There were a few more words of goodbye, but it was not long before the pack finally took its leave, heading out north and west in the direction of Stormhold. Everyone in the village eventually dispersed to their own homes and tasks, including Kaleeth's parents. They returned to their hut and simply held each other wordlessly for a while. It was jarring to suddenly have their daughter leave their lives, and there were really no words that could help repair that pain. As a result, Zharanthixil had time to just sit and think. The stress of the past few days had more than distracted him, but even he had managed to notice the peculiar behavior of her daughter and the outsiders. While their explanations did seem at least somewhat reasonable at the time, there was a feeling that Zharanthixil just could not shake that something was amiss. And now that his daughter was gone, his mind started to wander. 

The first few days of travel were uncomfortable in many ways. Periodic thunderstorms caused them to start at a slow pace, and they particularly held back Ahnasha, who had a hard enough time navigating the terrain in fair weather. Frequently, they would have to stop entirely and seek some form of shelter. As it was the rainy season, this was something they were going to have to deal with for their entire journey to Stormhold. If it rained too much, there was even a good possibility of floods posing a danger to them. Beyond that, Kaleeth was silent and distant, almost like Sabine before her ritual. She had a hard time motivating herself to talk to the others, even Janius, beyond what was absolutely necessary. Janius was prompt in teaching her how to modify her armor to handle a transformation, but again, she remained very distant. 

Once again, the pack was caught having to make camp long before the end of the day. What had been a moderate shower in the morning had shifted to a torrential downpour, and they were not fortunate enough to have a cave or any other kind of solid shelter. They made camp on the largest hill they could find under a tree to wait out the storm. There was a river just to the west that they had no choice but to cross before moving on, and at present, it was nearly overflowing. They would need to keep a good watch on the water level overnight, just in case it started to flood. Even with that danger and the general discomfort the storm brought the majority of the pack, there were still issues they had to deal with. Namely, it had been four days since Kaleeth last turned, and she had mentioned that she was starting to feel strange. They needed to let her turn before she transformed against their will. 

Meesei approached Janius as he was checking on some of their supplies and knelt down beside him. She had to speak up for him to even be able to hear her over the rain, but was careful not to let the others overhear. "I know it is not an opportune moment, but it is time for your first lesson with Kaleeth. She is going to turn soon if she doesn't do it on her own. Just be careful, the water itself can be a danger in the marsh, not to mention how deadly a werecrocodile can be while submerged."

For a moment. Meesei glanced over to Kaleeth across the camp. She was sat down next to a tree in her full armor with her knees brought up to her chest and a blank expression on her face. She seemed to be staring at the scales on her armor's sleeves and legs, though what she was thinking, Meesei could only guess. "You may also want to see if you can get to her on a more personal level. She has been quiet and distant. It makes it difficult to teach her when she does not seem to want to be around any of us. Not to mention the fact that she is no doubt depressed and needs the help. I know you have been trying, but...just try again. You might be able to get through to her eventually."