Anik was up from his seat already, seemingly uninterested in keeping Ren's company any longer than necessary. Ren watched him out of the corner of his eye as he got up from his seat, cleaned his hands in the river and returned to his chosen sleeping spot, crawling into the makeshift cocoon of blankets he had made for himself. Anik didn't lie down to sleep right away. Rather, he slipped off his boots once more and dropped his jacket on the ground, then moved a few feet away from the fire. As Ren watched, he began to move in the dim glow of the dancing light. It was hypnotizing, his movements slow, yet precise, like something between a dance and a fight against an invisible opponent. The muscles of his back rippled and cast shadows over his skin as he moved slowly, then quickly, then slowly again. Ren had no idea what he was doing. It didn't look like any combat training he had ever seen. Ren felt his eyelids grow heavy, Anik's movements and the faint sounds of his measured breaths and soft footsteps on the grass lulling Ren to sleep. He slept through the night for the first time in days.

* * *

Anik woke Ren with the first rays of daylight and they were back on the road before the sun had even risen above the trees. Ren hadn't expected the muscles of his calves and thighs to feel even more sore than the day before, and he grimaced as he swung himself into the saddle. He remained quiet, however. The last thing he wanted to do was confirm Anik's accusations of weakness. Still, the chafing of the leather saddle against his sensitive thighs made him wince as Anik set the pace to a brisk walk.

They rode over rolling hills and across green and yellow fields. Ren had travelled this stretch of land a few times before when his family had business in Isleya or during rare summer vacations, but seeing the countryside from horseback was entirely different from riding in a carriage along the road. Either that, or his lack of a conversation partner simply made him pay more attention to his surroundings. All around them, the land was rich with life. They even had to stop their horses to let a herd of deer spring across their path. There were at least thirty of the animals, including two stags with beautiful, curving antlers. Ren lingered, watching them race for the trees as Anik rode on ahead.

After a few hours of riding, the subtle slope of the terrain became more apparent. They were ascending steadily higher above sea level. Berin had told him once that Stag's Run was covered in snow almost all year where it lay nestled between the mountains, but here, late summer still dominated. It would be a few days before they would really start to feel the cold.