Dawn came too early the next morning. Shirayuki's eyes felt dry and itchy after crying herself to sleep the night before. Going to the wash basin in her room, she wet a cloth and wiped down her face and then tied her hair up. Her small pack sat beside the door, holding a few changes of clothes for the road. Raj had insisted on having a trunk of her and Obi's clothes stored away at his castle to make their visits easier. She assumed Zen and the others would send ahead their things so they could travel lighter. Once she was ready, she put the pack over her shoulders and stepped into the hall. The castle at this hour was always serene. Her stomach grumbled lightly, reminding her that her light dinner last night had not been meant to be all she had eaten, but with all of the stress she had forgotten to swing by the kitchens. She was about to detour to the dining room in hopes of snagging a small breakfast when Obi rounded the corner. His packs and her medicine bag hung off of one shoulder and his hands held a few of her favorite pastries.

"Good morning, Miss. Ready for an exciting day on the road?" His lips canted in a crooked smile. Her eyes missed it, only seeing the food he held. "Miss, my eyes are up here." A chuckle left him as she blushed and looked up at Obi.

"Sorry, Obi. Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

"Always, Miss. Now, let's get you fed before you decide to take a bite out of me as well. Not that I'd mind."

Shirayuki rolled her eyes at him and plucked a danish out of his hands. "Thank you. Are the others ready?"

"Almost. Master sent Sir to wake Miss Kiki. Poor man, I don't think I've ever seen him more terrified." That earned a snort from Shirayuki. Kiki was notoriously grouchy in the mornings. There was a reason no one minded if she was a little late to morning briefings.

As they entered the courtyard, Shirayuki noticed that five mounts were saddled and she glanced dubiously at the gelding she had preferred for her lessons. All along his saddle had been tied various provisions for their trip and one of the stable hands held his reins.

"Don't worry, Miss. He's just for you to ride into Tanbarun or if you get tired of me. Otherwise he'll be just carrying our things." Obi leveled a reassuring smile at her as he strode forward and secured his bags to the gelding.

"I'd never get tired of you, Obi." She handed over her pack as well to him. His hand brushed hers lightly as he took it from her and his heart clenched. She walked over to his mare and stroked her neck while Obi secured her bag and tried to untangle his tongue. While he tried to work out a joke to deflect from himself, the others strode into the courtyard. After a few pleasantries, they mounted up, Shirayuki riding pillion with her guard. As they started out, a yawn escaped her lips and she moved her hand to cover her mouth, still tired after her late night in her office. Reaching back, Obi snagged her hand and brought it back up, resting it lightly on his waist.

"Best to hold on, Miss. Wouldn't want you falling off before we even leave the castle." Shirayuki's cheeks heated and she tightened her grip on him, feeling firm muscles beneath his jacket.

"Oh hush."

She heard a light chuckle ahead of her and lightly pinched his side, making him yelp. Chastised, he settled into the saddle and she looked past him, her eyes glazing over as she tried to forget the grief waiting at the end of her trip, attempting and failing to pretend that this was just any other visit to Tanbarun. Her fingers tightened slightly on him again and he reached down, resting his palm over her right hand briefly and squeezing before letting go. She missed the warmth as soon as it was gone, but they passed the rest of their morning quietly.

The sun was nearly fully overhead when they stopped to take a break and stretch. Obi dismounted and held a hand up to Shirayuki, ready to assist her. She grabbed his hand and threw her leg over the mare, attempting to dismount like he'd taught her. The ride had been longer than she was used to, though, and her legs tried to buckle as she set her feet on the ground. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her up, letting her get her feet beneath her.

"Falling for me, Miss?" he tutted, waiting a moment for her to find her footing before he relaxed his hold and stepped back.

"Always, Obi," she huffed at him, turning his favorite phrase back on him. He blinked in surprise and then laughed. She gave his hand a thanking squeeze before releasing it and walking towards the brush, needing a private moment in the bushes.

Once everyone had taken a turn, they stretched out alongside the trees on the path and ate a quick lunch. Their discussion was kept light and they decided they would camp along the path later in the night, not wanting to detour for one of the inns. They were all used to roughing it, and while they were not going at a breakneck pace, they were loathe to lose more time. Bandit activity was usually fairly low this time of year and they felt fairly confident they wouldn't be harassed.

"Did you want to swap out and ride with me?" Mitsuhide asked, standing and stretching. From the tense set of his shoulders, he thought that Obi might need a moment's peace.

"Oh no, I'm fine, but thank you! I wouldn't want to trouble you." She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Trying to steal her away from me, Sir?" Obi said playfully, "What would Miss Kiki think?"

Mitsuhide coughed and covered his face with a hand, trying to hide his suddenly red face.

"He wouldn't dream of it," Kiki said flatly, clearly still not in the mood to deal with the bickering of the men she was usually saddled with. She also didn't miss the glint in Obi's eyes that said he was only half joking. Shirayuki would not be riding with anyone else.

Zen lightly cuffed Obi over the head and moved back to his mount. "C'mon, let's get going. You two can fight over Kiki when we get there."

"Master, the only one we'd fight over is you," Obi purred, bending to help Shirayuki back onto his mare. Zen rolled his eyes and watched the rest of his entourage get settled. Mitsuhide, chastised, held the reins of the gelding, leading it behind him as they started off again, all of them eager to get to their stopping point for the night.

The sun was low on the horizon when they found a suitable location to camp for the evening. Two tents were procured from the supplies and set up while Obi disappeared into the trees, looking for something to supplement their dinner. By the time Kiki and Shirayuki had their tent and bedrolls set up and Zen and Mitsuhide set up their tent and the fire, Obi was back. A brace of hares was in one hand and a small sack in the other.

"I'm home," he chirped, and set the hares by the fire, ready to be skinned and roasted. The sack he set nearby but wouldn't let anyone look inside. "Dessert," he'd said, with a wink. The group wasted no time, and soon the meat was crackling over the fire. Obi's bedroll was fetched from the horse and settled out not far from the fire. Despite their protests, he would rarely sleep inside a tent. It just didn't feel right when he was so used to sleeping under the stars.

Once dinner was finished and the dessert berries shared, they worked out a watch schedule for the night. Shirayuki insisted on first watch, arguing that she would normally be up anyway if they were at the castle. Reluctantly they agreed and went to their beds. Scooting a little closer to the fire, she pulled out her small journal and made some notations on her studies, keeping an ear open to any changes in the forest. She knew she wasn't much of a fighter, but with everyone so close, she knew she would be able to alert them if she did sense anything off.

After a while, the fire started burning down. She tossed another log on and looked up. Everything was quiet and the only sounds she could hear were Mitsuhide's soft snores. Her eyes glanced over to Obi, where by all appearances, he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He had seen her turn just a moment before she had looked at him and had slammed his eyes shut, exaggerating his slow breathing. The moments he stole watching her work, lit only by the glow of the fire were his favorite. Not that he could ever verbalize them. He fought to keep his eyes closed and his breathing steady as he heard a light crunch heading towards him. His Miss was not as quiet as she thought she was. Hands ghosted over his arm as she brought his blanket up over him more fully.

"Sweet dreams, Obi," she whispered as she traced her hand lightly over his forehead, brushing his hair back. She stood and walked back toward the fire, knowing her watch would be over soon and wanting to finish her work.

"Always," he breathed, so soft she wasn't sure if was real or the wind.