Brandon watches Phantom disappear with a hint of jealousy, but mostly curiosity on how one could call one's spirit animal to passive state so quickly. At this point in time, he doesn't even attempt it.
Hazel and Jay did not have that much to pack so they could finish packing what they had in less than 15 minutes. Hazel helped Brandon once she finished while Jay went to see how he could help Ashia, Justin, and/or Diana.

"I'm not saying that I do or do not think they are hiding something and have found something." Olvan stays on the path to Greenhaven. "I simply do not think it would be a good idea to follow them and lose their trust or any possible bargains once a spy is spotted or sensed."
Rue's horse walks beside Maya's. "I'd say, if you find someone really good at hiding or acting, someone that isn't a Greencloak - or not one that the Keepers know of in the very least - we could have them join the Keeper's group. They seemed rather accepting of the obviously new .. I don't even know what you'd call them since they aren't really initiates, nor members, and not quite allies of that handful of Keepers. Apprentices.. maybe."

"I'd go with pawns," Maya answers Rue's questions, "Or maybe the new members are something else to the Keepers. After all it's not really safe to be too trusting. Olvan I know we are at war but can we really afford to trust a thief? After all the terms she set out were both too low and at the same time too high of a price. And she still has the Bamboo Panda of Jhi."


Ashia was ready to go. She had her horse saddled and her bag packed.
Justin was sitting on Shield's back, "Ready when you are."
Diana walks out to them, "I hope we have enough supplies to last the trip. I don't want to forage out in that terrain again."
"We should have enough supplies to last a month permitted we ration them," Ashia answers.

"That sounds like the word I'm looking for." Rue admits, repeating the word pawn in his head a few times to solidify it. "And the Conquerors have the Obsidian Ape of Kovo. If the thief and her group have a lead on another talisman, I say we shouldn't let them get too much of an advantage. Even if they will be on our side later, we don't know for certain and giving them the time to bolster their defenses while we hum and haw over whether or not to accept their terms will not be in our best interest."
Olvan frowns, not quite sure what to think when both of the Greencloaks with him seemed so hesitant to trust and unwilling to let the Keepers go. "How about we get more heads to think on the situation and get a consensus."

Brandon listens silently to the group and the information they let drop; Sparky had helped him finish packing and so Hazel had gotten the horses ready, letting Jay hang out with Jackson for the last few moments. Hazel is also quiet, but she seems more energetic than her brother does at this point in time.

"Will we be stopping by the village," Diana asks.
"We don't have a choice on that. Our guide is there. When we make camp tonight, I'll retrieve him," Ashia answers.
"Be careful please," Justin responds, "Now if everyone is ready to let's get moving. Once we make camp tonight, we won't be able to travel on horseback so don't get used to this."
"Right and we'll also need a volunteer for guard duty tonight," Diana adds.



"Yes sir," Maya responds. She was thinking about how often Ashia had stolen the Nectar of Nanani. She also considered how Ashia had treated the Conquerors. Maya glances at Strider nodding slightly. Strider nods back once understanding.

"I'm willing to take guard duty." Jay chirps, shouldering his pack and mounting the horse ready for him.

Brandon isn't as comfortable as others are when riding horses. He knows the basics of staying on a horse, but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. His thoughts about traveling on horseback are fairly evident in the way he examines the road and the horse and how he sits in the saddle.

Hazel is chill with everything that's going on; as long as she and her brother aren't dying then she figures the journeys they go on are a great way to explore the world.

"Brandon I'd offer to let you ride double if that would help you be more comfortable but sadly Shield can't do that for long periods of time," Justin notices the look, "You won't be riding for long I promise."

"Alright then one volunteer who else will," Ashia asks.
Diana grumbles something unintelligible.
"Make that two."

Brandon nods and accepts the fate of having to ride a horse for a while.
"If you need another volunteer, I can do it too." Hazel says. She hopes to get the first watch so she doesn't have to wake up to take up the guard.

"Alright then. The three of you can draw lots to see who gets what watch," Ashia agrees, "We should be getting close. Justin ride up ahead and report back."
Justin nods once before spurring Shield on. It takes about an hour for him to return to the group, "I found a place to camp for the night and it's safe there but we still need guards. Also hide your spirit animals if possible."

Jay says that he's fine with taking second watch, if Diana wants to take the third/is ok with Hazel taking the first. Jay isn't silent or very still, bit you can't expect that of him. He's much more silent and still than he's been before though; his spirit animal is hidden.
Hazel looks to Diana. "I'd prefer first watch, but I can take third." She feels kind of sorry that Diana got dragged into taking watch because she grumbled. Drummer is in passive state.
Brandon looks askance, feeling a bit guilty that he couldn't always control when Matamba entered and left passive state. Matamba had finished looking around the area from Brandon's side before disappearing into passive state.

"That's fine I'd honestly rather take third shift," Diana replies, "I'm awake most nights anyway."
"That's because you normally sleep all day," Ashia remarks.
"And who guards the village at night so you can sleep," Diana retorts.
"I wasn't saying it was a bad thing."
"Congrats on bonding with Matamba well enough to convince her to go into passive state," Diana tells Brandon.
Justin looks around, "We're nearly to the camp site. Our guide should be nearby but be careful since we don't know who else is."