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Feyrahl, FurAffinity Edition Strengthening Bonds, Ch 3.4 Kenzie awoke as the sun began to rise, little rays seeping through the lacing that kept the tent flaps closed. The night had afforded her a dramatically different camping experience than the few she'd had prior. Aside from the obvious difference between synthetic materials and natural fibers and furs. Kenzie had never actually camped alone in her own tent. The weather had been relatively temperate, which was nice, and afforded her the ability to quickly change her clothes without the harsh bite of a morning chill. She hadn't slept poorly per se, but it was also not wholly restful. Kenzie wasn't sure whether it was due to the fact that she was camping in the wilderness or because there was something on her mind; she hadn't stopped thinking about the conversation she'd overheard between Cecil and Silas or the possible ramifications of what it could mean if Cecil had been developing feelings for her... or Silas... or both of them. It also didn't help that she wasn't sure where she stood on the matter either. As she considered that discussion, Kenzie heard that a fresh one had started outside of her tent. The young woman could hear the fresh pop and snap of a campfire interspersed between words being shared by her companions. They were making no real attempts to keep their discussion private expect that they were speaking at respectful levels, presumably not to awaken her as they likely didn't know she was awake. Rather than hazard a repeat of the prior night, Kenzie ensured that her preparations for the day were complete, she unlaced her tent flap, and she exited greet the day and her companions. Cecil was seated by the fire with a stick in either paw. The skewers were each adorned with a sausage, stretched them out over the flames. Silas was likewise seated and he was checking two small, circular tins placed half in the ash and coals by the edge of the fire pit-- one was upside down over the other, serving as a lid of sorts. It was the Fox who was facing her since Cecil's back was to her tent so Silas was the one to greet her first. "Ah, my dear... good of you to join us. We were going to give you another twenty minutes at most before encouraging you to start the day." Cecil remained facing the fire but both of his ears swiveled back toward her direction. "Good morning, Kenzie... breakfast is nearly ready." Taking a spot by the fire to create a triangle among the three of them, Kenzie glanced at the two sticks in Cecil's grasp. "Is someone going hungry? There are three of us, but only two sausage." Silas smirked, his tail languidly flicking one way then the other. "Ah... we have already broken our fast, my dear. Cecil, in his infinite dilligance to his duty as your guardsman wanted to be certain you would be able to do the same." The Ferret offered his own answer in much more simplistic terms, pausing briefly to check the doneness on the sausage before moving them back over the fire. "These are both for you, Kenzie. We'll be in for a long trip today and you'll need your strength. No telling if we'll be able to stop for food during the day." Kenzie took that in stride, wiping her hands off on her travel britches. "Okay... fair enough. What ARE the plans for the day, exactly?" Silas provided the answer while poking at the small metal tins, easing them out of the coals. "We'll be heading west for a good portion of the day. We have quite the road before us as the plan is to set up camp at Moonfall Rock. Considering this is only the first leg of the journey we will need to cover quite a distance to remain on time." The Fox's answer only raised more questions. "Time for what?" Smiling, Silas gingerly separated the two tins and, with a handkerchef, drew out what looked like a freshly baked roll from the one on the bottom. He reached around the fire to offer it to her, speaking with a wink as he did so. "On time to rest before starting the second portion of the patrol, of course." Ready to object to the non-answer, Kenzie's statement was interrupted as Cecil slid closer to her, offering her the two sticks he'd been holding. "I'll go ready the Heglises while you eat up, Kenzie. We'll want to be up and out soon." Not satisfied with the information she obtained from Silas, Kenzie nevertheless accepted the sausage with a polite 'thank you' to her body guard and took a bite of one of the sausages, wincing, and breathing rapidly through her teeth due to the heat. The Fox laughed with levity at her blunder, which made her scowl his direction. The Ranger held up his paws in a placating manner. "Be at ease, my dear. You need not eat so fast that you develop blisters on the roof of your mouth, nor in a way that will cause your stoamch any great distress. Though I wish to be on the road soon, our pace for the day should enable us to arrive at our destination without any great effort so long as we are mindful on how many breaks we take." Once Kenzie swallowed her first bite of sausage she looked down at the cloth-covered biscuit; it didn't look nearly as refined as what she'd had in the castle but, for some reason, its scent made her think immediately of the ones her grandmother used to make by hand. Before taking a bite she requested of the Fox "So... tell me about Moonfall Rock. What is it and why are we going there?" The Ranger blinked. "Moonfall Rock is a waterfall deep in the forest. We are going there because it is the landmark I have chosen that identifies the end of the first of three legs of our journey." Cecil returned to the fire, carrying three leads with a trio of large riding lizards following him. "Moonfall Rock is also the high point of the forest and is one of the best places to be able to see over the canopy for many leagues." Silas nodded, gesturing toward the Ferret. "Yes... there is that too. Plus..." he leaned a little closer to Kenzie as she took another bite of her sausage. "...it is an amazing site of natural beauty and, truth be told, I would like to make it before nightfall as there are fewer exquisite views than watching the sunset from atop the falls. It is not a trip I get to take often, and rarely is the timeline so well scheduled." Cecil tied off the Heglises and moved to sit beside Kenzie, He offered her an ecouraging smile, his whiskers flicking upward with the expression. "Don't worry, Kenzie... I know you weren't sure what to expect traveling through the wilderness, but you're here with us; we'll keep you safe from anything that might mean you harm." The Ranger chuckled. "This isn't a battlefield, Cee. Few animals in the forest would cause problems for anyone and any that would are located further north." The Ferret doubled-down, shooting a stink-eye at the Fox. "Be that as it may, Lady MacKenzie doesn't know that, so reassurance is a reasonable action... or would you rather she be worried by not knowing, Sie?" Silas cracked a wry grin. "Considering how strong a spirit rumbles within her, she does not strike me as someone who would worry needlessly?" Ceecil puffed up at the Ranger's comment. "Her spirit 'rumbles', does it? I suppose your choice of words has nothing to do with the affinity you have for Earth magic, subtly suggesting other affinities?" It was the most direct thing Kenzie had ever heard sounding even remotely close to a challenge from Cecil toward another person. The Fox just laughed in response. "Oh... would you rather I said the way her spirit 'flows'? I'm certain Sir Victor would have said the way her spirit 'burns'..." There was a certain edge to both their tones-- enough so that Kenzie thought for a moment that they might seriously come to blows over the choice of a verb but, just as puzzling as their strange aggression, they both immediately dissolved into laughter, even patting one another on the back and exchanging half-hugs. In the time it took for the strange scene to calm down and the two men to break camp, Kenzie had finished her breakfast-- the delicious fresh baked roll and both sausage. With their mounts already prepared, the three wasted no time packing everything up and getting back on the road. By Kenzie's estimate it was barey 8am and, if she was right about the sun setting at 9pm, the group was in for a long day of travel. As they headed out on the road, Kenzie noticed that Silas and Cecil had taken up position on the trail both fairly close together on the wide path. She quickly urged her Heglis onward, selecting her own position in the formation.