They'd been riding for hours, and as this was the boy's first time on a horse, his backside was beginning to ache awfully. Yet still there was no sign of the Ranger. They knew they were on the right track though. There were horse prints, foot prints, and drag marks clearly visible on the path in front of them. They didn't even need Kosuke to navigate for them any more, though his magic might become useful in another way later on.<br/><br/>Crowley looked back briefly to check on the boy, as he seemed to be leaning a bit harder on him than he had been. "This your first time on a horse?" the soldier asked. The mage nodded against him. "Need a break?" This time the answer was portrayed by a shake of the head.<br/><br/>"I'll be fine," the boy answered. "I'm a little sore, but I can rest that off when we stop for the night."<br/><br/>After a few more hours of hard riding the group stopped to set up camp. The mood was kind of heavy, but Alaster in particular tried to lighten it with jokes and stories. They made sure to get a good night's rest before heading out again in the morning.<br/><br/>On their way the next day, they saw what looked to have been used as a camp site. Beyond there the dragging marks soon stopped and the tracks seemed fresher. "Seems like we're getting closer," Benjamen spoke up.<br/><br/>Indeed, soon they could hear the far off sound of horses besides their own. They were close and would be coming into sight any minute.