She held Honey back and let her employer take the lead, watching him for stiffness or telltale signs of discomfort. She wasn’t certain how often the dusty scholar got out into the light of day let along on a horse and out of the city. He seemed ok, slow to ease into it but not unfamiliar with the process and she felt herself easing some. It would be a nightmare of a journey if he had to learn how to ride on it, she’d heard tales of that sort of thing from Big Jim and while they made amusing campfire fodder it was of the “better him than me sort

She fell into her own rhythm and let Honey find his pace behind the Scribe’s mount as her eyes began to sweep over the landscape they were approaching with a casual wariness. Normally they were relatively safe so close to the city walls, there were guards a plenty and it was in the kingdom’s interest to have cities be approachable. But she wouldn’t have thought that an ink-stained scholar was the sort to get jumped in a back alley for anything more than coin, and yet it had happened. Her cheek throbbed as if to concur with her. 

It was in the forest that she would have to be vigilant, that was where there was more cover and less eyes to see what happened therein. Even so she wanted to be well in practice before her vigilance was critical. She spent the next few hours watching, riding and answering what questions the Scribe thought to toss her way. 

Just before they reached the edge of the forest she called for a break. She pulled Honey off into a little bare spot in the grass by the side of the road, made by many people with inclinations such as hers. She slid off the horses back and let out a little grunt upon landing. This stop was mostly for his sake, but she knew she’d appreciate it just as well

“I thought we should stretch our legs and have some water out here, not likely to be as many spots for a break in there.” She pointed to where the road snaked into the thick forest, noting that the sunlight seemed to be swallowed whole by the thick canopy.