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Auren nodded silently, almost brooding. After satisfying his initial hunger, he spent some time pondering some things: How did the king get sick? Is this magical herb the only cure for the king? Blood... If so, then was he cursed or poisoned?

Eventually, deciding such thoughts were unfruitful, he decided to ponder what his two traveling companions were like. Sybella was good humored, though focused on research and intellect. Caelvanna was also good humored, but instead of intelegence, per se, she was wise in the ways of the world- especially the forest. Two sides of one coin, almost.

After a time, he wondered when exactly the queen was going to release them. The sooner they left, the better chance the king had of surviving.

"I agree," Bel answered. "Her highness is very kind. She has done many things to help me in the past, but that is a tory for another time." She glanced at a grand clock on the wall behind the Queen's seat, seeing how late it had gotten. Hey all had to get rest for their long day tomorrow.

Moments later, a maid tapped the shoulder of the mage, whispering, "The queen would like you to know that you three may go. I wish you all the best of luck." Sybelle nodded, turning to the two on either side of her.

"The queen has requested we all retire for the night. I agree as well. Meet me in the stables no later than seven in the morning," The brunette instructed. She stood without a word, a small smile finding it's way onto her lips. "Thank you for the meal, Your Majesty. I am off to bed." Her voice carried across the room, clear and powerful as if demanding attention. The queen nodded, "Of course dear. I wish the three of you luck!" With that, the mage bowed, and turned to leave.

Caelvanna nodded at Bel's comment, though the thought of a story in the future was interesting, to say the least. The mage and the Queen had a history, it seemed, so that story certainly is one Cay wanted to hear. When the maid had come and requested they get to rest, Cay nodded. Rest did sound good, after such a long day of travel.

Standing and gathering her things, the woman smiled at her companions.

"Good night, to the both of you. I'll see you at the stables in the morning." With a normal bow of her head, she, too, walked off to the indicated sleeping quarters.

Auren simply nodded. After exchanging pleasantries, he got a maid to show him where his room was. After getting a change out of his pack and putting it on, he flopped onto bed, and fell asleep.

Nightmares come easily to Auren. Tales of betrayal, fire, and blood. Oh, how much blood he dreams of, how much disgust he has in the nightmare. Auren will not become an abomination.

It was an unrestful night for Bel; waking at every little sound. Which was odd, because normally she would be able to sleep through anything. She eventually did fall asleep, when she did not know.

The next morning she was somewhat rested, and prepared for their journey. Sybelle gathered her belongings into a bag, and made her way to the kitchen. There she snagged a muffin and some fruit, but not without a scolding from the chef.

Making her way into the stables, Bel spotted the three horses they would use for the trip. The stable hands had already saddled them, and packed their needed supplies into the horses. She tossed them a coin and a quick thanks. Sybelle took the reins of hers, Ansel. The sturdily built stallion had a sleek coal colored coat, with a darker black mane and tail. He let out a happy noise when she passed him the apple she took from the kitchen, waiting for the others to meet her.

Cay slept wonderfully.

Sleeping on a plush mattress with a beautifully embroidered quilt was heavenly, and while she did much prefer sleeping under the stars, this little bit of luxury was a great way to start their journey. And though her sleep was dreamless, when the young half-elf awoke, she felt well rested and ready for the day. She had gone to the stables long before even the hostlers were awake themselves. She had climbed to the top of the stables and laid down on the roof, or rather, one particular beam that stuck out from the rest. Her eyes were focused on the stars overhead, and the colors that started to change along the horizon and bleeding into the rest of the sky.

She had heard when the grooms arrived, smiling to herself as the horses whickered and snorted, obviously seeking their breakfasts. She listened to the sounds of leather being oiled and coats being brushed. Even in the brief silence aside from shifting of bodies, she could imagine manes and tails being braided. Her eyes were closed and she was in such a wonderful reverie, she didn't even notice Bel had joined them down below. It wasn't until she heard the jingling of reins and the clink of a coin that Cay opened her eyes and looked over the top of the stable. She smiled.

"I bid you good morning, Miss Bel!" She paused for a moment to allow the woman time to find her before she expertly climbed down the way she climbed up. Her boots thudded on the ground, and she walked over to the remaining two horses. She hadn't noticed it the first time she glanced over the side, but the mare in the center was a particular specimen; her name was Splendor. Cay was almost sure that this mare was descendent of an ancient line of elven bred horses. She said nothing about it, admiring the mares beauty. Although still youthful, the mare had begun to grey, leaving dark legs and dappled rings all over her body. Her face was the palest part of her. Her mane held a variety of greys, though her tail was ombre, a dark color at the base and lightening to a peachy color at the ends.

Delicate hands moved over the face of the mare, and she smiled at the velvety feeling the muzzle felt on her hands. She leaned forward and kissed it. "There is no nobler a creature than a horse."

Auren basically rolled out of bed to start his morning.First, he had to wrestle his mind (meditate) in order to speak without his bloodthirsty thoughts from getting in the way. After getting up and doing his shortened morning routine- clothes, hair, and vanity stuff, without the running or sword practice- he headed down to the stable.

