She's stepped outside of the house for maybe ten seconds before the snake-shaped portal pounces, not even having the decency to jump at her front-on.
...At least she has her vacation essentials - clothes, electronics, snacks...
But they're probably not going to do her too much good, wherever she's ended up!
No, no such thing as a seatbelt. Nor arms. The spellwagon does move smoothly, though... at least most of the time.
The track runs along the river for a while, and it does look pretty. After a little while, the conductor comes by and takes a look at her ticket, and lets her know they'll be getting to Dumrath tomorrow morning; unfortunately other travelers have already paid for all the beds, but they'll be stopping for a few chirps at Silmvale around suppertime where there's a decent restaurant in the station which can pack something in a hamper.
There aren't that many more people in Mira's car, but for a little while - between two local stations - a family gets on with two young boys arguing about some stories from the Days of Wonder. They get off at the next station before they've settled whether it was more awesome to plop a mountain on top of your enemies or turn them all into air-spirits (or beetles; the tales vary.)
Around evening - after the stop at Silmvale - the spellwagon switches to another track, leaves the river, and sets off through a well-farmed plain. There're two more women in the car with her, both with wands in hand, murmuring together something about magic and occasionally practicing spells, occasionally interspersed with grumbling about how it's a shame they'll be getting off in the middle of the night and wouldn't it be nice to go on to the palace someday and see the Queen herself.
Mira sees the full moon rise just after sunset. It looks about the same size as Earth's moon, but clearly not the same - there're fewer craters, but the Man in the Moon has such an obvious face that no one can miss it here.
There're next to no lights, but the moonlight is enough for her to make out waving fields of grain and the occasional town as they rush past or briefly stop.
She absolutely listens in to the women practicing their spellwork - and, later, drawing upon past experience, somehow manages to sleep pretty decently despite being on a bench that's as hard as a rock. It's something about being wedged into her seat and possibly engine vibrations that makes it work, apparently, because she can't replicate it in cars, and she's tried.
Regardless...Dumrath awaits her.
Dumrath is a large city, clearly densely packed, running right up against a forest on one side. A turreted palace is at one side of the city, by the forest. The spellwagon runs across the river on an arch bridge, turns to avoid the palace, and then through an archway into the large stone hall of Dumrath Station.
It's midmorning now; the car's filled up somewhat in the morning, and just about everyone is piling out now in the station.
She, and her various stuff, will join them.
...Is there anyone there who might be willing to help a traveler?
...Anyone wearing the fancy emblem, she means. She's not that trusting of strangers in the city.
The golden horse that was on the stationagent's shirt (and also the conductor's)? Oh yes, there're several people with that, a few standing around the platforms and a few at desks near the doors leading out.
...so yeah, she'll just...
"I'm horribly sorry for bothering you, but, well, I've got a letter that's supposed to go to someone in the palace and I'm kind of freaking out about going anywhere near said palace because I have not in fact ever done anything that could possibly bring me to the attention of someone who could crush me with their pinkie finger if they so chose, before? And I mean, I need to actually do it myself, I have necessary context that also needs delivering, but, uhh...aaah."
The woman looks surprised.
"Don't worry! They don't crush anyone there. Is this your first time in the city?"
"Of course they don't, not normally, but they still could. Which...my nerves really don't like the idea of. ...It's my first time in this city, at least. I've been in others before. Just...not one with the Palace in it, y'know?"
She purses her lips, confused but curious. "I don't know what to say. I suppose maybe you could hand the letter to someone at the gate and then come back for the context later?"
"...Thank you so very much; that's enough plausible deniability for my brain to stop screaming."
"You're welcome!"
The cobblestone street outside the station is somewhat wider than they looked from the spellwagon, but still crowded with people on foot and the occasional horse. (Almost everyone is better-dressed here than in Appledore.) She can see one of the towers of the palace down at one end of the street, maybe six blocks away.
...Alright, palace-wards she goes. Avoiding the horse poop and other such eughbleckglaagh.
The large palace gate is open, showing a courtyard inside with flowerbeds separating several different buildings (some statelier than others). At the gate, there're three men standing there in what has so many cockades and ruffles that it has to be a dress uniform, armed with swords and wands - but they look somewhat bored, and the hilts of the swords are jeweled enough that they might never have actually been used, and if Mira waits a couple minutes she can see some people going in and out with the guards barely paying attention to them.
...she will nonetheless roll up to one of them! "Uh, hi, I have a letter to deliver to a Tilda, works...somewhere in here?"
He looks unsure, but one of the other guards smiles. "Yes, that's her. Are you from Appledore?"
"I came here from Appledore, at least. Randall gave me the letter."
"Well, part of why I have the letter is that I need to speak with Tilda."
"Oh - well, I'm sure you know she's busy, but you can wait in one of the reception halls if you want?"
"I can do that, yeah."
Thank goodness; she'll have time to calm down. And also 'eavesdrop'.
"I'll take her," says the second guard.
The first guard nods.
The second guard leads her past several flowerbeds - every color of the rainbow, plus multicolored flowers, with some literally rainbow-striped in ways that would never be seen on Earth - to open a door to a wood-paneled hall. Inside, it's obviously a waiting and reception room, with three secretaries seated at desks busy writing longhand. They look up when Mira and the guard walk in, and one of them says "Hello?"
"She came from Appledore, miss," the guard adds to the secretary.
The secretary nods. "She's currently with the Research Mages, I think, talking about Aeslin's latest supplies request. How urgent is this letter?"
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