Don't you know the way back? (Alistair)

[Skram Silverstrider]

44th day of Winter 511 AV

That was what Skram was for then. To lead people into the always moving home of the drykas though it was a little bit unexpected that there were people who left during the winter. Even more unexpected was that there was someone who was trying to go through it alone. While most of the animals would be sleeping of hibernating there was always the danger of some still active and hungry enough to attack. That was why Skram would have to wait for a long time at the border until there was someone to join him on the way back especially with that cart of his slowing him down and with the winter, making driving conditions hazardous enough to make the situation even worse.

"Do you need a guide to help you get through?" Skram asked Alistair when he first met him. "There is safety in numbers and I know exactly where we are going" hinting at the thing that only drykas knew about webbing. It was the method Skram used to find the man or actually any drykas around him. It was not as accurate as something like auristics but it would suffice especially when Skram restricted himself to the Cyphrus region. Finding the webs did not need him to go into it and everytime Skram found someone he only had to concentrate a little bit. Enough to see whether or not they had one of those strands tying them into the large ones which go through the land itself.

[Alistair Trevon]

Bay slowed to a stop unexpectedly, she looked around. AListair patted her neck and also began to look. Bay was a smart enough horse, always knowing when something was array. He noticed the cart pull up. Cautiously, Alistair dismounted the horse and walked over to him. Alistair listened to the man with a scowl, which softened after a moment.

"If Endrykas is in the same area it usually is this time of year, I think I know the way," Alistair told him. "But if you know exactly where it is I would enjoy the company."

Alistair whistled and Bay walked over to him. After he settled into the sattle again, he nodded to the man.

"I am Alistair Trevon of the Emerald Clan," He introduced himself. "I believe if we are to be traveling the sea together I should know your name."

[Skram Silverstrider]

That was true. Endrykas always followed a migration pattern and there were highways even for non drykas so that they could navigate the grasslands on their own. Skram was so excited about finding someone who could accompany him on his trip back that he completely forgot about that. At least this Alistair did not seem to mind and he was right about how they were going to start out. "I'm Skram Silverstrider from the Amethyst clan. Lets make this a good trip Alistair."

Imagine his luck actually finding someone from the hunters of the Emerald. Skram felt quite good right now. With the both of them together they should be able to make a relatively quick and safe trip. Now all Skram had to do was point them in the right direction so that Alistair would not have any second thoughts of the both of them travelling together. "If you would only hold on for a moment" Skram told Alistair as he got off his cart.

Like he did to find Alistair he started concentrating and waited until the bright lines which spread all over Cyphrus started appearing before him. Based on his experience the biggest ones would normally be the main ones to Endrykas and he touched it to make sure if it was going to Endrykas and that "our destination is that direction" that was strangely behind him as he pointed out along the web.

Even with a hunter around, Skram did not want to take a chance and shut his eyes. Fully quiet to all those around him as he went into and along the web. Going as far as he would be allowed to looking all around for any signs of beasts but there were none unless the ones he saw that were asleep. Taking note of where they would be so that they could avoid them unless for some weird reason they would go after them, Skram returned and had his body whole again after a few chimes.

"There are some animals along the way but if we don't go to them we should be safe" Skram said getting back on the cart but there should be nothing much that the two of them would be able to handle. Since the cart would be slightly slower even if it was being pulled by a strider "I'll be right behind you Alistair." Sending Mornax towards the direction of Endrykas, Skram had it moving forward to show Alistair where before setting a slower pace where the horse would be able to handle the cart and weather.

[Alistair Trevon]

A member of the Amethyst Clan, he was glad to be traveling with Scram more than ever now. He was a guide, though Alistair has spent most of his life traveling the sea, it was better to travel with someone who knew the land as well or perhaps better than he did himself. The Amelyst clan were great navigators, he nodded with a grin on his face.

Alistair watched as Scram concentrated. He knew he was trying to find the thin webbing that led to Endrykas, then Scram confirmed this by reaching out and grabbing something that seemed not to be there. Alistair strained his eyes and tried to see it, but knew it was beyond hope. He nodded when Scram pointed their direction out.

