The siblings arose at first light and made short work of the task of packing. They filled their bellies with some of the softer bits of hardtack they brought from the lodge and made their way south. The wind was biting, more than yesterday. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky and waves rippled through the lifeless grass like a typhoon. The journey south was hard and slow-going. Both thought it best to avoid the old Imperial highway for a few days to let people forget about the attack. Still, the unpaved terrain made for poor traveling and the siblings often undershot their intended progress by as much as half due to winds, rains, and, finally, snow. The first snow wouldn't be too much to deal with, there was still a week before the first large storm ought to hit. Still, it reminded them of the severity of their situation. Tents would survive the early winter, but if they couldn't find a cure before the month was out, they might not survive to the next spring.
The siblings set up camp at the edge of the woods, the glow of civilization visible over the horizon. "We should be about a day's ride from the capital. You know what you're going to do once you get there, brother?"
"Roughly."
"Roughly!?"
"I don't exactly have a map of the city or a list of the university scholars, but I know where to look. We'll find our lead. Don't you worry."
"And they're going to just let you have access?"
"I'm pretty sure I've got the half-breed's tongue down pat. Once I find a promising scholar, I have a visit with him. If he won't see me at the university, I'll just have to make a home appointment. All else fails, the library has to have something."
"You that confident you can read Likovan?"
"They use the same alphabet. It shouldn't be a headache to figure it out."
"I guess we don't exactly have time to burn. You'll head in tomorrow morning?"
"No point in sneaking in if they'll let me walk through the front door. Draw a lot less suspicion."
"Alright." Sari said with a sigh. "Just make sure you don't do anything stupid. I won't be able to help you in there."
"Don't worry about me, worry about keeping yourself out of sight. Or better yet, worry about poor Alvar here. He has to put up with you alone for the next day or so."
"Funny... Get yourself to bed, you'll need your rest for tomorrow."
"Likewise. Goodnight, sister."
The siblings quickly packed their camp as a gentle snow began to fall. Sari loaded the leather on her back and took off into the forest to stay hidden until Invar returned from the city. Invar shivered, perhaps not so much from the snow as from the task at hand. Invar smelled the salty air before he ever saw the sprawling port city. The city's walls towered above any building Invar had ever seen before and he could see spires within the city stretching higher still. These structures must have survived from before the Great Conquests. No other city on the continent could boast such magnificence. The walls only grew larger as Invar approached the gatehouse. There were merchants, townsfolk, and travelers making their way in and out of the city in bigger numbers than Invar had ever imagined possible.
"This is going to take longer than I thought..."
