They stopped abruptly and Winter shot up. Qrow put a hand on her mouth to keep her quiet and a hand on her shoulder to calm her. She blinked a couple of times to take note of their surroundings. The woods were so dense that the cart couldn't go any further, but there was a lot more light than expected.
"We're here." Qrow whispered.
He rummaged around in the bench seats and strapped the coin purse to his person and pulled out the darkest blanket they had. He handed Winter the waterskin and biscuits and made sure that she had her dagger. He set the mule loose and began to use dead branches to cover the cart. He secured his sword and looked at her.
"I need to do this next part alone. If you follow this stream by foot until you reach the treeline I will meet you there after dark. Rest, but don't sleep. Make sure you eat and drink so that you're fit to fight. Don't get caught, please." Qrow helped her step out of the cart. He handed her the darker blanket and she wrapped it around herself like a cloak, knowing that she needed to stay hidden.
He looked down at her and his heart hurt. He did not want to leave her alone but he couldn't take her with him. They needed backup and he needed a plan. He knew she was fierce but there would be nowhere to run. He pulled her close to his in a tight embrace and he kissed her head. Winter squeezed him tightly and she began to worry that this would be their goodbye. He kissed her forehand and kissed her hand. Winter reached up and kissed his cheek. They could waste no more time. They broke apart from their embrace and Qrow transformed and took to the skies.
Winter walked along the stream for an hour, tears tumbling over her cheeks. She walked slowly to conserve energy and to stay stealthy. She would eat a biscuit every now and then and take a drink from the waterskin. Her legs ached but she pressed on. Another hour passed and the trees began to thin out. She could see water and found that the treeline ended on a cliff face.
She peeked out between the trees on her right and saw the vast open sea. To her left she saw a harbor thick with ships. The ships were all flying the black flag. Winter stepped back into the treeline and pulled the blanket around her tighter, making sure that her hair was covered.
She looked around and found a tree with some low hanging branches. She decided to climb up into the canopy for some coverage. It was a tough climb which lead to more than a few falls and scrapes, but finally she made it. She jumped across to a higher tree branch that had thicker leaves and she steadied herself. She sat and ate and stretched every so often to keep from falling asleep. She held her dagger in her hand and sat still. The sun was setting. Not much longer now.