When the time came, Luke moved with quiet efficiency. The campfire was snuffed out until only a faint curl of smoke lingered, the tarp folded neatly and stowed away. Ilyrana was still asleep inside the carriage, wrapped in her bedroll—part of the new arrangement they'd agreed upon. It allowed her to rest without the jostle of saddles or cold ground.
Vartha stirred at his approach, blinking as Luke brushed a hand along her neck before fastening the reins. A low, muffled snort was her only complaint about the early hour. Soon enough, she was harnessed and ready, her hooves pressing into the packed earth of the road with slow, deliberate steps.
