"Sorry little lass, but without ye Guardian's permission, I canna be affordin' ye passage."
Aeturnis backed away. It had taken all her courage to go forth and ask at the Ticket Booth. Carriage fees to Eriwyn were not cheap - and they would not let her travel, not without Parental permission - and failing that (since Aeturnis didn't really have a parent at present), not without the consent of her legal Guardian - the Orphanage. There was no way they would risk harbouring a runaway - not when they had to give her passage through the Deadlands. She was not about to argue - Aeturnis didn't argue. She stalked away. If only she were 18 years old, then she could do and go wherever she liked.
It just wasn't fair! Why did her mother have to die? Why couldn't her mother tell her about her father before she had died? Then she could have given permission. She sighed, sinking down on the step. Around her the bustle of the wagon-train continued.
She hugged the Memory Book close. What was she to do now? She'd left the Orphanage early this morning, creeping out after being told to "take out the garbage." She couldn't go back now? What would they do to her? She shuddered to think. Well, there was only one thing she could do.
Walk.
Surely Eriwyn could not be that far?
Settling her backpack more comfortably, she set out along the northern road. There were a few other travellers on the road - most caravans drawn by the strong and steady zebu (a non-morphic species of cow). It appeared that noone else was foolish enough (or desperate enough) to make their way on foot. A few of the zebu drivers glanced at her, foreheads creasing in puzzlement at her stupidity. She kept her muzzle low, eyes downcast, unable to meet their eyes and see the pity there.
After a short time the imposing gatehouses of the Boundary rose into sight.
The road to Eriwyn wound its way through the Deadlands, and as such all travellers had to be permitted passage. It was too dangerous for anyone to wander upon impulsively. This Aeturnis knew in theory, but she had never journeyed this far. Now she recoiled - she had not expected them to appear quite like this!
Very few things in Furritasia were constructed from stone - most dwellings were created in wood or buried in hills (with entrances of course) - the stone structure of the gatehouse seemed completely unnatural and alien.
Two towers rose on either side of the road, where it cut through a narrow gorge. It was impossible to bypass - at least for a Hyenadae, the cliffs rising so sheerly on either side that they could not be natural. Built by sorcery, Aeturnis thought - or maybe in the Beforetimes, before the Great White created the Deadlands. The road itself was narrow at this point, barely wide enough for one laden cart to travel through. Across the road, at about chest height, a massive bar rested, so massive that it could almost have been an entire tree. Before the bar stood two muscular Ursa, hands on hips.
Aeturnis had money, likely enough to pay the toll - if that was what they wanted. But would they let her through? An underage, unsupervised girl on foot?
Somehow she didn't think so.
She watched for a moment as a carriage approached the Boundary, the zebu halting before it snorting and fussing, restless to continue. The driver fossicked in his coat pocket, producing what seemed to be a tablet of thin wood, a Passage Ticket. One of the Ursa Guards inspected it carefully whilst the other inspected the carriage itself. The two nodded and grunted at each other then each took one end of this enormous bar and lifted it as though it weighed little. To them it probably did, she reflected. The zebu and carriage passed through, and the bar was lowered back into place.
Aeturnis sighed and slumped against a rock. Her pawpads hurt already - despite her sturdy footwear. How far did she have to walk? She could not even remember how far it was to Eriwyn. Weeks, she recalled. Weeks by carriage - a luxury she was not permitted.
But where else did she have to go?
Tears stung her eyes - to fail so quickly, so close to home. How could she turn back? How could she return to the Orphanage, to the mocking glares of her peers and to face the wrath of the Matrons?
No - she could not turn back.
Shoulders slumped, Aeturnis sat by the side of the road and prayed for a miracle.
It was not to be long in the coming.
"Miss, miss? Are you okay?" Aeturnis blinked and glanced up to find a scruffy Skunk gazing down at her. He was clad in the black and silver uniform of the Boundary guards, the colours nicely set off his pelt. "What are you doing here?"
Aeturnis forced herself to meet his gaze. She could not do it - her eyes fell away. "Nothing," she whispered.
The Skunk placed his paw on her shoulder. "Where is your caravan?" He asked, not unkindly. "You do realise that someone of your age out here, without your Guardian is against federal law?"
She nodded, unable to say anything. Her shoulders shook as the tears escaped. Finally she forced the words out. "Are you going to arrest me?"
This received a faint chuckle in response, "well, here we have a quandry," he explained. "Federal law says you cannot be out here unescorted - but Federal law also places responsibility on your Guardian. You are too young to be imprisoned for this type of offence, so your Guardian would be penalised in your stead."
She forced herself to meet his gaze. "I have no Guardian," she said, her voice barely betraying her nervousness. "My mother is dead." The Memory Book lay in her lap, its weight solid, familiar and reassuring. She could not keep the pretence up for long, and her gaze swiftly fell back to the ground.
"Oh, you poor thing." He sat beside her and put his arm around her. She tensed, she did not like the contact, but she was too frightened to push him away either. Feeling this, he quickly stepped away from her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "But you must tell me, why are you travelling this road?"
She was shamed at her behaviour - shamed at pushing him away, denying herself even that contact. If she could not talk to him, how would she ever talk to her father? "I'm going to Eriwyn," she stated.
The Skunk was so startled he could not contain the snort of amazement. "You're walking to Eriwyn? Do you realise quite how far it is?"
Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug.
"Well, dear child - it takes a zebu cart just shy of a full turn of the moons to reach its destination. And zebu are stolid creatures, that can plod from dawn to dusk requiring nothing more then a few pints of water and a constant supply of hay. They may move slowly, yes, and you could likely walk faster - but your legs would tire and your muscles ache as hunger gnawed at your belly." He shook his head. "Only fools or the very brave would dare walk to Eriwyn."
Aeturnis bit her lip to keep from crying. Even here, miles from civilisation, they still mocked her.
He continued, his tone gentle and kindly enough but his words cruel and scathing. "Have you ever seen the Deadlands, dear child? Because if you travel this road, you will see them, and there is no path darker then that which wends between those barren, lifeless lands. But they are not really lifeless." His eyes glinted, "there are monsters there - scritlings - insects large enough to drag down a zebu. They are swift and merciless, and hunt in packs." Finally he noticed her reaction - her slow drawing into herself. "I do not seek to upset you, dear child, merely to warn you of the dangers that lie ahead. You would be wise to turn back now and return to civilisation. Nothing but pain and death awaits you on the road to Eriwyn."
Her words were barely audible, little more then a murmur. It was a mantra to herself - not to the Skunk. She must not let his words affect her. "I must find my father. He is all I have left."
The guard's ears were sharp. "Your father? Does he live in Eriwyn?"
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
"And he would not send you a chit for the passage? What sort of father would allow his daughter to walk the Deadlands?"
She could not say anymore - she could not explain herself, could not stand it. She did what she had done at the Orphanage.
She jumped to her feet, and bolted.
The action was so sudden it took the guard by surprise. But there were only two directions she could run - back to the village she had called home, or towards the Boundary that blocked her from Eriwyn.
She chose the latter, to retreat would concede defeat. Towards the mighty blockade she ran, the Skunk shouting at her to "stop being so foolish!" The Ursa, currently inspecting a covered and painted wagon, looked up, faces contorting in surprise. The two of them effectively blocked her path. She tried to weave and dive between them, but one reached down, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and lifting her feet from the ground.
"Where do you think you're going?" He rumbled.
Aeturnis was too petrified at herself to say anything, and froze.
"She's going to Eriwyn," came a musical voice. "With us."