Once there, he saw the two girls waiting by their horses. Correction: Sybella was waiting by her horse. Caelvanna was kissing her horse. Though Auren was baffled, he chalked it up to some sort of Elven ritual. After greeting his fellow adventurers, Auren looked at the last horse available.

This horse was jet black, with white tips at the end of the front two hooves, and grey at the edges of its mane. It also had a streak of grey running down the center of its face. Furthermore, it had flecks of white on it's hindquarters. Were Auren looking at it in it's entirety, he would have seen his beauty. However, he was doing one thing: balefully glaring at the horse's seemingly-same glare.

The horse was the fastest of the bunch, not the most agile or strong- though it came close. However, it also had the unfortunate traits of being wild and stubborn. Not to mention the fact that horses hated Auren. After sighing, he took the tether, where the horse- his name was Nocturne- promptly tried to bite him.

"Try not to kill each other," She quipped, watching the warrior and the horse glare daggers at each other. Sybelle turned to her own steed, the corner of her lips curved upwards as she ran a hand over its sleek, dark grey coat. Ansel had been agift to her from a close friend a few years back. He was a noble horse; very agile and light on his feet. Ansel was the oldest horse in the bunch, though still young, around nine years old.

Sybelle placed her foot in the stirrup, lifting herself onto the saddle with ease. She looked at the others. "The sooner we leave the better." The mage stiffened as chills were sent down her spine. The feeling that kept her up during the night had come back. She brushed it off, asking, "Is everybody ready? Any questions?"

If she had known what Auren was thinking, Cay probably would have laughed. The fact of the matter was, the half-elf loved horses. The kiss was simply a gesture of admiration. But the girl continued to coddle the mare silently, before giving her neck one last pat and mounting her. The saddle was checked, as were the stirrups and the bridle. It wasn't that she didn't trust the grooms of the Royal Stables, it was simply a habit, one she had done many times after saddling a horse herself. She sighed softly, if audible at all, though it wasn't a sigh of irritation or sadness; just a huff of air.

If Cay were to gauge anything about her horse, she would say the mare was a jack of all trades. A master of none, but well rounded. It was likely the mare was more for endurance than speed and agility, but it mattered not in their situation unless of course, they had to run away from something. But Caelvanna hoped it wouldn't come down to something like that, it would be a little too convenient.

She smiled gently at the reaction Nocturne had towards Auren; poor man wasn't going to catch a break was he?

Bel captured her attention at the question, looking over to the young mage as she spoke. The half-elf nodded, smiling. "I'm ready to get this adventure started!" She looked back over to Auren and his disapproving steed. "Don't worry Auren, you'll have a long trip to get used to him, and he will have just as much time to get used to you."

Auren glared at the two girls. Easy for them to say. They didn't have a horse that was out for them. Nocturne again tried to nip at Auren, which he avoided. After sighing again, and somehow managing to mount himself on the stubborn equine, he told his two companions, "Let's go. I want to get leaving, and head to that town Sybelle was talking about. I want to get as close as possible to that town. We don't know how long the king will last. Or how long I will, as a matter of fact..."

With everyone ready, the trio set off.

Sybelle was at the head of the group, her green eyes scanning their surroundings at all times. It was a few hours before they reached the forest, stopping when they came to the edge of the trees.

Tall oaks and pines towered over them, shadows cast below. Something about Sybelle seemed a bit off. She had grown more on edge the closer they came, and now she was practically glaring into the woods. She felt the air thicken, a familiar sense floating it's way out of the trees. Sybelle immediately identified it as magic, but whom the magic belonged to she did not know.

"Be careful. Something is off," She vaguely stated, not wanting to say anything until she figured out who or what held that strong of magic.

Cay decided to stay at the back of the group, just so she could keep an eye on Aurens' horse. And because she felt a little better equipped to hear things coming up behind them. She would never say that to them, however, as she truly did not want to insult them. In fact, her hearing wasn't likely much better because she wasn't a pure elf, to begin with.

She kept track of how long they had ridden by watching the movement of the sun. It was likely around 10:00 am by the time they reached the forest. She admired the tall trees and the dappled shadows, yet something beyond didn't quite feel right. Either it was the lack of forest life or simply the impression Bel was giving her, she decided not to simply charge in. She could feel something, but she didn't have the magical inclination Bel had, at least not in the same sense.

"I felt something too...but I was unsure if it was because there are no birds singing." Caelvanna pulled up her horse to the other side of Bel from Auren, to place the girl between them. "Is it magic? And if it is...do you sense any familiarity with what ails the King?"

Auren managed to keep his horse on course. It was surprisingly easy- it seemed as if the horse had gone docile. No mystery there. Even Auren could feel the presence of the magic.

