Hotaru smiled softly at Larel saying that's what thought friends did for each other and nodded when he said they should keep going. She started forwards, not surprised to see Alari right behind Mera and no longer surprised to find Mera almost seemed to relax just a small bit whenever Alari was around, but it was more of the same tenseness she'd shown whenever they were looking for Hotaru. 
Mera wouldn't admit it if her life depended on it, but she worried whenever she couldn't physically see Alari. She didn't trust what she sensed through the ground to not be an illusion. A trick of some sort that he'd played to keep them of his trail or keep them from worrying about him- mostly her because she figured Hotaru didn't care and Larel hated him. Mary would have been worried, as would Koari, though his disappearance still plagued her a little bit. Where had he gotten to? Yes, he gotten on her nerves, but that didn't mean she wanted anything to happen to the kid. She sighed a bit, rubbing the back of her head, "Like plants," she muttered aloud, mentally comparing them all to the invasive species of plants that when planted somewhere foreign they took over everything near them.
"Anyone know how far away the next town is?" Hotaru asked, crossing her arms inside her sleeves of her cloak.
"Plenty of miles. Are you in a hurry?"
"Rather we not find any of the people who have attacked us here recently still lurking nearby..."
Mera went to respond before her attention was drawn in the direction Mary, Eryn, and Raina had gone, narrowing her eyes a little, sensing that something wasn't quite right. She could see a bright light in the distance, only assuming it was bright because of the fact she could see it regardless of the distance it was at, or what it seemed at. But she wasn't getting any word of distress from Mary or Alessea, so she had to assume everything was fine...though every muscle in her body longed to go in that direction, to be sure. She turned and forced herself to start walking in the direction of the next village, pulling her hood up in case her face gave more away about her worry than she wanted it to.