"Well, as long as he can be what he wants. That sounds fine." Ma'tanza responded to Gallus with an understanding nod. "Goodbye, and make sure you all stay safe."

La'khay gave Tzirret a smaller, quicker hug, as well as a brief kiss to his forehead. "Thank you. This one knows that our clan will be a little bit duller without you and your pack, but she hopes you will continue to lift the spirits of others once you get home." For the next few minutes, both La'khay and La'tahne gave Tzirret another barrage of compliments, mostly on his appearance. But, once he was finally able to steal himself away from them, Ma'tanza was eager to follow through on the promise of a last goodbye kiss. 

Overall, the goodbyes drew out a few minutes longer than planned, but there were no complaints. No matter what was said in the moment, many in the group would likely think of more they wished they had said after they departed. Eventually, after everyone had the chance to give their farewells, Meesei had to give the order to finally leave. 

Once outside, the group loaded the last of their belongings onto the carts, then headed east into the desert. The route Meesei and Ri'vashi had planned was intended to get them into Cyrodiil with the least trouble possible. They would continue east, stopping along at one Oases before making a turn north. From there, their goal was to reach a town near the rivers in northeastern Elsweyr, sell their camels and carriages, and use the coin to buy a few boats they could take upstream the remainder of the way to Bravil. They would need to be cautious sneaking across the border, but they had done so before with a much larger group. In Bravil, they could sell the boats and hire a ship to take them the comparatively short distance to the Imperial City, then continue along the same path to Bruma which they had taken in the first place months prior. 

The group did not make as much progress as planned on their first day of travel, but there was no real worry in the camp as a result. This time, they were not in any specific rush to reach their destination. Meesei certainly had much to do once she reached Bruma, and she would not want any significant delays, but for the first time essentially since they had reached Elsweyr, there was no longer a sense that every day lost was vital. For once, they could rest and relax on their journey. They set up camp at the usual time between two dunes, far away from any roads where they might be bothered.