Two weeks had passed since he had first began the hunt, and Briar still found himself marvelling at how far, and how quickly that once-timid girl was travelling. Much of it must have been related to the influence of the demon that she had invoked, but nevertheless, it was impressive that he hadn't even caught a glimpse of her yet, of what she had become. Despite this though, he thought that he could applaud his horse if nothing else, for managing to steadily close the distance between Ysolde and themselves, even after Briar had spent so much time confirming tracks. He'll have to work on that, after he brings that idiot girl back to her senses and hopefully convince the higher ups of the Queendom not to execute her on the spot for heresy, treason, and what other crimes they could pin on a witch of dark magics.

The Queen must have been feeling particularly sadistic when she gave the assignment for one childhood friend to capture another, but thinking back to it, Briar decided that it was for the best.

He wasn't the best for the job, but he won't kill her on the spot for trespassing into an area of magic forbidden for all others. By now, his horse and the trail had lead him into the village of Mansford, the southern border of the Queendom, one of the places that he had become quite accustom to. It was quite often that mages would be sent to assist other city-states not annexed by the Queendom. It served both as a method of currying favor, as well as a demonstration of just how powerful the Queendom had become over the past few generations. Her Majesty was a wise queen, if not a little whimsical. This would have been the fourth time in the past two years that he had travelled to this village, but it must have been his unique armor or his androgynous face, for the innkeeper already knew his name and had prepared a room for the overnight visit that the aging man expected.

Mages paid well, after all, and Briar especially so. A life on the road provided few luxuries, and as one of the Melzaneir clan members, the idle pleasures bought by money were things that he had little time for. Might as well give it to someone who would have better use of it. Maybe that was why his name was so well-known in Mansford. It wasn't like he had much of a reputation, if he even deserved any for his overtly simplistic earth magic.

The tracks he found that morning though, were very, very fresh, pointing him directly towards Mansford, and with his horse happy in the inn stables, Briar was now on foot for the search. He made no attempt at subtlety, clad in the same golden-hue armour as allows, the morning sunlight giving it a warmer tint than normal. It drew much attention from the merchants carrying goods from the Confederation of the Azalea, and from there, it would be a simple matter to pick out those who avoided looking at him, and questioning them...if this task of his was just to patrol the border towns of the Queendom.

In truth, he wore his armor because he doubted whether his former friend, tainted by the dark magics she unlocked, would be able to resist the temptation to attack him from behind if he were not wearing such protection. Briar hated himself for such doubt, but whatever.

The few enquiries regarding a brunette were, frankly, pointless, and three weeks was a long time for a fugitive to change their appearance regardless. He wasn't even sure whether or not Ysolde was in the town anymore. Perhaps those tracks were a diversion, and she had backtracked somewhere. She was a smart one, after all. It wouldn't be unrealistic for her to put a final trick at the end of the road, and give him the slip.

God knows she's done that way too many times in the board games they used to play as children, after he thought that he had gotten a checkmate.

Resigning himself to simply watching over the road for now, Briar found himself a nice little gap between two abandoned buildings, leaned against the wall of one of them, and waited. Time would tell whether it was the right decision or not.

And in retrospect, it would have been nice if the Queen had partnered him with Tabatha. At least she had a talent for using magical means to hunt down fellow mages, unlike himself.