It wasn't too long before all of the creatures were in for the night and the watch was established. Muk asked for the mid shift. Freya napped early so she might accompany him, as they had barely a moment to themselves over the entire day. Before long both were woken up by the duty ranger, and they moved to a comfortable position over the lodge.

Miles of water and green Savannah surrounded them as the river drained into the sea. The pastoral scene made Muk fearful of an aerial predator, but seeing none he melted into his own aerialist. Freyas arms around him were soft and a fair bit larger than her arms were as a mouse.

"I said that I would follow you to the end of the warrens," he whispered, holding her feathered hand in his, "but I never expected you to take me up on it."

"Where you go, I go husband. We're together for this," she replied, her birdlike eyes closing under her cloak.

Just because she was up didn't mean that she was going to keep her eyes open, as the assembled creatures all seemed to need some form of darkness to rest. It was something that eluded them except in the depths of the beaver lodge where they had all stayed. Muk felt at home in the dark as the constant brightness of the warren wore on him.

"This journey, this warren, I never would have expected this. I thought that my time as the quartermaster would be the peak of what I could achieve, then the war happened and... I'm glad it resolved itself at least for now."

Before they left Yellowrock proper, word had come out that the Marquis had pulled out of the territory that they had annexed. Muk had mixed feelings about leaving, but he had left his Family legacy in capable hands.

"I...think that we may be called upon to return to the Marquisate."

Freyas voice had gone quiet and Muk wondered how much of that was the blue jay and how much of it was her.

"Are you very certain?"

"I cannot be sure. But how many druids here have the ability that I have? It's rare and I hadn't understood how much until today."

Muk nodded, but then sighed as he realized she wouldn't be watching. She could feel him and he passed along puzzlement.

"There's one other druid that can do what I do here, aside from River and Spring and... He is in need of some tutelage. River was working with him a little today."

Muk squeezed tighter. The specifics of her powers had seemed both vague and particular to him, a callback to the many things that the academy tried to teach him and the other cadets. All those days of studying and drills came back to him as he searched for something to say. As a new husband though, he realized that he did not wish to dominate the discourse, so he said nothing. Perhaps over time, he would learn when to jut in correctly, but for now he let the companionable silence pass over them.

Far out in the fields, several large beasts roamed, their towering mass captivating his attention for a brief moment before he flitted to the next. They were dozens, if not hundreds of mice tall and Muk was thankful that they seemed to be harmless grass eating nomads. Otherwise, he might have abandoned all of his hopes. Thinking about the wyvern that Freya has summoned from her own warren still gave him chills. He would probably need to talk to Sam about that sooner rather than later. She, along with Sela seemed to be the most experienced of all of the rangers, though he didn't know what he would see when he arrived in the valley.

"They're peaceful," Freya said, "Would that our lives could be so free of worry."

"Aye," he replied, "That is the dream that the druids promise to give us. Druids and their rangers keep the beasts at bay for the good of all creatures. That is our pledge."

"Would that we could. Though with the way things are going, I'll settle for whatever it is with you. Be it peace, war, or warrens."

Before long their relief arrived and they settled in for the rest of the night. The blessed darkness covered them once they got deep enough into the lodge and that was enough for Muk. He was ready for it and sleep came easier.

---

The next morning, rations were given out to the chickens and creatures and more than a few druid initiates complained of sore backs or knees. It took a nearly unforgivable amount of time to get the caravan going and Muk was glad that he wasn't in charge, because the yelling was not directed at him. Nor was there yelling as he had expected that there would be.

It was a strange thing to miss, yelling. It meant order and it meant a hierarchy, but most of all it meant movement. These civilians had for the most part never been part of a uniformed outfit. They had barely been armed before and it was beginning to show with how green they were.

The morning setup was more akin to a family trip in Muks eyes and he saw it as his duty to keep his mouth closed as he took his leisure relaxing as those around him moved faster and faster.

"Elizardbeth, good day to you," he said to the stretching lizard.

"Ranger Muk, a pleasure."

She wasn't really a morning person, he decided. Or perhaps he should withhold judgement. He smiled.

"Will you require assistance today? I can ready my mount for you? I was thinking that we could take turns if needed. Otherwise the rangers like the idea of what we're calling mounted reconnaissance. It's something that Yellowrock was giving a trial to last season."

"Mounted reconnaissance? What does that entail?"

"Riding ahead and around the pack. Its a new way to get early warning when you don't have eyes in the sky. It's a recent change with Yellowrock scouts using it to great effect on the campaign. We found ourselves in need of a ground view of things in the battle for Marwei. The Marquis field army had excellent archers, perhaps too good in fact. Our aviary- the bird soldiers all were unable to take the field after some losses, this destroyed some of our best reconnaissance prospects."

"Oh look, Sam and Spring are standing up to go, it's probably time."

"You never told me if you would accept the deal. If needed you can ride behind me. I wouldn't be averse to company."

"Ranger Muk that's a bit...uh... Thank you. I wouldn't mind it and perhaps we can rotate with a few of the newer druid candidates that are suffering from traveling all day."

Muk smiled, helping her up to the chicken. He gave his mount some good scratches and checked her saddle bags before helping Elizardbeth up. That she left him too.

Muk quickly checked the other four chickens and their bags before the line formed. Four druid initiates had mounted three of the other chickens, with the final one a bit more weighed down by packs.

Returning to his mount, he saluted the druid before scurrying up into position.

"Does it get any better on the road from here on out?"

"No unfortunately."