"Animals are not what I am worried about." Alistair said, looking in the direction of Endrykas. He patted the pommel of his dagger, wishing he were a better shot with a bow, but his dagger was always all he needed. Perhaps in Endrykas he would train a bit more in archery. He nodded and gently kicked Bay's sides and she instantly moved forward.

It was slow going for a while, Alistair kept Bay from straying off course for as long as he could. He knew Endrykas was still a long way away, it would take quite some time to reach the city. He looked up at the sun, noting it was past midday.

"Perhaps it is time for us to rest the horses." He suggested. Bay strayed to the side, taking a large bite out of the grass. He looked back at Scram, awaiting and answer.

[Skram Silverstrider]

Spoken just like how Skram expected someone of the Emerald Clan would. Alistair was full of confidence especially with his weapon but if there was really any need for it he will find that he was not alone. Skram would help from a distance with the very weapon that Alistair was thinking that he should have. It was in the cart right within arm's reach only Skram's hands were already busy guiding Mornax to follow the proper way back to Endrykas. The webbing made things so convenient since they were able to cut through the grasslands without the need for a path. Every now and then, Skram would have to concentrate a little, to look and find the large web that they were following and lead Mornax to it before calling out to Alistair that "it is this way."

It was Alistair which stopped them first and Skram looked at the sky. He would have prefered if they only rested during the night but the man was right. The horses needed resting especially since Mornax was pulling the cart. "You're right. Let me find..." some water if they were lucky. Standing up on the cart Skram produced his sighting lens on him and looked around the area finally finding the area of blue within the sea of green. He did not remember any animals near there when he used the web earlier and was glad to say "we can make for the water over there. Its not far" and got back on the driver's seat to move to that direction.

It was only minutes before they reached there with Skram reassuring Mornax that "we're almost there" and pushed it a little bit more. "We should move again after a while. We won't be able to do much once its dark" he told Alistair as he unhitched his horse to let it have a drink. Taking a seat while taking a drink from his own waterskin he asked "Alistair so do you mind me asking where were you coming from? I'm just done with sending someone out of Endrykas" and what a journey it was. Hopefully this one would be as uneventful as the last.

[Alistair Trevon]

Alistair followed Scram's cart over to the water source. When they arrived, he dismounted Bay, removing most of the saddlebags from her so she could rest. He placed them down on the ground, some of them were empty, but they were still a small burden. He opened one up to pull out his water skin.

"Agreed, we should not rest longer than we actually need to." He replied as he knelt down at the edge of the water to refill his skin. He was surprised at how low it had gotten, he had just refilled it before making camp the night before.

Alistair settled down, using the saddlebags as a backrest, and looked up at the clouds in the sky.

"I was just coming from Kenash. I was visiting an old friend up there." Alistair told him. He was never much for talking about himself. "I was on my way to Endrykas to visit my mother."

Alistair shrugged as if it were unimportant. To him it was the most important time in the world. He turned his head to look at Scram. "Where exactly are you coming from? You said you were sending someone out?" He wondered why someone needed to be sent out. Was it merely leisure and needed an escort, or was it something far worse?

He looked around at the empty fields of the sea of grass. He hadn't seen hide or hair of a large creature in a few days, his rations were depleting. He was hoping to hunt on this trip, but he could find nothing bigger than a rabbit or a snake. In his experience, that did not bode well. He remained more on guard than he usually would be.

[Skram Silverstrider]

Filling up the waterskin just like that? That would not be good since "you might get sick. Maybe you should wait until we set up camp tonight?" Well Alistair might be quite thirsty and it was only a little bit so Skram did not see much harm in it. The man should already be old and experienced enough to know how to handle the sea since he already hinted that he knew how to go through it himself if he needed to like he did earlier.

Kenash also sounded just about right from where Skram found Alistair. "I see..." about the friend and mother but visiting, both? For Skram most of his friends and family, his pavilion was in Endrykas and he would not refer to them with visiting since it would imply that he was always on the move. Well, he was but he still saw himself as part of the migrating collection of tents.

