Mara smiled at Nirael's promise of protection, and he caught a hint of a blush rising to her cheeks, though she said nothing.  Lunari returned and picked some food out of the cooking pan with her knife, eating it straight from the blade.  She gestured at the forest behind her,<strong>"I've scouted the path ahead, and about a mile down came to the top of a cliff face.  Climbing a tree there, I got a good lay of the land."</strong><br/><br/>She traced her fingers in the dirt and drew out a rough map.<strong> "We're here, about half an hour east of the road.  We could head back to the road, continue south, and make the next major town before nightfall."</strong><br/><br/>Mara nodded and supplied the town's name,<strong>"Yanyek, a trading post and hub for farmers, similar to the town you left yesterday, though a bit larger.  The last stop on the southern road before Kaleyk the port town at the sea.  If you want to catch a ship we could make Yanyek by nightfall and Kaleyk within four days, maybe three if the weather holds."</strong>She gestures to the treeline where six horses are now grazing, the two that Lunari and Niriel were riding plus four others.<strong> "I can trade the hunters mounts for supplies or coin, though it might mark our passage.  I could also just let them go here in the wilds if you think that's wiser?"</strong><br/><br/>Lunari gestured to the map in the dirt again and said,<strong>"Well that would be a choice if we do continue to town.  But if we're going to turn north east and find the wizard, we don't want to head south much longer.  The wilds begin to thin out and it will be harder to hide.  Also I'd find it hard to beleive that the demon Marda..."</strong><br/><br/>Mara snorted and made a disgusted face,<strong>"Do you need to say his name?  It sounds too close to my own for my own comfort."</strong><br/><br/>Lunari chuckled at the joke and continued,<strong> "...I find it hard to believe that <em>the demon</em> won't have more hunters in the port town.  If he'd hire hunters in the wilds and small trading towns then certainly he'd have people in a large port town for certain.  So if we are going to turn east, we should do so soon.  There's a river about half a day to the east that runs north east to south west.  We could follow that and make good time while heading in the right direction.  But of course a river is likely to be almost as traveled as a road, if not more so.  Also there's more chance of running into natural predators as well."  </strong><br/><br/>She drew a third line between the three long lines she already had drawn,<strong>"Alternatively I've found some ancient paths, trails through the wilds leading mostly north east, though they meander, through the woods.  That would be the safest in terms of detection.  Short of scrying, there's next to no chance any hunters would find our trails in any reasonable amount of time.  Though our progress will be slower and it will be several days in the woods before we find ourselves back in any form of civilization.  Plus, the woods may hold their own dangers of course. "</strong><br/><br/>Mara spoke up,<strong> "I can promise you that I can keep us fed and alive out here in the woods as long as we need, though maybe not the most comfortable, if that helps any?"</strong><br/><br/>Lunari nodded, then both women turned to look at Nirael, eager for his input.  It had become clear that he would be the deciding factor, even if all three of the options were discarded in favor of something else.