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Dmitri sighed and stroked her arms comfortingly. He was as wary as Thalia was about all this. Despite being young, he was experienced beyond his years and the armor he wore was enough to prove it, as was his rather adept or expert skill in each weapon he had on him.
"You can tell me anything," Dmitri whispered in Hotaru's ear then gently removed the helmet from her head and tilted her chin so that he could see her face and he looked down at her with a sincere smile.

The Paladin let out a small laugh as they rode on into the forest, where where the thick trees dimmed the weak sunlight even further. "I appreciate your initiative, Leith," She chuckled. "But we do have a map. Not a very current one - it's a decade old, at least - but our destination is an old city. It has stood unchanged since long before my grandfather, and I doubt it could have changed too drastically without the news getting out."

Hotaru blushes, ignoring the burning in her lungs as she inhales the ever falling ash. Slowly, her scowl softens, and she sighs. "Okay Dmitri...," She smiles half heartedly, shifting her eyes to look up at him before looking away. "Thank you"

He smiled and set the helmet back on her head then rested his chin on her shoulder again, "About how far is our first stop from here again?" he asked Thalia.

"If we ride fast, we'll reach the outpost by sundown," The Paladin replied. "The Black Forest isn't exactly a friendly place to camp, and the trading outposts are the only safe places to stop for the night."

The Rogue nodded in agreement,"Yes, I would rather not risk a night in such a place. Unless everyone is bored with simply riding."he chuckled softly before he returned to theserious matter,"Let's head to the outpost quickly."he grabbed the reins of his horse.

Dmitri whipped his reins and his mare started ahead at a slow gallop, ready to speed up if need be.
"You comfortable?" he asked Hotaru.

The Orc looked around."Then we best speed up then lest we get stuck here." Rougart suggested as he sped his Dire Boar. He remained quiet during the rest of the ride.

Hotaru smiles. "I'm fine. I'll let you know if that changes."

Dmitri smiled softly but couldn't test his head on her shoulder now with the bouncing of the horse.

Barda tugged at his reins as the others rode by, and pinned his ears back, displeased at having to wait. Thalia kept her grip firm on the reins until all members of the group had ridden past her, and then turned to look back at Velan. The Ranger quickly spun back around and sat properly behind the saddle. Thalia turned forwards again and finally spurred Barda forward. The big stallion gladly sped up from a walk to a trot, canter, and then gallop, and raced back towards the head of the group.

A thin cloud of ash was kicked up in the wake of their steeds as the group rode further into the forest. As the tree cover thickened and the natural sunlight dimmed, they began to pass iron lanterns hung periodically from the branches. The tiny flames inside provided just enough light to safely navigate the path, though that light also illuminated evidence that traders weren't the only users of said path…the massive fooptrints of some creature paralleled the group for half a mile before turning off into the woods, and large claw marks on the trees indicated that some creature had made this lands part of its territory.

Hotaru stayed alert through out the ride, her eyes bright and ears flicking. There was a strange scent in the air. Some... Thing had been here. They were in its territory, and she highly doubted it would be happy about that. She narrows her eyes and tenses her muscles, ready to attack.

Barghest had taken note of the claw marks as well. The poor creature had to constantly puff ashes in and out of her nostrills, and it had the Dire Boar on edge. These animal marks didn't help to calm her down either. Rougart had less and less control of his mount, and it was starting to show as she kept veering her head up and down, squeeling loudly.

"She's on edge!" Rougart gave as explenation as he held the boar tight by the reigns, but it didn't help. Quickly the old Orc hopped out of his saddle and grabbed the Dire Boar by her tusk, pulling her down onto the ashy road. It was then the more perceptive members of this group would see the Orc walked with a slight limp."Down, Barghest!" The next part was in Orcish."Kra'ga ggruush mink grakkast!" Anyone who could understand his tongue this transelated to 'Calm yourelf lest I'm forced to burn you.' To others it would just sound like angry shouting.

Rougart realized he was forcing the group to stop by this. But better risk being attacked by whatever was out there than have to deal with a raging Dire Boar.

Thalia, too, pulled back on her reins, and slowed Barda to a stop. The warhorse snorted and pawed irritably at the ground for a moment before falling still. "She has good reason to be…" The Paladin remarked, though she did not turn to look back. She kept her gaze firmly on the path ahead, and the woods to either side.

"The local beasts here have never been very friendly, but the fiery disaster to the west, and all this ash and smoke falling around, has made them even more volatile." Velan explained, shifting around to sit sideways behind Barda's saddle. Sliding down, the Ranger moved over to one of the trees along the path and reached out to touch one of the clawmarks cutting through the bark. "These are fresh…" He frowned. "The beast that made them might still be in the area."

Dmitri looked around and glanced back at their orcush companion upon hearing the shouting, then back towards Thalia when she spoke.
"Well, I'm getting a bit restless, could use a good fight," the feline mumbled and gave Hotaru a reassuring squeeze then slid off his horse's back and pulled his battle axe from his back and rested it on his shoulder, ready for action.

Leith let out a sigh, a grin playing on his lips,"Oh I do love when they get volatile, makes for good fight or even a quick one at that. A beast without sense and riled by anger can be cut down with a single solid blow."he mumbled to himself,"But then again it does depend up on the beast."he stood up on his horse, looking to the tracks before he jumped up into a nearby tree,"I will take a quick look, I won't be gone longer than 5 minutes."he said before he jumped down into the shadow of the large trees, disappearing quickly.

((I do hope nobody thinks I'm trying to god mod, this is just what a shadow dancers does. I've had a previous complaint I suppose...))

The feline smirks, and lifting the helmet from her head, slips it over Dmitri's head. "Ready for action boys?," she purrs. Hotaru could hardly talk. The cats ears and tails flicks constantly. She looked forward to a fight.

Rougart managed to calm down the squeeling boar. After a few moments Barghest calmed herself and Rougart could reply to what was being said."How is it everyone is so anxious to fight a wild creature driven wild by disaster? Corned animals are the most dangerous yet! I say we leave while we can and save our strength for our actual foe!" Orcs grow up learning to respect predators stronger than oneself. You'd live longer, avoiding beasts instead of foolishly hunting them ensured you'd live longer.

Thalia stared after Leith for a few moments before looking to Velan. The Ranger managed to return the stare for several moments before he offered a little shrug. "What? I'm good, but I can't keep up with that," He argued, meaning Leith's (impressive) shadowmancey. "The whole 'Phantom as our guide' thing only works if the group stays together."

"Oh, for the love of Pelor…" Thalia grumbled under her breath. "We aren't going to get anywhere if we stop to challenge every little creature that passes us by." Barda stomped his hoof impatiently, and the Paladin reached out to pat his neck soothingly. "There will be no fighting this beast unless it attacks us first," She decided. "And as soon as sir Leith returns, we will be continuing on. If he's not back in three minutes, you're going after him." She added whilst giving Velan a very pointed glare. The Ranger opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, and stood back in silence.

He appeared within the last minute of the three he said he would need. He grabbed onto the saddle of his horse and lifted him himself up onto the saddle, grabbing the reigns,"We should be fine. I followed the tracks and they continued to head that directed. I haven't received word from the clone I sent to the right of us."he sighed.