Marilyn whipped the Venbu's reins and kicked Caravan Centaurus into full gear a few moments after she responded to Flin. Their speed steadily rose until they were darting down the trade route at a considerable speed, quickly enough that anything as small as Maw hounds wouldn't be able to pose a threat to them at all. That didn't stop them from [i]trying[/i], though.

	A few thumps rattled the side of the cart's back end, followed by almost inaudible whining. Zay looked up from the table and frowned.

	"Looks like those creatures are just as stubborn," He noted, tapping his hand on the table. As Daelin made his way into the common area, Zay stood up and headed outside. "I'm going to keep an eye out for a while. Noru, keep him stable. Py-" Zay stopped himself and forced a cough. "Pyugh.. Ilruvae, I'd advise you to get some rest. We'll be swapping watches at 8 PM. We should reach the Baeshri pass by then. If we're going to stay on schedule, there's no question that we'll be taking that route." Zay didn't wait very long for a response, immediately making his way towards the ladder outside of the common area. He nodded to Flin as he passed, and climbed up quickly to where Daelin had left Lyullia. He smiled at Lia and looked down at his watch.

	2:10 PM. They were finally back on track to Marrenfall.

[center][h1][color=ed1c24]* * *[/color][/h1]
[i]One Hour later, 3:10 PM.[/i]
Southern Trading Route - Near the edge of the Baeshri hills[/center]

	Atop a series of boulders that marked the start of the Baeshri pass, several Myti rested peacefully, obscured by cloaks. The edge of the Baeshri forest seemed quiet. No Venbu stomped past them, no beasts were prowling about, and there were no Wrecked Caravans to speak for. Just the three boulders, and the three Myti on top of them, one of whom was fiddling with a Psy-stone impatiently.

	"Mistress," a man's voice hissed through a psychic connection. Sasha's ears perked up, and she rose to her feet atop the center boulder. The two Myti at her side turned to glance at her as she listened carefully. "We've news on Caravan [i]Centaurus.[/i]"

	"News?" Sasha thought through the stone, "What is it?"

	"They're off course. There's been a shift in plans. Blake's Caravan has already taken care of Caravan Cancer, and the sisters to the east have stopped both Caravans Epsilon, and Pisces. Centaurus and the hunting squad in Baeshri forest will be too close together if you remain there. Shift to the north, and keep to the trees. Blake should be able to take care of the hunters in your stead, and will meet them on the southern route."

	"We can take care of [i]both,[/i] runt."

	"Lady [b]Nix's[/b] orders."

	"Tell her that we can take care of both, [b]runt.[/b]"

	"I'm sure you can deal with it, but the time frame is short. The margin for failure rises tremendously if you choose to ignore orders."

	"Myaaah!" Sasha hissed, hopping down off the rock.

	"Merely shift your ambush site up Baeshri pass. Intercept them and proceed as you usually would. Caravan [b]Sigma[/b] will pass by the pass and intercept Blake's crew."

	"...It will be done." Sasha cursed under her breath in her native tongue, and looked towards the forest's edge.

	"One more thing," The man's voice returned to her, sending Sasha into a small crouch. "Paladins have been present on all the Caravans thus far. Our information was inaccurate. Several sisters have died, as a result. Blake has lost a man as well. Nix seems just as confused as we are." Sasha grit her teeth and glared at the forest, not responding to the message she'd received straight away. With one hand, she signaled into the forest with a quick flick of her middle and index fingers. Several sets of eyes peered from behind camouflage, and began to move up Baeshri pass.

	"We'll discuss compensation for her ignorance [i]afterwards.[/i]"

[center][h1][color=ed1c24]* * *[/color][/h1]
[i]6:25 PM[/i]
Eastern Trading Route - Nearing the edge of the Baeshri hills[/center]

	Caravan Centaurus had not seen much in the ways of impediment to their progress for quite a while. Noru spent most of his time sitting by Neale, keeping a close eye on his vitals. Marilyn, of course, tended to the Venbu without faltering, only occasionally taking a hand off the reins to wipe her face clean of sweat, check her pockets to make sure nothing had fallen out of her coat, or check her watch for the time. The Reins seemed to hold just fine, even after their bumpy stop. Lyullia's patchwork looked adequate enough for the time being.

	A sputtering noise erupted from the common area, followed by a shrill gasp. Neale Geroldus had awoken, swinging himself forwards without regard for his injuries, and slamming his head against the bunk above him. The shaken wood made a rather loud [i]thonk[/i] as Neale hit it, sending him back into a laying position almost immediately. Noru rushed to his side and grabbed his head to steady him.

	"Captain! He's awake!" Noru shouted. Zay took his eyes off the surrounding area and nodded to Lyullia.

	"Keep an eye out for a moment, Lia," He asked, before moving towards the hatch that lead down to the Caravan's bow.