The village girl placed the feather in her belt, keeping it secure and hopefully not breaking it. Then Alice just listened, fascinated, to Erika as she explained her wings. "[i]Are the elders right? I guess I'll see for myself if she stays around.[/i]" were her silent thoughts as the blond said, "Thank you for the feather, and the story. It is indeed a marvelous gift you were given." Then the huntress checked around for any of the wood's dangers, having her hands ready if something did come.

But the five miles to the cart were traversed in peace. But the cart itself was the remains of a war zone, with the poor horse slaughtered and the cart destroyed. "[i]It's a wonder that the cart driver survived.[/i]" Thought Alice. Then the dark-eyed girl started examining the ground for the bandit's footprints, even before Veo said to. She had gotten use to tracking tracks in the snow, but it was never easy. Even the minute stooped over examination like Alice was doing might miss the tracks and accidently mess in her footprints. Finally though, along the edge between the road and the forest, she spotted them, "I found the prints," she called out to her companions. "They're headed north east from here, deep into the woods." Then grabbing her bow and keeping her other hand by the quiver, Alice said, "The tracks might disappear if we don't hurry." Before plunging into the dark woods herself.