon the horse started to pull and whinny making her pause. She heard through the cloth walls someone approaching, as could be heard from the sound of hooves with a rolling cart. Could it be? She was saved! Popping her head out from the wagon Poppy let out a low growl, Saej hushed her in a quiet voice. Not too far from them was a man also pulling a wagon slowly making his way near. He was coming from the direction of Kalzasi. The closer she got she could see his horse was black and not in the greatest condition, was well as being old it was dirty and had blood shot eyes. The man himself, once able to be clearly seen, looked to be more of a tramp or vagabond than a merchant. Saej was wary but needed the help. She perched herself on the driver’s seat and shouted,
“Hail! I could use some, well. A push maybe at the very least.”

He said nothing as he drew nearer, right to the edge of the mudpit and stopped there. His clothes were old, brown with a black belt, and worn with time. His salt and pepper hair was long and tied back in a bun but even then it could be seen that he was unkempt, despite the clean shave of his weathered face. The hairs rose on the back of her neck and she wanted nothing more than to tell him to carry on but in this case she needed the help, it wasn’t so close as a now or never situation but the mud drying on her clothes and the darkening light made her impatient. The tramp finally acknowledged her stating the obvious,
“You seem to be stuck.”

His words hung awkwardly in the air before she gathered herself to reply,
“Yes, I am. Could you give us a push? It’s about calf deep, I'm afraid.”

[Saej Mirilla]

¤

Here in the Black Road the dark was mingling its way over the land. Through the passageway the mountain's stones on either side of them threw a cold shadow, long into the landscape. No birds chirped any longer as the hush of night came silently over the world. The Black Road was a beautiful place truly, it held many stories in its roads and another was being made. This was the story of Poppy, the ever loyal and diligent protector of Saej.

Poppy could be heard in the back getting up from the slight sound of clicking nails against the wood, Saej hushed her again from a growl. The man had gotten out of his wagon and lit a torch, walking the dry dirt path around the mud pit to get a better look at the wagon wheel. It may have just been the torch light, but a slight smirk seemed to be playing on his lips. Even without the smirk the dancing fire made his face dance and tremble, revealing the many sides to his face.
“Here,”
He said in an even voice,
“In the back of my wagon I have something to help me brace the harness. Should be easy enough to pull out. Come help me grab it.”

The wheels turned in Saej’s head as she considered his words, thinking to herself she would rather stay on her wagon, thank you, but as a cold breeze rippled through the wagon’s flaps and onto her person the chill from the drying mud overtook her. Placing a tired hand to her face and sighing she hopped down and followed him around to his wagon, making the trek through the mud this time without falling. He reached the back of his wagon first and before she knew what was happening had her pinned up against the wagon, foul smelling breath like curdled old milk whispering into her ear and hot on her face,
“You will give me all you have.”
As he said this she felt a dagger place itself on the spine of her back, tip digging in between the clothes to draw blood. Pausing now to find her barings she waited a few moments, just breathing and the dagger pressed tighter. She thought she could feel him moving around, as if fiddling with his belt strap.
There was only one thing to do, Saej yelled as loud as possible,
“Poppyyy! Golden apple!”
Before the man had time to react the sound of paw pads against the ground made their swift movements to the two. A deep, angry bark rippled through the air like a gong and the man was toppled head over heels. Poppy had him pinned to the ground with jaws clamped shut on the arm holding the weapon, wrenching her head back and forth while growling and snarling. All 170 pounds were pressed on his torso as she bit and chewed on his arm, the man howled in confusion, fear, and pain.

Singularity hit within the situation as she heard the dagger clang to the ground and the horses were making their whinny against the commotion. Creaking could be heard from the man’s wagon as the horse stomped and thrashed its head. Not wasting another moment she ran through the mud, stumbling but catching herself, and jumped into the wagon to grab her chakrams. Making her way back the man was curled into a ball with his arm jutted out at an angle. He was crying for her to quit saying, “Poppy, good dog, STOP!”
“Poppy,”
Saej said with diction,
“Candied ham.”
And Poppy stopped, backing away slightly but lunging for the man still, growling though no longer attached. Her jaws snapped as she slavered, there was blood in her teeth.

“You’re going to get in your FUCKING wagon and make for the hills as fast as you GODS DAMN can.”
Saej’s voice was high strung but it was clear she meant her words. The man got up and ran as fast as he could to his wagon, he ushered his wagon along the dirt path kicking up mud on one side as he fled the scene.

Darkness turned to night and the night turned into day. Saej slept not a single wink waiting for the man to return but knew he wouldn’t dare. While she was shook to the core she was grateful to Poppy moreso and gave her a bowl of ration broth to have all to herself. They clung to each other that night, Poppy barking at even the slightest sound of a leaf against the ground. By morning the Kalzasi Rangers had appeared and helped her from the mud pit.

They noted the blood and dagger on the ground, asking what had happened. Saej explained what had happened that night and they said they would keep an eye out for a man of that description. Respecting the dog, from afar they waved to her and told her “good girl!” Finally out of the mud pit Saej made her way slowly this time back to Kalzasi. Unfortunately sleep would have to wait until after she hailed the shopkeep and got her payment. The red dreadlocked woman and her crew made their way into the city finally, where she breathed a sigh of relief.

[Etro]

♅ Rotae Fortuna, The Spinning Wheel ♅

XP:

• 5xp {Cant be used to magic}

Pieces of knowledge:

• Intimidation; Having a guard dog
  Mount; The path of least resistance
  Mount; Getting stuck in the mud
  Animal Handling; Saying commands with diction
  Animal Handling; Commanding a guard dog to attack
  Animal Handling; Commanding a guard dog to cease attacking

Comments:

• I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!! She is such a down to earth character, and definitely no one's damsel in distress, especially with Poppy around. I love the fact that her commands are not your typical ones, almost like teaching commands in another language. I look forward to really getting to know her and reading her adventures.