Lydia walked the solitary pathway with the birds flitting over head, securely wrapped in Shenyo’s tail. They were silent with only the crunching of leaves heard from her footsteps. Shenyo moved as silently as death. She kept wanting to ask him his thoughts or what plans he might be formulating, but something in his demeanor stopped her. She realized it was enough that they were together and alive. They walked until her footsteps were dragging and the sun was lowering in the afternoon sky but Lydia was not one to complain. Following Shenyo became her life's purpose.<br/><br/>The pathway finallyy led to an opening, a meadow it once was but now the remnants of a farmer’s market belied the fact that civilization was close. Old pumpkins lay broken shells amid rotten tomatoes and shelled corn. She stepped over a faceless doll.  Shenyo’s tail pulled her tighter and Lydia was glad for its comfort. They could hear voices, happy voices, in the distance but rather than approaching the village, they moved closer to the trees, even though it required them to pick their way through brambles and rocks.<br/><br/>They crept up a small rise. Shenyo’s tail tugged her to a crouch and they approached the edge on their bellies. Small evergreen bushes camouflaged their presence as well as his feline scent. No one down below seemed to notice them. Lydia was tired. They had not stopped to eat or to rest, so harried were they to put distance between themselves and the nobles. She lay her head down and closed her eyes while she waited for Shenyo to decide what they needed to do next.<br/>