Edmund had been making sure his findings were secure; his gold purse tied tight to his belt, his tome in good condition, and the swiftsoles--he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. On the one, there was something to be said for having the shield you desire to hide behind be able to keep up. On the other, if one needed a quick retreat... He'd hold onto it for now.<br/><br/>He turned towards the others. "Well, that was a right rotten night; thrown out of your home, on the run, and what's worse, I had to leave behind my sword. It had sentimental value, too...sigh..." He dusted himself off, and looked to the east, and the large cloud of black smoke. "Right...if anyone wants my opinion, I say we keep going this way. The winding nature of the path has been an irritant, but it's better than going back in<em>that</em>direction. If they could spare that many soldiers to capture you, milady, it doesn't bode well for the expedition. Getting you to sanctuary has to be in our top priority." After all, if she were dead, how could Edmund reclaim his former power?