"Yes, I feel it too." Auren replied distantly, eyes searching for the source. Upon hearing Caelvanna's words, a memory flashed into his mind:

"Many people might think magic is mysterious, Auren." Auren's uncle lectured his nephew. "And it is mysterious. However, magic leaves traces behind. Therefore, you can determine that type of magic left behind by it's lingering effects. Auren didn't feel sick, so he could only assume it wasn't the culprit behind the king's illness. "I don't believe it is related to sickness at all, Caelvanna. If it was, wouldn't we be becoming sick? Then again, it could be we're too far away for magical effects to affect us..." He looks at Sybelle for confirmation. She IS the Mage in the group, after all.

There was no way Auren was going to tell them he learned this tidbit of information from his uncle, a former master assassin.

"You're right Auren," She spoke softly, her gaze still fixed on the trees. "It is not the cause of the king's illness." Her horse shifted from beneath her, unsettled himself. "I imagine it belongs to a witch, wizard or warlock. They are either extremely close or extremely powerful. In would keep an eye out at all times."

Sybelle was a bit surprised and impressed that Cay and Auren had been able to sense the magic in the first place.aside from that, disappointment edged over to her, as the journey had barely begun and trouble was on the way. Although, she should have expected it...

"We need to keep moving," She added, and lightly tapped the horse's side with her foot, sending the stallion into a walk. "Oh, and we wouldn't get sick unless the spell is directly cast at us, Auren. I've yet to cross a lingering potion that cannot be healed easily, as those may be uncommon, but are very ineffective."

Cay thought about it for a moment.

Auren was correct, but something else bothered the half-elf. It seemed that it was only the king that was being effected; could magic not simply have a single target? In this case, the king? She thought about her bow and arrow. If the magic was focused, it could injure one target and one target only. Yet if she allowed, say, a fire arrow imbued with so much power, it could be very explosive and affect an area rather than one single target. But magic was strange, and she knew not nearly enough about non-elemental magic to actually pass judgment.

But both seemed certain that the magic was not the same that afflicted the King, so Caelvanna relaxed on that front. They knew better than she in regards to this magic, despite her thoughts on the matter.

She looked to Bel as the young woman spoke, nodding. Without further ado, the previously mentioned bow was pulled from over her. She was skilled with mounted archery and had enough trust in her steed to follow the others if she needed to fight.

When Bel started moving, Caelvanna felt rather pleased with herself. Perhaps she did understand more than she realized. She said nothing, however, as the feeling came and went. Once again, she would take up the rear.

Whatever came seemed to have waned, for now. What it left in presence, however, it made up for anticipation. Upon seeing Caelvanna unsling her bow, he drew his sword. Trouble always seemed to find him...

His eyes scanned left and right, his enhanced senses searching for any potential threat. Though the kingdom was supposedly at peace, with the king ill, who knew what evil groups took advantage of the instability.

What seemed like an eternity later for Sybelle, the sun eventually disappeared behind the trees, cloaking the sky in the orange hues of the sunset.

With theircontinuation, the sense of magic she had felt gradually distanced itself from the group. She sighed when she felt it nearly disappear, slowing Ansen to a halt as she led the group to an area where the trees thinned out into a small clearing.

"Let us rest. One of you gather wood, the other, stay and help set up camp with me, please," She asked, ungracefully getting off of her horse. It felt good to finally stretch her legs, as it had been a while since she did. She tied Ansen's reins to a low hanging limb, a resentful snort coming from the stallion in response.

While they traveled, she didn't so much sense the magic slowly fade but rather heard the normal forest sounds get more to their normal activeness. However calming it was, Cay did not see fit to sheath her bow until absolutely certain. And it wasn't until the sky had darkened with the telltale signs of sundown that the woman realized they would need to make camp soon. And she didn't even need to say anything, as Bel had already found them a rather suitable spot if Caelvanna could say so herself. The only thing it was missing was a water source.

When all the horses halted and her bow slung back around her, Cay slid off the horse. She gave the mare a few pats on her neck before looking to the other two. "I'll go get the wood and find some water. Our horses are certainly parched from such a long journey. And perhaps something we can eat so we don't have to break into our stores yet." She rubbed Splendors nose for a moment before tying her up to another branch. It was a slight knot, but one Splendor could break if something dire were to come their way. Without another word, she quickly hurried off into the treeline.

Auren sighed, as he swung off Nocturne. As he attempted to tie the horse to the branch, he avoided three life- or- death situations- that horse hated his entire being, with a passion. When he heard Caelvanna, say she was getting food and water, he agreed- she was the hunter, after all.

After stretching his legs, he got on business, saying, "I'll look for suitable firewood. No need for us to eat cold food, right?" He also needed the time to compose his thoughts- the constant drone of bloodbloodbloodblood was starting to wear him down, and he needed to isolate himself before he broke down. He looked at Sybelle, then said, "Can you take care of yourself while we are gone?" One might bristle as if he was saying they were incompetent, but he elaborates, "It would be dangerous if bandits surprised you, leaving you no time for casting a spell..."

"You're right Cay, we will need to save on supplies now," She agreed, turning back to her companions. She listened intently to Auren, understanding that somebody could attack without warning.

Sybelle waved her hand in dismissal of his question. "I'll be fine. I can handle myself," She replied, "but thank you for your concern."