Burn him, Mave was right! He wondered if he would become less amazed over time when it came to her power, but even with his eyes closed he could see the room brightening, so he placed his forearm over his face to shield himself and save most of his night vision. Now that both the fade and the light had faded, he uncovered his eyes to see Mave blinking but serene. "We must go," she said, cooly imperious and trying to will both herself and Ali to move. The handsome younger man grabbed his staff.

"Follow me," Ali said breathlessly, taking her by the arm and gingerly guiding her through the house to the back door. Outside, the air was chilled and brittle to the bone, with nary any moon or starlight to guide them. As soon as the cold air blasted through the door, Ali suddenly grabbed a small jacket that hung on the door hanger, placing it on Mave's shoulders. She thanked him quietly, and he closed the door just as quietly. 

He would have liked to have taken one of the family mules, but with him gone, his father would need every member of their livestock here. Not to mention a mule or donkey served well to travel long distances, but not slip away quietly during the night. It would bray and stomp too much, leaving prominent footprints in the soil and trampling foliage to give signs of their passing. They could get a mule in Taren's Ferry perhaps, or any beast of burden once they managed to make it out of the Two Rivers alive. They would need coin of course, which was another problem. 

Ali had always been good at winning money when it came to dice. Despite his honest nature, he was a clever young man, knowing how to play the odds and gamble with the best of them. He also wasn't above stealing if need be, though it wouldn't sit right with him. He had been one of the more prolific tricksters of the town in his early youth. But even for all his wiles, he knew Mave was the wise one here, and once they were past Taren's Ferry, he'd follow her intuition on most things. He was completely out of his element, and he knew it. 

However now, he bade her crouch, moving quietly as they hugged the bushes that ran toward the dark, foreboding treeline in the near distance. Mave tried her best to hike her dress up and follow Ali as they moved. Suddenly a shadow passed over them, causing Ali to pause and look up. He couldn't see anything, but whatever it had been was too large for a normal bird. He did not even think an eagle could make a shadow in such darkness. 

"Where to?" Mave whispered as they entered the rough thickets. In only a few paces, it was obvious she would make quite a bit of noise. It wasn't her fault. Simply her dress and her slowly returning night vision. Ali scooped her up into his arms easily, and she squeaked, clinging to him. 

"Sorry," he whispered to her, using his long legs to step over the bushes. It was only passed a couple of gnarled trees that looked as if they were trying to reach out and snatch Mave up that they made it to the small goat path, ferns and sticks still messily stretching about in their wake. She shook her head, kissing his cheek. "You're fine, now hurry. We need to make it there before daybreak." 
[@Penny]