"Good evening, Sir," Eirin greeted, her tone polite and a practice smile on her face, addressing one of the stable hands standing idly by the cart sheds. "Could we rent a carriage to the entrance of Senerra Academy, please?"
The man, in his mid-30s, with weary eyes and calloused hands, eyed them speculatively, his gaze lingering on Shade's small, child-like form. "How much will you pay, young lady?" he asked, his voice rough.
Eirin checked her wallet, her finger brushing against the paltry sum. There were no more than 20 copper coins. "Would 20 copper coins suffice?" the teenage girl humbly asked, her voice tinged with a hopeful uncertainty.
The coachman grunted, then nodded, a reluctant acceptance. He pointed to one of the carriages out of the sheds. It was terribly shabby, its paint peeling, wheels groaning, and upholstery torn, looking as if this would indeed be its very last journey before falling apart.
