<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(226, 80, 65)">"Köszönöm, hogy erős vagy nekem ma. Ma este jól pihenj, mert a holnap újabb hosszú nap lesz," the young woman spoke to her horse as she lifted the heavy saddle from his back. She rubbed him down with brushes that she found in the supply wagon, murmuring words of gratitude for his hard work and gentleness. When she finished, she affectionately rubbed his ears and left, carrying her belongings with her.<br/>
<br/>
She spied the three small tents not surrounded by soldiers and noted that the leader had already put his bedroll into one. Instinctively, she turned to another, sliding her bedroll into the one at the end of the line, leaving the center tent empty. She neatly stacked her satchels and canteen against the inner flap, and she removed her cloak, folding it and placing it on top of the pile. The woman didn't care which of her traveling companions bunked with her. She knew she would sleep hard after a long day in the saddle.<br/>
<br/>
Free of her burdens, Sabina stretched her muscles, glad to be on her own two feet again. Although she rode often, spending all day in the saddle was difficult on the body, and she was happy to be able to move. After performing a series of exaggerated movements, she felt limber again and decided to take a brisk walk around the campsite. She nodded as she rambled past a group of soldiers, but she ignored a couple of their calls to join them, quickening her pace until she neared the wagons. Having already visited the supply wagon, she studied the one reinforced with metal and poured for herself a cupful of cool water, drinking deeply. She made a mental note to refill her canteen in the morning, and she continued on her journey until she arrived at the fire where bowls of hearty stew and bread were being distributed.<br/>
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Accepting her dinner, she found a spot at the edge of the firelight, away from the chattering and conversation among soldiers and her partners in the Expedition. She'd had more chit-chat conversations in one day than she'd had in weeks, and she needed some solitude and quiet. As she watched the others interact, she wondered at her own strange need for silence. She enjoyed meaningful conversations that communicated important information, which is why her father had often relied on her to smooth things over with various peoples when he or his colleagues inadvertently insulted them by misusing a word or expression. For those situations, purposeful diction choices were essential, and he'd always said she had a knack for it. Idle conversation, however, wasn't her strong point.<br/>
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When she'd eaten her fill, she still had a small portion of bread and some stew left over. She didn't want to waste the food, especially since she knew it might be scarce when they were no longer with the soldiers, so she glanced around and spied Red, also sitting alone. Everyone had been given equal portions of the stew and bread, and since he was larger than any of them and had walked the entire day, there was no way one small bowl and chunk of brown bread would be enough. She stood, ambling over to the giant and holding her bowl and bread out to him.<br/>
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"Would you like the rest of mine?" she asked in her husky voice, her eyes searching his face for movement or signs of understanding. He didn't give any indication that he understood her, nor did he move to take the proffered food, but she saw that he had finished his supper and still held his empty bowl, so she placed her bowl and bread beside him. "I'll leave these for for you. If you don't want them, just leave them here, and I will pick them up later."<br/>
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Sabina returned the tent area for her canteen and a small pouch from her satchel. She found a secluded spot to tend to her personal needs, and then she poured some of the water from the canteen into her hands and washing them with a pinch of crush yucca root. Next she lathered her face and neck with the suds produced from the root, rinsing away some of the dust of the day. Although it wasn't the same as a bath, she felt better about settling in for the night. Returning to the tent, she sat on the outside of the temporary structure and sat with the manuscript her father had written. Her gentle fingers brushed the pages with care as she skimmed his writing, remembering the many lessons he'd taught her. She looked up from her reading when she heard footsteps approaching, and she smiled softly as Will walked toward the tents.</span>