Chapter 135: Caravan

The following morning they set out with a group of traveling merchants headed to the mountains. Apparently since Al revitalized the Kanta civilization they had been in charge of all mineral sales and cut out the middlemen.

A law was put in place that fixed the prices so the merchants couldn't buy things cheap and turn around and sell them for exorbitant amounts later. That way the Kanta were paid fairly for what they worked so hard to mine.

They had to work with the traders though because none of the Kanta desired to be traveling merchants. Now that they had their lands back they preferred to stay at home. Plus there were certain items that could not be made in the mountains that had to be bought from elsewhere.

Abby was willing to bet that was Katie's doing. She was trying to modernize the place instead of keeping things primitive and closed off like before.

Thinking politically, being on good terms with the merchants from Annalaias meant they had allies. It would make them a stronger nation and prevent the tragedy from a quarter century ago from repeating itself.

Although she couldn't help but wonder if they had managed to establish a formal military yet. That would be crucial to the survival of their people but she was sure Katie already knew that.

Everything she knew about the Kanta had come from either Mariela or the traders they were traveling with. Some of them were pretty talkative as they moved from the capital to the countryside.

Blaise remained silent as Abby soaked up all the information she could. She wanted to know as much as possible about her sister's new civilization.

When they stopped to make camp on the first night she asked him why he had been so quiet. It had been a bit weird sitting next to someone who didn't make a sound for more than eight hours.

"I was thinking," he replied simply.

"About what?"

"Your sister. And the Kanta's lack of military power."

That wasn't very descriptive. Why was it so impossible to get solid answers out of him?! Was she talking to a teenage boy? Actually…she might be. She had never learned his age but assumed he was in his twenties because he was so big.

"What about them?"

Blaise shrugged. "I have been wondering why you lied to the king. All of the stories you told me clearly indicated your sister grew up with you in another land yet he seems to believe she is from Annalaias. As for the military, I am a Warrior. It is natural to wonder about such things."

Abby flushed. She had promised him an explanation she wasn't prepared to give. Had it really been bothering him all day long?

"I'm sorry," she said lamely. "I wanted to explain but I didn't think you would believe me."

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He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out over the fire that blazed in the middle of the camp. "You will not know until you try."

Taking a deep breath, she wracked her brains for the best way to say this.

"I told you I thought my sister died…well, that isn't exactly true. She did die. Her body anyway. But her soul somehow ended up inside the body of a noble here in Annalaias. That is why the king thinks she is Catherine du Pont instead of Katrina Pullman.

"But she told the truth about herself to the queen and that's why she was so nice to me and ended up helping us out. She had heard stories about me from Katie. I know it sounds crazy but when I said we were from somewhere too far to be on any map it isn't just that. We are from another world entirely."

She braced herself for the accusations that she was completely insane but they didn't come. Blaise had an unfathomable expression on his face as he mulled her words over.

"I can understand why you would not think I would believe you," he said eventually. "It is quite a tale. I do not believe you are a liar but I also do not believe in the existence of such things so I am at an impasse. I am sorry if this is not the reaction you were hoping for."

She wasn't hoping for anything in particular. An impasse was better than flat out calling her crazy.

"Don't worry about it. I already know it sounds crazy. I don't care if you don't believe me as long as you don't treat me any differently for it."

Blaise did another sort of salute—she was pretty sure this kind meant he was swearing fealty or something like that—and got down on one knee. "I swear I will not treat you any differently, Miss Abby. We shall remain friends as before."

Abby couldn't help but smile at his earnestness. "So that means you'll talk to me tomorrow?"

He coughed in embarrassment. "Yes, it means I will talk to you tomorrow."

The chef of the caravan called them over to get their stew and bread so they line up behind everyone else. They ate off to the side because the traders were talking about some pretty lewd things and Blaise stiffly said that a lady did not need to hear that before leading her away.

They ate in silence for a while. The stew was different in Annalaias than it was in Shibatsu. Abby wasn't sure if it was because of different vegetables or different spices. Possibly even different types of milk. It seemed like goats were more common here than cows.

Those doughnuts yesterday seemed a lifetime ago now. It was the only food she had that tasted like home since coming to this strange world.

Mariela's doughnut tray had an impressive variety: jelly-filled, glazed, cinnamon-sugar, and even maple bars. Abby recalled the scene in the novel where Al brought Katie doughnuts to cheer her up without even knowing what they were and she got emotional over them.

Food from home would make anybody homesick emotional. Abby wasn't even homesick right now. She didn't miss a place as much as she missed a person. A person she was getting closer to every single day.

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