Glad to see a smile back on Rannon's face, Feri agreed, laughing as Gideon's wagging hind-quarters kept bumping into her.

"I think we've made him excited at the word "walk"." Giving Gideon another scratch on the ears, Feri gathered her things together; putting her corset and coat back on to save her carrying them as the trio journeyed. 

[hr][hr]

After a good few hours of hard walking, the trees around them began to thin out, marking the end of the Kokari Wilds and their entrance into the Hinterlands. While not exactly safe from the Darkspawn, Rannon and Feri had been lucky in avoiding any other attacks during their trek through the forests, and they had travelled quite some distance by keeping their breaks short and infrequent. However, as they entered safer lands, Feri felt spent. For Rannon, perhaps it was easier to walk so long and so fast with his long legs... but Feri was rather short, and her legs did not fare well over long distances. As told to her by her mother, Dwarves were natural sprinters, and were very dangerous over short distances. They were not however, built for cross-country jogging. Her human half wasn't doing much to help her, and with slightly winded breath, she collapsed onto a rock near a large outcropping, holding her head in her hands for a moment.

"Rannon - I think perhaps we should get some rest. The light is dying, and we'll need to be up early tomorrow to make the most of the daylight." She said, tone heavy with exhaustion as she sat up and looked back to him. The sun was on the cusp of setting, lighting the sky with brilliant orange and pink hues, casting long shadows across the grassy earth. "Besides, I don't think my legs will work again now that I've sat down. My feet are killing me." Feri kicked her boots off with a groan, looking at the still upright Rannon expectantly.

"Well? Let's get a fire going! This is a good a place to camp as any." She said, struggling to her feet in just her socks with a strained smile at the soldier and his dog. There were plenty of trees nearby, the grounds littered with dead sticks and branches - with the lack of rain for a few days, it meant everything was bone dry. Perfect for a warm, crackling fire against the cold of the night.

In no time at all, the three were settled by the fire, the sun completely set and the sky clear enough to see the stars above. Head upturned to gaze upon the wondrous sight, Feri smiled before turning back to her small cooking pot. The stew inside was plain, but it would fill the two rumbling bellies of herself and Rannon. 

"Are you from Redcliffe, Rannon?" She asked as she sprinkled some salt into the pot, giving it another stir before turning back to him. Their walk had been so exhausting, the two hadn't had much time to discuss anything; also being on edge all the way up to the border of the Wilds, hoping they wouldn't run into more of the Darkspawn, yet every noise they heard was assumed to be such. Those creatures were so foul that even long after a fight, they left a mark on you. It was no wonder their blood was poison, thought Feri. Their mere presence is enough to turn your stomach.


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