Return to Maru

JP with Winteroak and Bandorchu

Saying good bye to Voah and Gonyaul had been Alexis‘ last deed before leaving Aquilo as well. In between her preparations prior, she had also made time to say her farewells to Tarmen, Nicolaus, Zane and Markus. She left the brave blacksmith with the silent wish that his courage might be rewarded. He more than deserved it.

Loosing a few more seconds incredulously staring at the little artwork Gonyaul had made out of her horse‘s hair, she had mounted the intrinsically decorated mare.
These unfortunately would have to go eventually - Alexis had neither the skill nor the patience to maintain such braids - but for now she left them as she guided her horse back on the way to Maru.

She certainly hoped she wouldn’t have to work the poor animal as badly as on their flight to Aquilo.

Travelling alone almost felt strange now, when her friends had been a constant presence beside her for this long. She already missed them.

It also came with a very different dynamic. There was no sharing tasks, but also no need to accommodate and consider other people‘s needs.
It was more dangerous - no one to have your back in a fight, no one to take watch at night - but also easier to take measures against threads with only one person and their horse in mind.

Alexis adjusted faster than she had thought, her mind focused on her mission and the mountains a comfortingly familiar terrain for the Garrahn woman, despite the many differences to her home realm.

There were no messages ahead of her coming this time. No loud whistles echoing throughout the valleys and canyons of Fang warning the Odonine of her passage and her coming into their lands.

The surviving Odonine in Aquilo were not too inclined to help any of them so soon after the massacre of their comrades.

One day later after leaving the mining settlement she reached Fort Maru again. It's getting late and she decided to camp in its ruins again, for the night.

As she was tending to her horse that evening a familiar figure approached her fire. She couldn’t say she was too pleased to see Tar again...