"Be Doche, maybe," Zaljan muses.

"Or an enemy of Yala's father."

Taddeo bows slightly to Flora, with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you."

Edric's face relaxes somewhat. "I'm glad we ran into you first, instead of Higgins or one of his lackeys. Fortunately, we aren't headed to Cambárya." He frowns. "Theoretically, I am going to come into some money in the future, but not if I'm stopped before I get where I'm going."

Edric hobbles over to Greenleaf. "Greenleaf, if we forded the river and continued along off road, do you think you could still get us where we're headed on time?"

"It's hard to say. We'd likely have to ditch the supply cart especially since the oxen that didn't die are still weak. Not to mention the river is pretty wide in these parts and would be very difficult to ford."

"Don't worry about getting across the river. I can take care of that. Could you get enough food in the wild to support us all? We could probably leave the animals behind."

"You don' know any forest-y medicine to help sick oxen?" Zaljan asks pointedly, as Greenleaf seems to keep ignoring the poor things.

"I, uh, well, the medicinal plants don't grow in these parts. I was hoping I might find some closer to Sael. As for the hunting I reckon I could support the group, but water would be the real problem out on the plains."

"If you're going to go you'd best be quick about it," Flora says. "Fauna is going to tell everyone we saw you. Don't tell me where you are going." She looks at Taddeo a little wistfully. "I am sorry to see you go so soon. I haven't even gotten to meet your new friends."

"I am also sorry."

He smiles.

"I hope we can be introduced properly at a later date."

"I had no intention of telling you where we are going, Flora. You are kind, but I wouldn't expect you to lie for us." Edric frowns down at his leg. "Zaljan, if you can make it so that I can bear weight on this leg, now would be a really good time to do that." He looks over at the cart, frowning as he thinks deeply, then peers off into the east, trying to make out the river beyond the trees.

Flora starts to say something, then curses under her breath and puts a bright smile on her face as Fauna comes skipping up.

"Let's go!" Fauna says excitedly. "We have lots of beer in the tents. Edric, aren't you excited to find out how much money you're getting?"

Edric tries to smile. "Go on ahead girls."

"Yes, come on," Flora says impatiently. "Don't you want to tell Higgins you won the bonus?"

"I'm tired," Fauna pouts. "I want to ride in your cart. My, you have strange-looking oxen!"

"Oxen don' like strangas," Zaljan informs Fauna. "An' da big ones bite." He motions at the zombi.

He lopes over to Edric so he can speak to him sotto voce. "Magic spent. Spirit too afraid to listen, afta zombi. Leg gotta heal on its own."

"Girls!" calls a voice from up the road. The shape of a clown on stilts can be glimpsed through the trees. "What's the wait?"

Flora swears. "Come on, Fauna, let's give Red a minute with his friends!"

Fauna narrows her eyes. "Why don't you want to come with us now, Edric? Don't you like us anymore?"