Does he not have those where he's from? But the King's Steward said don't bother him, so if Blai doesn't ask, they're not going to poke.

He's otherwise not very talkative. When they have a particularly straight and clear bit of road he sometimes pulls out the Acts to read.

They're passed now and then by runners, and by wagons and convoys, going in both directions. Some of the carts are moving significantly faster than may be expected: horseback pace, not horse-drawn pace.

Keisha seemed surprised about Ant Haul so probably they don't have a spell that works just like it for horses drawing carriages but that's the closest he comes to a guess.

They'll pass through a town but not stop, and make it to the city they should rest for the night around sunset. The escort can help him read the signs, which are still in the local script, if he doesn't want to spend a Comprehend on it.

He did not prep a Comprehend, but if it's just different letters he can learn them the long way. It's actually bizarre they speak the same language this far apart in countries that don't have any normal contact, people from Taldor are harder to understand than that for someone who only speaks Chelish, but he doesn't ask about it. He'll book a room for himself. The escort should hopefully have their own spending money but if they don't they can sleep on the floor.

It seems to be a different phonetic representation system altogether, not too difficult to pick up but not quite find-and-replace by letter. The escort has their own spending money and will either acquire a room in the same inn or in a different inn depending on which he prefers.

He expresses no preference on this matter.

Same inn, then, but not asking right next to his room.

He spends the evening practicing Prestidigitation and picking at his translation a little bit, then sleeps.

It's an uneventful night and morning. Shall they set out again?

Yup. Blai's not very talkative on the walk.

And they will get a lot if walking done uneventfully.

On the morning of the third day, the escort will tell him that there's a message from the palace. They have it written down, but it was transcribed over [Message] spell, so it's in the local script; they can read it to him?

"Please do."

"To the Select: Report from Blalevault suggest imminent coup in Hellios. Suggest detour through Germina. Escort may be extended if desired but significant danger not anticipated."

The guy looks up. "Blalevault is the capital of Hellios, where you'd be headed the day after tomorrow. Germina is the country west of Hellios; it's not too much of a detour."

"...understood. We can divert as suggested."

Then walking can ensue once more. It's two days to the border of Germina. The soil is getting harsher farther out; they passed some farms yesterday, growing rows of some sort of hardy vegetable, but now there's mostly grazing animals and the odd tree.

Another day later, they stop at Pith, what the escort will inform him is the last city they're staying in. There's still another small town on the way, but he'll be crossing into Germina tomorrow, upon which they presume they'll be taking their leave?

"Yes, thank you for the escort so far."

"Are you planning on continuing on foot, still?" asks the one with a bow. The other elbows him lightly.

"Why do you need to know?"

The two exchange a look. The one who elbowed the other shrugs.

"Germina is... less safe than Hellios," bow guy ventures. "You look like an adventurer, which will deter some people, but a bandit gang probably thinks they can take a single Silver-rank adventurer, especially when they'll think you're carrying loot. And there are raiders on this border, last I heard, which might be some years of date, but..."

"No, there are," the other says. "Tenrock was raided three months ago, and the Quarass didn't do anything about it. That's fifty miles from here, though. And most caravans aren't going to save you from a raiding force; might even make you more worth bothering."

"Well, I can prepare spells with that in mind, and keep an eye out for people going my way."

Shrug.

It's not their job to tell him what to do, and it is their job to not tell him what to do, so it's somewhat overdetermined there.

They can get their night's rest and escort him the rest of the way to the border tomorrow.