Departure

The morning of the scheduled departure arrived sooner than any of the children would have liked, but all of them had completed at least the minimum amount of their own preparation. Jien woke up earlier than usual this morning, the sky still dark with more than an hour before the first hint of the sun would even begin to set the horizon a flame. Runa, ever attentive as she was, was assisting Jien in double checking his packed supplies while also confirming that the items he had prepared were within the bounds of what the adults had allowed.It wasn't long before Jien had stepped out of the manor door, the first hints of sunrise peaking over the horizon. He wore a simple linen shirt, pair of black riding pants, the leather armor he had worn during the round robin and the same leather boots. On his hip was his rapier with Vine Guard to his back sat the blade that Mark had gifted him alongside a simple belt pouch for odds and ends. On his other hip was a pouch full of several different vials of alchemical concoctions, each checked carefully by Runa to ensure that they were within a certain standard. Neither she nor any of the adults doubted that if he was given time, resources and the opportunity that he would come up with something that could make the journey a cake walk, something that was against the very purpose of the adventure at hand. Lastly his spatial bag was slung over his shoulder, containing not only the items in the standard military kit but a number of other alchemical salves, books, clothes and a few different rations for emergency.The kit was rather simple in nature, containing a bed roll, a tent, standard training outfit, a weeks' worth of dry rations, a few types of protective gear and a full medical kit. The average weight of such a kit was not extensive but with his spatial bag Jien did not have to worry about it. He had also packed a number of different books to bring along, though his father and Runa had warned him that he likely wouldn't have as much time to read them as he thought he would. Still, he felt that if he had the opportunity, he should use it, time was short and the amount that he was able to pack into his Personal Library spell could help determine not only his survival but that of the other noble children he was tasked with leading.Standing outside the manor entrance were Emily and Mark along with three riding horses. Mark's horse had full saddle bags, but Emily's seemed to not have any extra gear and neither did Jien's. In Jien's case he had everything on his person, in Emily's it was a fact that while she would be accompanying them on the journey north, she would be splitting off to return home until the children returned for their first break. She was hired to teach Jien fencing, and while it could be said that he still had a fair amount to learn she would not be able to help him perfect his own style while he also completed his wilderness training. She instead would help him during his breaks and the year before academy to lay the foundation that he could grow himself with time.Mark on the other hand would be one of the mentors that would accompany the group of children into the Warping Forest to watch over them and teach them along the way. Mark was trained in wilderness survival among a variety of other practical skillsets that he would be imparting to the group. Each child would have one mentor accompanying them, acting as a protector during the journey and a tutor in the forest on subjects related to training as a team, survival in varying environments, military tactics and more.While nobody could share the curriculum of the academy due to the arcane contract signed upon entry, they could at least create training activities that either simulated or were closely related to those that the academy would have. This was the roundabout solution that many noble houses used to prepare their children for their future. No parent would want their children to fall behind and they wouldn't let such a restriction stop them completely.The plan was for all of the children and their mentors to meet along the way. Silvios City and Elker City bordered the forest, but they would all meet between the two and to the west of the capital Emalifin. It was likely that Jien, Emily and Mark would be meeting Bernard shortly along the way since his family's territory was the furthest south, meaning he would have left earlier than the others.Before Jien could walk to his waiting horse Runa stepped forward and gave him a hug wishing him well and letting him know that he would be missed. After her Lord Losler also gave his son a tight hug and a heavy pat on the back, letting him know that he was proud of Jien's accomplishments so far and that he knew he would do well in this journey as well. Unfortunately, communication would be difficult given the atmosphere of the Warping Forest but he made it clear that he would try and keep some level of communication with his son as he journeyed.