Dawn awoke in the m as the sun rose, shining through the shutters. She carefully slid out of bed, then checked on Niphru, finding he was still asleep, making her gd at having chosen to be so cautious. Hopefully, sleeping so much would do something to help him recover. She ged into her most durable set of clothes, a dark green robe her mother had given her months before, wheill hadn’t met Niphru yet.

  After dressing, she headed to the living room, finding that the door to her mother’s room was still closed, so she robably still sleeping. To pass the time, Dawn sat down in front of the firepce, called up a small mote of fme, and began tossing it bad forth between her hands, occasionally sending it into the firepd babsp; With a bit of practice, she mao make it look like the tiny fireball was boung off the stoher than being trolled directly.

  Daw both nervous aed at the same time about going on her journey, and a little worried. She wasn’t an adult yet, and was going out into the world without her mother there to help her, but at the same time, she was a mage and could protect herself.

  As she worried, she tinued pying with her fire, spinning it in loops around her arms before tossing it again. While doing so, she heard a door open, and her mother walked into the room, yawning.

  “Ah, up early, huh? Let me guess, nerves?” Amilya questioned. Smiling, she tinued, “I was stressed as well the first time I went out on my own.”

  Dawn stood to face her mother, calling the speck of fire back to herself before letting it fade, and nodded. “It is exg but terrifying at the same time! I hope nothing goes wrong a to the capital safely,” she excimed.

  Her mother chuckled slightly before responding, “I wouldn’t be letting you go alone if I wasn’t fident in you, and in the safety of the nds around us. How about you go get Niphru and we finish the preparations for your trip?”

  Heading bato her room, she was surprised to see Niphru had mao shift somewhat, having halfway stretched out from where she had helped him curl up st night. She raced to her bed, scooping him up and exg, “I’m so gd you are doier! Just keep resting and recover, though, you shouldn’t wear yourself out!”

  She ran back out of her room, telling Amilya that Niphru mao move, seeing her mother smile as she replied, “I hope this is a good sign of things to e, it has been quite w seeing him like this.”

  In a much better mood now, she followed her mother back to the northern gate where the cart was sitting. As she looked closer at the cart, she could see that it had an odd backward fag metal rod otom end of the wedge-shaped front, along with a protruding hahat sat to the side and slightly in front of it. Amilya grabbed a leather strap that had a metal ring in the middle with a csp at the end from the cart, handing it to Dawn before instrug, “Put this around your waist and secure it with the ring behind you.”

  Seeing a padded se he front of the cart, Dawled Niphru there before accepting the belt and trying to put it on. With a bit of difficulty, she mao get the strap around herself, nid snug, shifting it so the ring sat securely behind her back.

  Following her mother’s instrus, she backed up to the cart, slipping the rod through the belt’s ring, then pressed down on the handle, jumping in surprise as the cart lurched. As her mhed, the cart moved forward, pulled by the belt, then suddenly stopped as she released the handle, causio stop short as she pulled against the suddenly stationary cart.

  “I’m sorry fhing, but that was too funny. I didn’t think it would startle you like that!” Amilya excimed before tinuing, “As I’m sure you noticed already, the way it is set up, if you move forward, the metal rod will keep a grip on the belt and carry the cart with you, so long as you keep the brake handle pressed down. If you let go, or pull up, the cart will stop itself. And if you o get loose from the cart, all you o do is move back a little and the ring will be able to fall, diseg you.”

  “Why didn’t you warn me first?” Dawn pihough she had to admit it was a little amusing.

  “As I said, I didn’t think it would startle you like that. Anyway, let’s head to the baker, she said she would have some fresh bread for you. And along the way, you get some practice with the cart,“ Amilya remarked.

  Grumbling under her breath for a moment, Dawn pressed down on the handle, finding it at a fairly fortable position to hold, and began to follow her mother. As they walked, she asked, “Why is it designed like this where I have to hold this down? And why is it almost just the right size to be fortable?”

  “Well,” Amilya said, “it was designed for one of the farmers’ sons, in order to help with carrying the harvest, and thus it often ended up quite heavy. Travis saw the old design, and cimed it was too dangerous, because you had to actively try to make it stop, and when fully loaded, it could seriously injure or kill the person pulling it if they stopped suddenly or tripped. He redesig and made this cart, which, as you’ve seen, will stop itself just fine.”

  “I see, that does make a lot of sense!” Dawn excimed, happy to know it was desigo keep her safe if anythi wrong.

  A few moments ter, they arrived at the baker’s home, and she got to try diseg herself from the cart. Unlike when she was hooking herself up, it was incredibly smooth and easy, simply taking a half-step backwards befoing forwards again. Impressed with the design, she hurried to follow her mother into the building.

  Unfortunately, the woman inside seemed to be one of those who treated her differently now, as she bowed as soon as Dawered. As she stood back up, the woman said, “Since you did so much to help save the vilge, I made sure to make some extra bread to help you with your trip. I hope you enjoy it, it is the best I could do with what we have right now.”

  Dawn smiled and thanked her as she received a bag from the woman, then followed her mother back outside. She muttered under her breath about not being fortable with that treatment, but Amilya heard her, and responded, “You might as well get used to it. You will get simir treatment in most pces simply due to being a mage. It is unfortable at first, but it will keep happening whether you like it or not.”

  As they talked, an older man walked down the road towards them, carrying a bundle of furs. As he reached them, Amilya o him, and told Dawn, “This is Tanner, he agreed to make you a bedroll from one of the bears Niphru took down. He doesn’t talk much, but he is thankful to the two of you as well.”

  The man this, then held out his hand towards her. Relieved that he wasn’t bowing, she held out her hand as well, the man shaking it once, gently, and nodding to her. Afterwards, he turned and began walking away as Amilya spoke once more, “And before you ask, Tanner is both his name and profession. No one is sure if it is ce or if he took the job due to his name, or ged his o match his job. He is just an odd one, but a good guy.”