The warrior answered with a shrug before she darted off. Epona would manage a few hours but Ilinfer wasn't thinking of pushing her horse that hard. Sure enough she slowed her down after they had left the village far behind them and manoeuvred her horse to also slow down Rhoynars in the process. Riding directly next to each other, almost touching knees, Ilinfer smiled. “It's a terrible plague, but I think our healers will find a cure. They were close last time . . . This time they'll be motivated since they know of the consequences.” The plague had been dismissed as illness of the poor and already sickly in the past. Until it had broken out in the entire country. It was then that the research had started for a cure. The guild had had a close watch on it's people. Many had died, also amongst the guild members. They had been cleansed in Ardebits fire so their souls could move on to another realm in peace. 

The northern woman inclined her head. “There is a forest up the road. Within is a clearing where we can make camp. It shouldn't be that far now. I suggest we let the horses rest there before we continue.“ The night had fallen upon the country, the sunset had been hidden by clouds, darkness falling suddenly until all that illuminated the world was the thin moon in the sky and the stars twinkling between the shadows of wispy clouds. Ilinfer thought back to when she had been at the clearing last. It had been on the journey home from a job well done in the south of the country. Her husband had been amongst the men escorting her back to the north. Back then they hadn‘t been married yet, but oh so in love! They had sat by the fire, drinking and singing, shyly holding hands amongst their comrades. Those had been merry days! A smile lingered on her lips as the memory of her early days as a warrior of the guild came back so lively as though it had been just yesterday. 

The sound of rustling leaves snapped her back to attention and made her turn her head in the direction it had come from. Her hand rested uopn her sword, muscles tensed in case of an ambush. Alongside the road there were low bushes and a tree every few miles. A lot had been cut down to make the main trade route leading from the north over Astipor and Eleusis to the south passable for big carriages. The road was mostly made of trampled earth and cobble stones around the cities. Here the hooves thuds were dampened by the dirt.
A rabbit left the bush, darting in the low grass until it disappeared into the darkness. She relaxed her body a little, not letting her hand slip from her sword, though. Something had scared that rabbit from it‘s hiding and she was hoping it had been a fox . . . She gave Rhoynar a long hard look, a short nod and then jerked her head forward, indicating that they should continue with haste. It wouldn‘t be wise for bandits to attack them since they would easily be fought back. They should try to reach Astipor unharmed, however, since injuries would slow them down immensely.