[center][b]Feuertanz, Hardtwald[/b][/center]

Perhaps the most surprising thing for Feuertanz was the way that Alina nearly fell to pieces talking about [i]his[/i] family. He was a little saddened that she'd stepped away, as... he sort of appreciated the way she gravitated toward him. The young quilava swallowed his own nerves and smiled, expertly projecting a more optimistic confidence than he really felt. "...If you want to talk about it, Alina... whatever it is that's on your mind... I'm here, okay? I won't judge. I promise. But... my family can wait; perhaps we can visit them on the way back. I feel like we should get as far north as possible as quickly as possible, yes?" 

And here, he was confronted with the fact that he was leading them along without ever having told them why. Because of course, it was about more than simply exploring for him. This occupied him for a moment while he looked down the road, where trees grew tall that had stood before the cataclysm and, deeper into the forest, had perhaps stood since the age when pokemon were like to animals. And the truth was, most still were - they were not all suited to the life created by civilized society, and fell outside of the notions of law and order. And while wild pokemon were present the world over, further north, the imprint of civilization and her ideals had faded, or so went the stories. Feuertanz had always wondered if the wilderness was as dangerous as was said - and yet he was not eager to find out.  

...Finally, he shook the thought off and rallied, trying with moderate success to recover that smile and to regulate his body temperature; the air around him had, for a moment, begun to shimmer. And now, he turned to the others. He didn't seem at all suspicious of Erion. "...The air is certainly nice, in any case, you're right. But I confess I've... grown accustomed to those tall grey walls; I felt safe. Even if I've seen those walls breached before, and..." He folds his ears back a little. "You know, thinking on it, living in a castle is a good way to get caught in a siege. Ehh...heh... but... no more, yes? There are no armies left in the north large enough to attack a Moeri investment like Schwarzenburg. But enough of that, enough of that. I would suggest that Lusser were right - a cart would solve many of our worries - but we've a day or two of travel before we leave Sabiland altogether and... after that? There aren't any roads except those old pre-cataclysm causeways the humans built, and those are dangerous now..."