The clerk adjusted his spectacles. "Abdel-shafi… that is a three-day journey. You'll switch carriages at each relay station along the way." He paused to tally something in the ledger. "The fare will be ten gold coins."
Min-jae reached into the pouch at his belt and placed the coins on the counter, one by one, each resting with a soft finality against the polished wood.
The clerk nodded, satisfied.
"Follow him.." he said, signaling to a stablehand nearby. "He will take your trunk and show you to the carriage. You'll be boarding the one headed for Abdel-Moheem. It's the first stop on that route."
Min-jae inclined his head in acknowledgment.
The stablehand took the trunk without speaking. The morning air was cold enough that their breaths fogged in the air as they crossed the courtyard to where the long-distance carriages waited
. The horses were sturdy desert breeds, lean and sure-footed.
When Min-jae climbed in, three people were already seated inside.
