Lyle had been having a lazy morning. He sometimes considered himself a lazy fellow, but he knew that was more so his attitude than his work ethic. He was rarely one to sit idly and waste daylight, but he also valued taking it slow once in a while. He was rarely in a hurry. Besides, his current project was trying his hand at cartography, and Hyrule wasn't going anywhere.

Today (he'd already determined the day before) was going to be a lazy day. Poor Blue, his sweet sweet mare, had gotten all tangled up in a hidden patch of thorny vines the previous evening on their way through the woods. The damage wasn't too bad, plenty of scrapes and cuts to the both of them, due to Lyle hopping down into it as well to cut her tangled leg free, but it was all rather shallow. Still, Lyle would rather let Blue take it easy today. They were in no rush, and it wouldn't do to stress her out. He was often told he doted far too much on his horse and she wouldn't listen to him because of it, but he found that his steed had so much trust in him that she'd do anything for him… though sometimes with a bit of reluctance. He didn't see her as a tool, but as a friend, a partner. And he took care of his friends (the few he had).

So today, he was camping on the edge of the woods, a rabbit cooking over the fire while he worked on its hide with his trusty knife. He would normally be excited about meat. He didn't often take the time to hunt while he and blue travelled, but he couldn't ignore the sense of unease in his gut. He couldn't quite remember it, but he knew he'd had a bad dream last night. He'd been having them often lately, but last night's left him feeling particularly shaken.

Even Blue seemed uneasy, though she may have been picking it up from him second hand. She was lying down, as he insisted, but her ears were on high alert and she refused to go to sleep. He was leaning against her side, rubbing her neck soothingly every so often while he carefully cleaned the rabbit skin. He'd used the last of his bandages and some of his healing salve on her legs. It was really nothing serious, but he knew walking around with her scrapes uncovered could result in serious irritation and discomfort from the grass rubbing against them. He used a little salve himself, but no bandages. He had the convenience of clothes to protect from such irritations.

He kept close to Blue all day, keeping her safe and comforted. He was so worried that something was going to happen to her, that that was what his dream had been about after yesterday's incident. 

The sky was steadily turning overcast and there was a pressure in the air. Was there going to be a storm? It certainly looked and felt like it. Maybe they should seek shelter soon. He usually made sure to find Shelter for Blue during storms. He was usually willing to take a night of bad weather, but as she couldn't voice her opinion, he'd never assume that was what she would want. He didn't think it was going to hit until late evening. They had plenty of time to get to the nearest town from here before then. In fact, the very ranch he'd bought Blue from was close by, only a few miles to the north west. She always seemed happy to visit her mother and the little ranch girl who worked there. He could make a few rupees lending a hand, or at least do enough to earn a night in the stables for the both of them. There was usually plenty of work to be done there, though he knew they weren't looking to hire any actual employees. 

As soon as his rabbit was done cooking, he'd eat, pack up, and they'd go. He didn't want to make Blue go far with her legs, but he knew she'd prefer it to being outside during any close thunder. She hated thunder.

~~~~

It was early afternoon when they were walking side by side up the dirt road. He didn't tend to actually ride Blue very often, only for a short while every day so they both had practice at it. He kept his supplies and art equipment split fairly between them. She carried more, but only because she was bigger and stronger. He saw no need to make her carry him as well when he was perfectly capable and happy to carry his own weight. He'd gotten her to help him, not to make her do everything for him.

It was when they reached the peak of a hill that he stopped. She continued for a few steps, but quickly realized he wasn't with her. She turned back to look at him to see him standing there frozen, staring to the north with a stunned look on his face.

"[color=1a7b30]Oh, Hylia…[/color]" he whispered at the thick plume of smoke rising over the distinct shape of Castle Town in the distance.