As they had before, the duo rode in a comfortable silence. Rayadell watched the trees, listening to the sounds of the forest for signs of any other bandits, but heard none. The closer they got to the small town, the more wary of her the trees grew, their whispers tapering off to a silence as the afternoon grew into the aging evening.
	The further they went into the pass, a deeper chill coated the air. Frost glittered off prickly grass and brave shrubs. It turned bare tree limbs into diamond-encrusted sculptures and rested on the needles of firs and pines like opulent garland. 
	Rayadell took in a deep breath, relishing the fresh, crisp cold that flooded her lungs. It had been so long since she had tasted the true, mountainous cold.
	When they left the pass, soon leaving them facing a steep drop-off, Rayadell glanced toward the lakeside town, then down the path sloping gently downward, weaving its way through the forest to avoid obstacles, while substantially lengthening the journey to the town.
	She sighed, the sound heavy, yet quiet. It would have been quick and easy just to glide down from the pass to the town. Beneath her cloak, her wings twitched at the thought, the extra appendages growing irritated of their awkward positioning and eager to spread out. She shook her head with a frown. Daytime flights were never an option.
	It took longer for them to reach level ground than she expected. By the time they arrived at the gates, the sun had all but sunk behind the mountains, casting them in an early twilight the night was quickly consuming.
	She tilted enough from her seat behind Calanon to get a better view of the town’s gates.
	Her gaze ran over the intricate carvings just visible in the dwindling light. Her attention snapped to the guards atop the gate when one of them called out, before Calanon pulled the elk to a stop and answered the man.
	“Tarora Shadefell,” she answered immediately when Calanon gestured to her, her voice raised so the humans could hear, her own hood long since blown back during their ride. Only her hair, trapped and kept in place beneath her cloak, hid the marked side of her face. “We travel with the desire for adventure and seeing the beauty of your mountains,” she partially lied, hoping that would be enough to be granted entry. “We seek food and lodging for the cold night ahead, no more, no less.”