The next day dawned overcast and colder than the previous one, but at least it wasn’t snowing.  The elementalists helped to pack up as best they could, which namely amounted to them making sure their packs were taken care of while the village dismantled the camp around them.  Campfires were snuffed out and traces that they had been there were minimized as much as possible.  They had time for breakfast as the communal pot was the last thing to be packed and then the entire party was on their way.  They had one wagon drawn by two massive draft horses that had been kept off to the side that carried the majority of their larger goods, such as Marcus’s tent and Tierne’s blacksmithing supplies.  The rest were hauled by pairs who carried the packs on hefty poles between them, the ends resting on their shoulders, or individually, as the elementalists did.

           They were reminded several times to keep their amulets hidden for when they reached Fairwinter, it would be better if no one knew who they were.  Given that two patrols vanished out of existence and a construct that it was likely Enryhll had made had been destroyed, there was a fair chance that he had persons who would be looking for the elementalists.  There were really very few others, if any, that would have been able to match a creation of his…

           The next two and a half days passed by in a comfortable routine for the group.  They assisted when needed, but were otherwise able to maintain their usual order of marching.  This time, though they followed along with the rest of the villagers, quite content to let someone else lead for now.  It lifted a burden they had not realized they were carrying and gave them just that much more freedom from their responsibility.  With the exception of Eleanara and Siwon, none of them used their abilities during their stay with the villagers.  The former provided light at night and healing when needed while the latter made sure that all water needs were met in so far as cooking and waterskins were concerned.  Fires were still started by hand and camps were set up without the need for Leeteuk to create shelters for them.  Neither wind nor shadow was needed either and Summer was glad to have no use for her neutralization.

           Perhaps in the end it was a good thing that they arrived in Fairwinter without further mishap and with Marcus and the villagers.  It was the single largest gathering of persons they had ever seen and the city was overwhelming in its layout and the sheer number of people there.  More surprisingly was that it was nowhere near the size of Lornhaldt…

           “Look at all the buildings,” Eunhyuk murmured, his eyes traveling upwards as he looked at all the structures that rose more than one story off the ground.

           “There are so many people,” Eleanara whispered, drifting closer to Leeteuk nervously.

           “Stay close together,” Leeteuk spoke softly, calling back over his shoulder so that they others would be able to hear him too.

           “Really?” Kyuhyun asked sarcastically, though they could hear a hint of nervousness in his tone too.

           Marcus moved back through the villagers to approach them as he noticed their expressions.  “It’s not as bad as it seems,” he shrugged, pointing down the main road they were on.  “Stick to this street as you’re heading through.  You should come across an inn or two if you want to stay and there’ll be shops to provision yourselves if need be.  I suggest you don’t stay too long though.”  It was a mild warning and they did not miss it.  The longer they stayed in any one place, the more likely it would be that someone else found out about them.  That was the last thing they wanted right now.

           “Thank you, Marcus,” Leeteuk bowed, solemn and respectful.  They owed him much.

           “No, Leeteuk.  Thank you.”  While he did not say it, the unspoken title floated over them as he met all of their gazes, intense and hopeful.  He reached out to shake Leeteuk’s hand and then pulled the smaller man into a bear hug at which he gasped at the strength.  Quietly, he whispered in his ear, “You are a good leader and a good man, Leeteuk.  Don’t forget that.”  With a wry grin, he pushed Leeteuk back and clapped him on the shoulders firmly.  “Good luck,” he stated finally, extending the wish to all of them present before he turned around and filed back through the villagers, taking point and leading them into the confusing city of Fairwinter.

           The elementalists watched him go, looking around uncertainly as the rest of the villagers filed around them, some waving as they passed and others seemingly unconcerned.  Vayna, Drell and Tierne all made sure to make eye contact with the group and then nodded respectfully, disappearing into the milling crowds.

           Leeteuk watched them go as he struggled with Marcus’s parting words.  He could not forget what he had felt in battle, but the desire to protect them all was strong.  That had to be enough.  “Well…let’s get going,” he sighed, reaching down to take Eleanara’s hand before he stepped forward bravely.

           Behind him, the rest fell into step with everyone pressing closely.  Warily, they kept an eye on the people passing by, all strange and unfamiliar faces not unlike their own.  These were the people that stood to lose the most in this stupid war and they went about their daily lives as if nothing was on the horizon.  Granted, it was possible the war wouldn’t reach them for a while yet, but they seemed unconcerned by the outcome.  They ignored their fellow persons and seemed otherwise oblivious.

           Intently, Leeteuk and Eleanara kept a sharp eye for the inns that Marcus had mentioned.  If distance was anything to go by, they had traveled about halfway through the center of the city before they found a place that looked promising; the Mended Nest.  It didn’t inspire confidence exactly but neither was it a dubious name…

           Unlike the Frozen Haven in Moorhall, the Mended Nest was considerably busier and not nearly as clean…  The atmosphere as they stepped in was far more overwhelming as the scent of multiple bodies, different types of food and drink and the ever present smell of the city followed them in.  Leeteuk schooled his expression to one of neutrality as he looked around the room, noting a couple empty tables and from the ones that had occupants, only moderately curious glances.  He thanked the gods that Vayna and Drell had outfitted them to fit in with the general population.  Easily, he disengaged his hand from Eleanara and headed over to the bar in the hopes of finding them lodging and food for the day.  He knew they would all enjoy the chance for a bath…

           As Leeteuk moved up to the average sized man behind the bar, the others looked around curiously, trying hard not to appear too new to the area.  They noted the differences that Leeteuk had from the Gairen’s place and the vast difference in clientele.  Even the smells were harsher and the smoke from the cooking fire wasn’t as well ventilated.  Having had no prior experience with inns before the one in Moorhall, they had no idea which was more the norm…  Fortunately, they didn’t have time to worry about it too much before Leeteuk came back to their group, two keys in hand.

