Judging by the way his shoulders rounded forward and tensed, Dane had heard him coming. By Ace's correct judgement, he hadn't turned around as he hoped the man would just give some civil greeting. What came next caused him to stiffen and tense, flinching like some wild animal the second his lips made contact.<br/><br/>Murderous.<br/><br/>That was how he was feeling this morning or, at least, as of now.<br/><br/>Dane resisted the urge to jump to his feet, instead looking at him with a glowering gaze as Ace began to exit the inn. The fact that he bothered to leave gold behind would have pleasantly suprised him were he not hoping he'd trip over a loose board and fall on his own sword. He slowly stood from his seat and turned to head after him.<br/><br/>From somewhere in the back of the tavern, there was a whispered bet placed that there was going to be a fight and that 'the broody one' was going to win.<br/><br/>They were wrong, however, as most career drunkards were. Dane had only moved to head outside in order to keep from either of this two traveling companions having to come back in to fetch him. Especially now, he just wanted to be away on the road and hoped that some physical exhaustion might take the glib of the men down a few notches. Gods knew they could use it.<br/><br/><br/>Caine stood only paces from the bottom of the steps in the midst of a brisk conversation with a traveler. The tall blond woman towered over him by nearly two hands, the size of her pack and the worn state of her leather armor marking her as one of the merchants that traveled back and forth on the roads. The dark haired man accepted a small bundle wrapped in white cloth from her, before he reached out with one hand and rested it on her shoulder in a gentle pat. With a nod of his head, their meeting was concluded and she turned to walk past Ace on the steps. The set of dark blue eyes met him and she gave a nod of her head before continuing inside.<br/><br/>Having turned as she left, he caught sight of Ace coming down the steps and smiled.<br/><br/>"Well, there you are! And just in time." He held up the rounded bundle. "A good bit of scout's bread for breakfast. Good to keep us on our feet but away from having to stop a good long while." Scout's bread was a recipie that involved throwing in as many things as you could find into a pot and then adding enough flour and water and beating it all together until you made bread that in itself was a meal. It wasn't always the best tasting but, with a little butter or honey, it was a common addition to any pack on the southern trails.<br/><br/>Dane slowly join them and Caine looked pleased. "Well, look at this, all early risers and eager to get on the trail. I like the looks of it. I can't tell you how many crews I've had where you're always waiting on someone." With a pleased and deep breath, he let it out. "So, now comes down to the details I suppose. We have quite a lot of ground to cover and quite a lot of work to do. So, do we ride and hope our horses make the journey or do we trust our own two feet?"<br/><br/>Horses were good when you needed to cover ground and carry supplies that would slow a normal man down but, at the same time, this part of the world wasn't very kind to them. Losing one, especially if it carried supplies, meant you were slowed back down and left to either waste whatever you couldn't carry among your party. There was also a good chance that they'd draw attention. Quite a few creatures seemed to have a taste for horse meat.<br/><br/>Though he'd been mostly silent on every subject, Dane finally seemed to think there was a question that deserved an answer.<br/><br/>"I don't relish the idea of going into unknown territories on the back of something that can break my leg if it decides to fall or bolt." It was a very valid point. "If I can't find a horse I trust, I'll walk." He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked to Caine who, apt to play all sides, gave a nod of his head. His icy eyes turned to Ace.<br/><br/>"And what's your opinion on it? Ride or walk?"<br/><br/>Dane turned to look at Ace as well and, for the first time, he seemed genuinely interested in what the man was going to say. Despite his show in the tavern (and a soft scowl that still rested on his face), this came down to how they were going to begin their journey. It boded well for the future that he seemed to be reserved and aloof, but only when it wasn't absolutely crucial. It was a valuable skill for someone working in a team.