Chapter 53: Journey to Tewhanga

There are two established routes between Thur and Tewhanga. A coastal trading ship can make the journey in two days ... three if it stops at Kokoru, as they often do. Then there’s a four or five day overland route, the southern leg of which involves travelling through Merope territory and the wilderness beyond. That’s risky given the constant social unrest across most of Merope and the untended road through the wilderness. A hybrid route would involve overland travel to Kokoru and a southbound ship from there.

While Arona makes her own preparations for our departure, I report my revised intentions to the professor. He doesn’t forbid me from making such a long journey, but he clearly thinks I’m crazy.

“If the Mariners don’t know the location of the Aegle Potiora, then I’ll revert to my original plan,” I say, in an effort to calm the professor’s uneasiness.

“Be sure that you do,” warns the professor. “Nobody knows why the logs and charts of Gregori’s exploration were destroyed so soon after his return to Thur, but presumably there was a good reason. You are also risking your own research by taking an all-or-nothing approach. If you find the Aegle Potiora, then your future career is assured. Wasting your time on a fruitless search will just as easily destroy your future prospects. As you are aware, your research grant is due for review in three months, so time isn’t on your side. What you’ve written so far won’t be sufficient to earn a renewal of your research grant.”

“I understand, professor. To be honest, I’m not sure how I’m going to pay for such a voyage anyway.”

“Ah! There I might be of some assistance. The Education Centre is custodian of several bequeaths from former prominent citizens. I believe that one such bequeath is specifically to fund a search for the Aegle Potiora.”

“Wow! Who would leave such a bequest, and why hasn’t it been taken up before now?” I ask.

“The identity of the donor is always kept secret,” replies the professor. “I can only speculate as to why it has never been claimed. Possibly because it is connected to the arrival of Elf Maidens in Thurn, which is a subject that opens old wounds. Perhaps modern Thurnians simply lack of any sense of adventure. Ever since Gregori’s voyage of exploration, the prospect of an ocean going voyage has always caused an irrational fear among those of the Potiora races.

“How do I apply for this money?” I ask, unwilling to admit that I’m also far from calm about the prospect of travelling the seas.

“Let’s pay a visit to the administration office and see what we can achieve,” says the professor.

To summarise nearly two hours of sometimes heated negotiations, I finally walk out of the administration office with the money I need. Or at least, a promise from the administration office to pay for the charter of a ship to transport Arona and me to and from the location of the Aegle Potiora. Of course, the promise comes with a long list of conditions, not least of which is a requirement that I establish the location of the Aegle Potiora with a high degree of certainty before departing Tewhanga. To ensure that I don’t simply abscond with the money, or use it for other purposes, Arona and I have acquired a travelling companion appointed by the Education Centre. Quite who that will be won’t be determined until tomorrow when Arona and I are to present ourselves for a medical examination.