A/N: Here is the next one! Hope you enjoy! Thanks to:
ShadowHunter Mashell and I Forget for reviewing the last chapter!

We were to leave in three days. That gave us, or rather, Teryl, time to prepare, pack bags… say goodbyes… That sort of thing. It would only be for a few weeks, but Dash never the less looked a bit more resigned. It was hard to tell, with him, but I had the feeling he would miss her.

Well Teryl… this is the life you Chose, I thought as I saw a traveling saddle pack get stuffed fuller and fuller. She started baking travel-cakes as well, and other filling, easily packable foods. I wondered if I should offer them coin for my stay, but they seemed to ask nothing and I worried it might offend them. They seemed to take me as almost part of the family, as if I'd up and joined them and someone told them it was meant to be.

The night before we left I suddenly found myself alone with Dash, and to my surprise, his eyes were damp and shiny in the dim lamplight. He pulled me off to the corner with a strong grip, glancing over to make sure Teryl and her father were well and distracted.

"Daneric," Dash said, and I realized it was the first time he'd addressed me by name. He rarely ever spoke… and I worried as to what he'd say now.

"Yes?" I asked timidly, wishing I didn't look like such a sissy with my snow white girl length hair. I had to start ponytailing it or crop it short- but the thought of the transfer over and my Companion self with a cropped mane made me wince, and a ponytail in this weather would be bitingly cold.

"Take care of her," he said in a low, harsh whisper and gave me a very pointed look and then moved off, entering the living room to sit down beside Teryl and gaze into the fire, his seat and little more drooped over.

I stared for a moment at him and then entered to my accustomed space, the spot where the mother or grandmother of the house would usually occupy, and started my uneasy rocking by the warmth of the fire.

Did Dash know something? He almost seemed to be treating this as if Teryl was leaving and never coming back… but I wasn't going to Choose her… what did he think? He couldn't possibly know what I really was, what on Velgarth could make him think he'd never be seeing his young lady again?

I shrugged these thoughts away and before I knew it I had dozed off in the chair. When I woke, everyone else was gone to bed and the house was quiet. I quickly slipped into my quilts in the floor and fell into a dreamless, troubled sleep. Something told me this was not the end.

Morning came too soon and I woke earlier than everyone else for once and I padded into the chilly kitchen to add a few sticks to the oven stove and put a pot of hot water on. I had learned much in my short time here- one of those things was how to make a good bit of cocoa or tea.

Dash woke second, looking unusually disheveled. His eyes were dark and rimmed as if he hadn't slept much either, yet he looked strangely determined as he sat down in front of the table wordlessly.

Yael came in next and started up a quiet conversation with Dash, most of which I missed because the water began to boil and I started mixing up to cocoa. By the time it was ready all three sat at the table, waiting for the cocoa I presumed.

Teryl shot me a smile and said softly, "You're a quick learner."

I blushed again and quickly shoved away thoughts of making her a Herald before saying, "Well, I still can't make breakfast. You'll have to help me with that."

"I'll do it," Dash said and when I turned around he was already standing. Teryl just smiled and shrugged, so I sat down and stared at wood grains, wishing for the moment when we could just go, and wondered how I was going to fix a saddle to a saddle- even a saddle disguised as a pack.

My poor, poor saddle, I thought. It wasn't receiving the sort of conditioning a saddle of its quality should have, and it was just a wonder the bridle bells hadn't accidentally sounded out their soft chime and alerted someone that my 'packs' weren't all they seemed to be. At least they hadn't noticed I never went into them for anything.

To my surprise, Dash could cook. It didn't have the added touch that Teryl put into her meals, but it was most definitely edible and with the limited supplies of a remote farmhouse it was downright complimentary.

And finally, at long last, the time had come. We bundled up in all our clothes, and Dash gave me an extra sweater of his which made me just that much more warm and made me even more determined to bring Teryl back home safe and sound. What better way could I repay their kindness?

Teryl had a flush to her cheeks even before we stepped outside, and I could tell she was excited. It warmed my heart to be giving this to her, and since I wouldn't be stealing her life away… It just made it all that much better.

The day was a bit warmer than previous days, and the snow was slushier, but it didn't really slow or enhance our progress on the two horses. What I did notice was that I wasn't used to long distance riding anymore. It was ingrained in me, even though I was now the ridden and not the rider, or supposed to be anyway. However, muscle isn't ingrained in ones self, and I didn't look forward to the time I'd be spending in the saddle in the near future.

If only I knew how to get back into my real self! It would just solve everything! The Adepts at Haven had better know how to get me back to myself, it would be too much on top of everything to find I was stuck this way.

With a guilty twinge, I realized I was being selfish. What was more important than getting me back to me preferred four legged self was why I had switched in the first place! How could I have forgotten?

However… the lack of any sort of attack or offense suggested it wasn't some sort of enemy mage as I originally suspected. More like it was a freak accident, a remnant of the Mage Storms or an untrained powerful young Mage. I almost wished I'd tried harder to investigate my change… but a naked human isn't a fun thing to be, and I'd be glad to turn this over to more capable hands and hooves.