Preparing to check relays
Thelus had wanted them harnessed up and pulling out with daybreak on Remstan. Instead of lingering in the room for the others to wake Sray was up and out the door shortly after her eyes opened. With the new term and everyone knowing she had allowed herself to keep closer to her regular sleeping pattern, waking well before dawn, taking an afternoon nap, and then being awake into the night. She tentatively opened the door to the hall. Gairohd Vallabohn was sitting outside the door. Sray wondered how long they would keep up the watch outside the room. Mishor had dropped it to a single person the start of the term.
"What do you need Ms Hillenbohn?" He looked up from his notebook.
"I'm meeting Thelus Shtopfyl. We're heading out to inspect some of the relays."
"O yes," He nodded, "I think he had mentioned thay. Quite an early start."
"He wants us to be able to go to as many as possible by midday Miltan."
Gairohd tucked the book under his arm and stood, motioning Sray to take the lead. He left her to cross the snow-dusted grounds to the stables where a dim yellow glow eminated from the open door.
The familiar sound of grain spilling into feed bins alongside eager nickers were audible as she entered the door. Thelus had her groom up the pair of dun mules as they ate. The team was almost completely harnessed by the time the other two apprentices arrived, looking bleary-eyed and yawning as they shivvered against the early morning chill under their coats.
"Thought I would have to come and get you two," Thelus said gruffly as he buckled the lines and hung the slack on the hames. He cast them a disapproving look. "Go double check the load in the wagon, we'll be there in a moment."
They were hitched and underway, Thelus taking the lines first as the mules pressed eagerly into their collars, nostrils puffing streams of white vapor as they crunched the snow beneath their hooves.