Bastion

so they can comfort me.”
    “Excellent,” Jakyr said. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
    He let himself out, and the four of them put their heads together.

6
    “I think we should go look at this caravan,” Bear said. “We need to figure out how much room there is for each of us.”
    :The caravan is stored in the wagon shed. It should be obvious. It’s the white one with faint flowers and vines bleeding through the paint.: Dallen sounded highly amused for some reason. :Six coats of paint, and the designs are still bleeding through. If we could ever figure out who made that paint in the first place, we’d never need to paint anything with more than one coat again. Oh, and there are people around there who can tell you exactly how much space there is for personal gear and supplies for Bear and Lena. So multiply that by three for the supplies you think you will need for two of you, and divide the remaining storage by three for the personal gear and you’ll be able to figure out what you’ll get.:
    That sounded promising. Mags relayed that to the others, and they went to look for the promised caravan.
    There was only one building on the grounds where vehicles were kept. Most of them were homely, working wagons and vans. There was one Royal Carriage, which held eight, but it had been decades since any Royal Family of Valdemar went on a Royal Progress, so all of the fancier wagons that would have carried their luggage and baggage had long been pressed into more practical service.
    The caravan wasn’t difficult to spot. It was actually taller than most of the other vehicles here, taller even than the Royal Carriage. It had exceedingly high wheels; the ones in the front were smaller than the ones in the rear, but the ones in the rear came almost to Mags’ collarbone. It was very far off the ground. From where Mags stood, it looked like an entire cottage on wheels!
    He measured the rear wheels against himself, wonderingly, as he gazed at the contraption in the light coming in through the open doors.
    “That’s so she can ford rivers,” said someone behind them. They all turned.
    It was an older man, quite gray-haired, and tough and wiry looking, with formidable muscles, in a rougher version of the blue-and-silver Royal livery, clearly made for a hard workingman who expected to be outdoors a great deal.
    “That’s why she’s so tall,” the man continued. “She’s meant for the road, and rough road at that. Tall, so she can ford rivers. You want to hope there are always bridges, but sometimes there ain’t. So, I reckon these two are the ones that’ll be taking her out, and you’ve come to see her?” At Bear and Lena’s mutual nods, he grinned. “She’s built for six, so you two will have heaps of room. I’ll show you about.”
    Mags noticed at once that the wheels were outside the body, but that the wagon itself had been built outward over the open wheels, which would add some to the interior of what was undoubtedly going to be very cramped living space. There were racks along the side where you could store boxes; the boxes themselves were stacked up to either side, out of the way. There were railings along the top as well; presumably you could store more things up there. Mags approved.
    “This here’s the front,” said the fellow. “Oh, I’m Ard Ardson. I’m the Wagonmaster, as was my father, and his father before him, and his father before him . If it goes on wheels and belongs to the Palace or the Collegia, it’s my job to keep it in trim.”
    “Then I’m right glad you were here, Master Ardson,” Bear said earnestly—and looking daunted. “I’ve—ah—never handled a wagon before . . .”
    “And you won’t be handling one now,” Ard told him. “One of your teachers, I misremember who, found out about this scheme and reckoned she was due for a trip. I guess teaching you lot’s harder than driving and tending to a wagon and pair!” He laughed at his own joke. “She and I had a short run with this beauty. I’ve already checked her out, we had some hands-on, and I am here to tell you I’d let her drive any rig in this building, including this one, so no fear there. Two-hitch, four-hitch, wheel-changing, there’s nothing I wouldn’t trust her with.”
    This was the first any of them had heard of it, but Mags was extremely relieved to hear it. He certainly didn’t know anything about wagons and horses, and he rather doubted Jakyr was an expert—although you never knew.