The thievess did not return, nor any of her friends, if she has them.
But now we are as thieves in the night, riding past sleeping villages and watch-towers by moonlight, hiding like fox-cubs during the day.
It is slow going. I do not like staying in the Dunland longer than we have to, but there is no choice. Witimanu, bless her soul, finds the path good and true, by moonlight as by sunlight. She sees better than me in the night, that I know! But there are few hours of moonlight now, and the twilight is getting longer. We wake, ride until the horses cannot see any more, and hide. Sleep a few hours, perhaps find a better hiding-spot at dawn, and hide again, dozing in unrestful fits.
Apple and Pear are taking it well, but they have not the sense of horses of the Mark in finding the true path, Apple less so than Pear. Pear instinctively knows to trust the other mares, but Apple wants to lead - the other day he danced from the path and almost got himself stuck in a ditch hidden underneath long grasses! Bless our luck that he was not hurt, or worse.
Even so, it is hard on them. We do not know the trail, and the terrain is hard as we can’t follow the roads. Poor beasts, they must be so confused. They are visibly stressed by this life now, even though they get more rest, all in all, than in the previous weeks. I hope they know this torture will soon be over!
We have now reached the safety of a dense forest, foreboding the nearing mountains. There, we will set our path southwards again, and travel protected by the forest’s shadows. It seems quite wild land there, undisturbed by the Wilderlings’ feet, but the map shows an old road we can use. Finally a little respite!
Spring has brought the wet weather though, and our travel through the forest is wrapped in deep fog, dripping from the branches. Hooray.
