The siblings traveled eastward till there wasn't enough light to travel by.
"This spot is going to have to do. I'll set up the tents, you go check out the surrounding area. Make sure we weren't followed." Invar said as he dismounted his horse.
"Followed? I thought you said they'd never go off looking for a centaur that attacked a town unprovoked. Having second thoughts?"
"I'm an optimist, not an idiot. We can't be too careful at this point."
Sari dropped her supplies off and made her way west as Invar tied his horse to a nearby tree. The horse seemed far more relaxed after Sari disappeared over the hill. Invar couldn't help but feel the same way. The leather was heavy and made for a strong shield against the wind and cold. Sari's tent naturally took some imagination to set up. The standard design wouldn't suit her anymore. After pitching the tents Invar gathered some nearby stones to form a fire pit. He decided on pitching a small open-topped tent around the fire. It wouldn't make the light invisible, but it would help. He set the dried scat in the pit and ignited it, letting out a deep sigh as the chill melted from his body.
Sari soon returned with a decent sized hare in tow.
"Figured we could both do with some fresh meat. We'll get sick of jerky and biscuits eventually." The horse panicked at Sari's approach. "A lady could get the idea you don't like her." Sari told the horse with a chuckle. "I see you've learned to keep chicken horse hitched?" Invar took the rabbit and began to carve away its skin.
"Fire tent's a bit small, but if you crawl and duck maybe your human half can fit."
"Your consideration is touching. I didn't see any signs of being followed, in case you were curious."
"See? We're perfectly safe. Come on, get a bit of the cold out." Sari did indeed need to crawl and duck for any of her to fit in the fire tent.
"Tight squeeze. Next time I pitch the tents."
"If you think you can handle it."
"Soak your head, Invar. I'm still just as capable as I ever was."
"That why your ass is sticking two meters out the back of this fire tent? Because I've never met anyone who's had to do that before."
"Very funny. That rabbit almost done?"
"Soon."
The siblings finished their dinner and retired to their tents for the night after dowsing the fire. Invar lay awake, staring at the stolen roof he slept beneath. Part of him wondered if the old tanner was alright but a bigger part of him wondered what he would tell the armored stranger if she really was some sort of mercenary interested in hunting them down. Had she seen him when he saw her? Would that even matter? Had Sari missed something when she went back to check for signs of following? No. They were safe. Sleeping comfortably, safe from mercenaries just like they were safe from the cold. They'd set out tomorrow and reach the capital within the month, then they'd cure Sari and return home. There was nothing to worry about. Invar breathed out a sigh and almost missed the steam rising from his mouth.
