The night passed quickly for Charlotte after that. A few drinks down and she was ready to go, buzzed but far from drunk. She shambled out into the night on the back of her horse and down the road into what many considered the nicer side of town.<br/><br/>The house she approached was nondescript, made of the same wood as all the rest, but with odd chimes and charms hung up round the porch and on the door. Inside, a dim light flickered in and out and before sheâ€™d even made her way down from her mount the door was open and that same light was bathing her.<br/><br/>It was her cousins house, once her aunts but since the woman had passed a year prior the young man, not too young since he was but three years her junior, now lived on his own. It wasnâ€™t often Charlie came to visit him, sheâ€™d been rather far from here or from home just down the river for a good two years now, but she was rather sure she was always welcome.<br/><br/>They didnâ€™t speak much, a quiet greeting, short hug and smiles before she ambled casually in and he left round the back to stable her horse. Heâ€™d be taking the mare back for her in a few days and for that she was thankful, her darling Chestnut was not at all a war horse, just  a pet that sheâ€™d ridden down for the fun of it. She didnâ€™t get to have fun too often as of late.<br/><br/>Depressing.<br/><br/>But she wouldnâ€™t dwell on it with sleep so close, pleasant thoughts now, pleasant thoughts for pleasant dreams. It only made sense. She started to dress down and thought instead of the trip she would be going on, though dangerous and a little frightening it would be an adventure. She was always up for a good adventure, there would be so much to see and experience, a whole new story to tell by the end of it. Sheâ€™d have new comrades, maybe new friends, and they could go traipsing around the country when this was all over, ride off into the sunset as it were.<br/><br/>She smiled as her head hit the pillow and she fell promptly to sleep.<br/><br/>--------<br/><br/>â€œHeading out now!â€ Charlotte called from the door to her rather sleepy cousin, just dragging himself from bed. Sheâ€™d tried to wait for him to wake naturally but, at the rate heâ€™d been going, she would have had to sit far into noon and that certainly wouldnâ€™t do, no, not at all. Instead sheâ€™d woken him and given him a hug, poor thing had been so confused, threw the rest of her belongings together and rushed for the door.<br/><br/>As she went jogging out he waved lazily and called after her some sort of halfhearted encouragement before she disappeared just around the corner.<br/><br/>She jogged a good distance her way, no doubt eliciting the confused stairs of locals who couldnâ€™t be quite too sure what to make of the axe wielding woman with the bright red hair running along the street. She slowed though, when she felt she was a good distance nearer to her destination, and ran her hand through her currently freed hair. Usually she slept with it down and this morning, she hadnâ€™t had the urge to put it up again.<br/><br/>As she neared the place of interest though she knew she must and began braiding it quickly, the rhythm familiar and comforting.<br/><br/>She hummed the first few bars of a song as she went, hands still working, and thought it would be alright to sing a little. Sheâ€™d need to get the urge out now, before they were in a place that required silence. She could do silence just fine, but if she held off the urge to sing for too long well, she always got a little sad. So emotional she was.<br/><br/>A smile quirked her lips and she began.<br/><span style="font-style: italic"><br/>â€˜As we were out a-hunting<br/>One morning in the spring<br/>Both hounds and horses running well<br/>Made the hills and the valleys ringâ€™</span><br/><br/>It certainly wasnâ€™t a travel song, but all the ones she knew were either rather childish and repetitive or rather glum and she didnâ€™t want to bring down the spirits of anyone who might hear her.<br/><br/>So she continued in this fashion, keeping her pace well and hoping she wasnâ€™t too late. So far it seemed she had a knack for being last to arrive and she didnâ€™t want it to stick as her defining characteristic among the group.<br/><br/>Braid finished she hurried along, breaking the song near the middle as she began to jog again, gate coming into view. Sheâ€™d never been so close to the great wood wall before, every time theyâ€™d visited her parents forbade her and her siblings going anywhere near it. Now it stood before her, even more imposing than before, but she found she was not at all afraid. Rather, she was anxious to get going and find what was out there in the forest.<br/><br/>The group came into view, those from last night and two others, knights. They were certainly large, very large, one smiling one not. She hadnâ€™t met too many knights in her day but she was glad to see at least one of them could smile,<span style="font-style: italic">would</span>smile. It was comforting, she enjoyed the company of happy people.<br/><br/>She gave them all a cheery smile in and wave as she approached and flicked her bangs off of her forehead. Sheâ€™d forgotten to trim her hair last night.<br/><br/>â€œMorning allâ€ she greeted, her voice full of mirth. â€œHope youâ€™re wellâ€