Mark awoke the next morning to light streaming through the windows. He sat up slowly from the couch and rubbed the back of his neck groggily. He looked around the empty room before standing up and walking around. It was oddly silent in the house. Was Eden not awake yet? Faint voices outside caught his attention, so he quickly hurried over to the door to check it out.

"I don't know. Possibly a few weeks, maybe more." It was Eden's voice.

An unfamiliar voice responded. "Are you sure this is worth your time? Isn't there more important things you should be doing?"

"I'm sure. Just trust me on this."

Before Mark could hear any more, the door suddenly opened and Eden stepped inside. Mark nearly toppled over from leaning against the door, but quickly steadied himself to avoid looking like more of an idiot. Eden raised her eyebrow in surprise, but Mark could detect a hint of slight amusement written on her face.

"Well, good morning, Mark," she spoke coyly. "Did you sleep well?"

"I...uh..." he stuttered. "Yes, I did, thank you. How about you?"

She smiled. "I'm slept well, thank you. Let's eat quickly so we can get going."

"Okay," he replied, but then froze suddenly after he re-evaluated her words. "Wait, what do you mean by 'we'?"

"I'm coming with you," she answered promptly.

"Wait, what?"

She tilted her head. "Why? Do you not want me to come along?"

"I..." Mark started, stumbling over his words. "I'm speechless...I don't know what to say... I mean, yes, I'd love it if you came with me, but I don't want to force you to do anything. What you've given me is enough already. I...I would hate to ask more of you."

She laughed. "Aw, you're sweet. But don't worry about it. I've been to more places than you, and it seems like you're in need of a guide anyway."

Mark paused. "Are you sure?"

She nodded quickly. "Please, allow me to provide you with whatever aid I can. Your sister obviously means the world to you, and I want to do everything I can to help you two reunite."

"Thank you," Mark said slowly. "But may I ask you one thing?"

A small smile formed on her face. "Ask away."

"Are you usually like this with people you just meet?"

She laughed. "Only certain ones."

***

Mark stared, wide eyed, at the beast before him. The large brown horse whinnied loudly, and its black tail swished back and forth. He attempted to approach slowly, but the horse scurried away from him. Luckily, it was tethered to a pole, so it had no where else to run. Mark decided to stay where he was and just wait until Eden came out.

Eden finally arrived dressed in white top and black trousers. She wore brown knee heigh boots and a flowing red coat. In all of the outfits Mark had seen her in so far, all had red in them. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly to himself. This girl must really love wearing red. He must have been making some kind of amused face because Eden raised an eyebrow when she looked at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked, nudging him slightly.

"You really like wearing red, don't you?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so. It's my favorite color." She tilted her head. "What's yours?"

"Green," Mark answered quietly. "Dark green specifically. But I just wear brown all the time because it's the only color I really have. I'm not complaining though. I mean, at least I have different shades of brown except for just one, you know? And—" he stopped himself. "Sorry. You just asked my favorite color and I went completely off topic."

Eden laughed. "Don't worry. I find it quite charming." She ran a hand through her hair. "So, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"No," Mark admitted.

Eden clicked her tongue. "Well, I guess you better learn on the fly. Traveling by horse will be way faster than traveling by foot. We can cover much more ground in less time." She paused, seeing uncertainty written all over his face. "Don't worry. It's not that hard."

Gently, she took his hand in her own and led him over to the brown horse. "This," she introduced. "is Nutmeg. She's a pretty docile girl, so as long as you stay calm, she'll stay calm. Alright?"

Mark nodded slowly. "Oh...okay."

"Do you need me to help you up?" she teased.

Mark shook his head quickly. After stroking the Nutmeg's neck for a few moments, Eden detached the horse's tether from the post. She then headed over to her own horse, a cream colored mare by the name of Marigold. Following her example, he hoisted himself onto the saddle of his horse. Nutmeg whinnied, but thankfully didn't immediately buck him off her back. He made sure both his feet were in the stirrups and awkwardly took the reins in his hand. He turned toward Eden who gave him a reassuring smile.

"That's it. You've got it!" she encouraged. "Now, squeeze the horses's sides gently with your legs to get her to move. Not too rough, mind you."

Mark nodded. He lightly applied pressure with his legs, but Nutmeg still didn't move. He looked over at Eden in confusion. Her lips twisted into a confused frown.

"Um, maybe you're being too gentle," she mused.

"But I don't want to upset her."

"It'll be okay, don't worry."

Mark bit his lip. He applied slightly more pressure to the horse's sides. Nutmeg began to move in a slow trot. Slowly but surely, he made his way out of the fence. He couldn't help but smile slightly to himself. He was actually doing it! He looked over at Eden, smiling, but that smile soon faded when he realized he didn't know how to stop.

"Uh, Eden," he called, his voice slightly jumpy. "How do I stop this thing?"

Eden didn't reply for a few moments, just enjoying the sight of him riding Nutmeg around in circles, unsure of what to do. Finally, she gave in to his frantic calls for help. "Just give the reins a pull and sit back on your saddle."

Mark quickly followed the girl's instructions and just as the said, the horse came to a halt. Eden rode up next to him and elbowed him playfully. "See? That wasn't so bad. Now, can you remember those tips for the whole trip?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

She smiled. "Good. And now, we're off! The quickest route to Zebulon still takes about three days, so we might be traveling for a while. Just stick close to me, and try not to fall behind, okay?"

He nodded again, but his expression appeared grim.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't know if I can find her in time..." he spoke softly, but then shook his head. "What am I saying? I'm sorry. I should be more optimistic, shouldn't I?"

Eden gave him a soft smile. "Yeah, you should be. I'll give you all the help I can, and we'll be able to find her. Maybe we can interrogate a Healer if we ever come across one, and they'll help lead us to her or at the very least, supply information. Just, keep your chin up, alright?"

He nodded, a smile coming onto his own face. "Okay. And thank you, Eden. For everything."

She grinned and patted his shoulder. "It's no problem. Now, come on, we're burning daylight here."

Before he could even react, she was riding off. He quickly nudged Nutmeg into a trot and then a run to catch up with Eden. As soon as he neared her, he slowed down again. She glanced over at him, smiling. The sun made her light hair shine, and her amber eyes seemed to glow with excitement.

"I never really get to go on adventures or quests, so this is something sort of new for me too. I don't know if I have the right to be excited, but I am."

"You don't travel very much?"

She shook her head. "Other than what my job calls for, no. My dream is to travel the realm and to see all that nature has to offer and to search for unique treasures and specimens. Maybe one day I'll do it."

"Hm, that sounds really nice."

"Would you ever consider joining me? If that dream became a reality? I mean, I could use a partner."

Mark envisioned what that life could be like. It was greatly enticing, but he shook his head. "I can't. I have to take care of my family. I need to care for my parents when they get older and for Addie for as long as I can. They need me back home."

Eden nodded. "I understand." She ran a hand through her hair. "So, we'll be traveling for a while, so we might as well get to know each other better for as long as we're travel partners."

"Yeah," he agreed. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Alright, then!" she said with a smile. "We'll be best friends by the time we reach Cyfoeth."