           “Come on,” he urged, taking Eleanara’s hand again and leading the way to the back hall where the rooms were located.  He waited until they had gotten past the general din of noise and further into the hallway before he tried speaking again.  “It’s a similar set up to Gairen’s,” he explained.  “I think the beds are slightly bigger…”  He sounded unsure and as they opened the first door, they were not surprised to see that the two per room were slightly larger than ones in the Frozen Haven; just large enough for two people really and he had been counting on.  “So we’ll be a bit cozy tonight,” he laughed with a shrug as he went to unlock the other door.

           “Not again,” Kyuhyun sighed as he shook his head.

           “Oh, it’s not that bad,” Siwon smiled as he moved closer and placed his hand on one shoulder and his chin on the other.  Kyuhyun groaned as the others smiled or hid laughs behind their hands, amusement dancing in their eyes.

           “So do we know about the possibility of a bath?” Summer asked at the same time Eunhyuk asked, “What kind of food do they serve?”  It had been a couple hours since they had last eaten and a couple days since they’d had a full bath.  Everyone was eager for one or the other.

           Leeteuk stepped out from the second room, free of his pack, and smiled, “We have both.  We can get food brought to the room if we want to avoid the dining area,” and his tone of voice suggested he would prefer that, “and the baths are at the back.  Not sure about the waiting time though.”  His expression turned curious as he thought about that.

           “We’ll go check out the baths if you guys want to work on the food,” Kharin volunteered, gesturing at Summer and Eleanara who both smiled at the thought.

           “Hey!” Kyuhyun complained mildly at which point Siwon, still moderately attached, steered him into the room Leeteuk had emerged from.

           “We can do that,” he assured them as Eunhyuk dodged around them to drop his pack off first.

           “I’m ready,” he grinned, the impish smile returning.

           As the girls settled their packs in their room and carefully locked the door behind them, the men did the same and headed for the dining area for refreshments.  They just hoped that the fare was good.  Kharin, Summer and Eleanara discovered that the bathing area was split into two sides; one for women and one for men, though the water they could draw was only warm at best.  At least the soapstone was decent though and not quite so rough as the ones they’d had to use back home.

           Kharin was glad to see that Eleanara looked nothing like she had a few days ago when she had abused her powers.  Quickly, they washed up and dressed back in the clothes they had worn to the bath, dubious of walking back to their rooms in the short towels the inn provided.  They returned as quickly as they could and knocked on the door to the men’s room.  They had a separate tray of what looked like some sort of stringy sliced meat, hard rolls and a side of some sort of vegetable they couldn’t easily identify.  The men vouched for the taste, or least its palatability and inquired about the bath.  That was easily explained and Kharin unlocked their door as Summer carried the second tray the men had brought while Eleanara snagged the pitcher of water.

           While the men took their turn in the bath, the women ate and settled into their room.  The sounds of the inn were strange to them, with nondescript, unfamiliar voices drifting down the hall from the dining area.  They were glad when the others returned.  The elementalists were easy to recognize as they joked with each other as they came back to the rooms, their laughter carrying into the girl’s room effortlessly.  Leeteuk came to check on them before things started to quiet down for the evening.  “You guys doing alright?” he asked, taking a glance around the room as Eleanara opened the door for him.

           “We’re just fine,” she assured him with a smile, glancing back at Summer and Kharin who nodded in tandem.

           “How are we on supplies?” Kharin asked curiously.  She had looked over her pack earlier and it looked well enough from where the villagers had been able to supply them with a couple things, but she wasn’t entirely sure if they were fully stocked.

           Leeteuk pursed his lips in thought and nodded.  “We’re doing alright for the most part, but we should stop on the way out to see if we might need to pick up an item or two.”  The others nodded in agreement, liking that idea much better than trying to take care of it at night in the unfamiliar city, provided any of the shops were even open at this time.

           “How are you guys holding up over there?” Summer asked, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

           “We’re good,” he assured her easily with another smile.  “Like I said.  The quarters are a bit cozy is all,” he winked, laughing as he pulled his head back to glance as his door when they heard Kyuhyun’s indignant cry through the wall.

           “Siwon!”

           “Go on,” Eleanara urged, pushing him back gently as she sought to close the door.  “We’ll call you if we need anything.”

           “Rest well,” Leeteuk bowed slightly as he let his gaze fall upon the rest of them, eyes lingering just a hint longer than necessary on Eleanara’s before he hurried back to his room and whatever mess the other three had gotten themselves into.  In the end, Eleanara and Kharin shared a bed while Summer had hers to herself.  In the other room, Leeteuk and Eunhyuk took one bed while Kyuhyun suffered Siwon to sleep in the same bed.  The sounds of the inn kept most of them awake longer than they were used to, but eventually sleep overtook them all.