A Natural Respite and Refuge
Spring had come at last. The cold ache of winter receded, letting the new yellow-green growths on the trees finally color the hills and mountains that clove Torrezon in half. The rivers were running high, new life was growing and blooming everywhere, and the sun was shining.
Arturo had received a small bonus stipend a short while back that he had been saving for this trip. They would need a proper arrangement of horses, hearty and trail-tested ones at that, in order to carry everyone and everything through the mountains. He had invited the High Marshal to come join him before he set off back home. Guitirre had been a little surprised at the invitation, but decided to take him up on the offer.
"A few weeks out in nature will do you good," Arturo had said to him. From the look on his face, the older vampire couldn't disagree.
He made sure to stock up on plenty of supplies -- tents, things to sleep on, various tools, a number of maps, all kept either bound to saddlebags or things that would need to be carried. Arturo had planned for at least thirty to accompany them on this trip, just to be safe. It was going to be a long journey.
Lazaro had been a bit hesitant to leave his own duties behind. There was much to be done, much to plan, but Arturo had been incredibly insistent, and so the priest finally caved. The paladin knew he'd be thanking him later. Hopefully. So long as the others didn't get into too much trouble, of course.
The paladin did compromise on stopping in a small village on the eastern side, after they crossed back over, just so he could send out a bit of paperwork that he'd be bringing along with him. He thought that Lazaro might've been granted more leeway now that the bat was gone, even temporarily, but apparently he was wrong in that assumption.
Regardless, he also had made some arrangements to ensure that the animals were being watched. Hibana would be accompanying, but on leash. Otherwise he knew the wolf would simply run off and get too lost on his own. Luckily, getting the leash to be nearly as long as his house was wide wasn't of too much trouble, so he could still run enough. Aster, Guitirre's mastiff, seemed not to like him very much. The High Marshal told her to hush her whining and growling.
He went through one last bit of counting to make sure that everything was ready before he went to go call Vasro to begin grabbing their guests and fellow adventurers.