Skram knew better than to pry on it and settled on answering Alistair's question that "I work at Garthos as a guide doing" the things like he was doing right now which he gestured to actually. "There are people who need help getting through Cyphrus sometimes so there is always work." As if thinking more about a question Alistair might ask Skram gave a soft laugh telling him to "don't worry, I won't ask you for anything since you would have been able to make your way back easily without me. Either way I would still need to make my way back and if I need to I can tell Garthos that I didn't find work" which was true in a sense. The way it was now Skram did not see himself as guiding Alistair but more like the both of them giving mutual protection to one another.

Seeing Alistair looking around there Skram thought that the man grew tired of conversation but asked "are you looking for something?" What else could there be? They were already near water which was the most important thing. Skram thought through thinking that it might be the animals but not the way that Alistair would want them because he told the man that "I took a route to try and avoid the animals" the ones which are still active anyway. "Near here I think they would be sleeping so you wouldn't have to worry too much about them" unless there was one tracking them through the grasslands but the hunter should already be looking out for those right? Well if there was anything important Alistair would surely ask anyway.

[Alistair Trevon]

"I need something to hold me over until he set up camp for the night. Even if I do get sick, I'll survive until we reach Endrykas." He said, uncertain.

He chuckled at the tone that Scram used in response to his explanation. "I don't stay in one place too long. I travel around Cyprus during the year unless something happens and I need to be somewhere in particular." He explained further, smelling the fresh contents of his water skin. He listened to Scram's answer. He was about to open his mouth when Scram answered his question for him.

He heard Scram's voice and shook his head. "Nothing in particular." He said, but he was still looking nonetheless. He shook his head again. "You can never be too careful, even a path you believe is safe and be dangerous if you are not vigilant."

That was something his father used to tell him as a child. His father was the type of person who never let his guard down even when he was at home. On a hunt, he just became more tense.

"I have had this strange feeling for days, like I've being watched." He told Scram. It was probably something that he should have mentioned when they agreed to travel together, but he nearly always had that feeling when he was traveling alone. He turned to Scram. "You didn't see anything around that shouldn't be there when you met me, did you?"

[Skram Silverstrider]

"If you say so." Skram has seen many people like Alistair in his line of work before. All of them thinking that they can make it through the grasslands with relative ease. In the end they all got sick and became a burden, not worth the effort and pay Skram was getting but he could not afford to be choosy in this work. The best course of action that he could think of now is to just quickly get on with their journey and go as far as possible before they needed to set up camp for the night. "Are you ready to continue then?" he asked Alistair as he tried to get Mornax to finish drinking so that he can hitch the cart back again.

He was a little bit surprised to hear Alistair was talking about vigilance when he admitted to travelling through Cyphrus in what Skram assumed as alone because he did not see the man with any other companions unless it was the one who was watching him? "No, I didn't see anyone" when Skram met him or even through the sighting lens. "Are you sure?" Alistair was a hunter and if he suspected that someone was around it was from the man's experience and Skram was not one to argue with that since he did not have much of his own.

Making sure if there really was someone following Alistair is very possible but time consuming if Skram tried to use the web. Therefore he gave the suggestion that "why don't we continue until we start to make camp? I'm sure that your pursuer would slip up then." Skram could even use the web to alert them of any trespassers to their camp if they had enough time after. "So how about it? I'm sure we all have enough rest now?" he asked before getting on the driver's seat hoping that Alistair would follow and if not, the sun was still high up for midday. Still plenty of time for them to use.

[Alistair Trevon]

"No, like I said, its just a feeling. But normally that feeling never fails." He explained uncertainly. "But I usually find who's following me within a few hours. Its been days...it started when I first left Kenash."

This was what worried him the most. He hadn't seen or heard anything following him. He had even slept outside yesterday. If someone was following him, they were being careful. They weren't making mistakes. He had to catch it before they got to Endrykas or he was in for it.

He stood. "Yes, lets continue, and hope this feeling is just that. Or whatever it is that is following me reveals itself." He picked up the saddlebags and began to put them back onto Bay. He climbed back into the saddle and waited nodded to Scram before heading off down the path. Determined to put several miles behind them before dusk.