The morning brought a sharp wind that carried the smell of rain, though the sky remained stubbornly clear. Coco packed their bedroll with practiced efficiency while Meadow scattered the ashes of their fire, making sure no trace remained of their overnight stop.
"We need to pick up the pace today," Coco said, adjusting their pack straps. "Still got about three days to Haven's Deep."
Meadow tilted her head in question, ears pricking forward with interest.
"Haven's Deep," Coco repeated, then realized she'd never actually told Meadow where they were heading. "That's... where we're going. It's a city."
They started walking, following a barely visible path that wound between scattered rocks and patches of scrub grass. Meadow fell into step beside them, but Coco could feel her curious gaze.
"It's where I'm from," they admitted after a while. "Most wanderers don't have a home base, but I... there are people there who expect me to check in sometimes."
The path began to slope downward, following the natural curve of the landscape. Coco had walked this route dozens of times, but it never got easier. Each step closer brought a familiar knot of anxiety to their chest.
They stopped for a water break beside a cluster of weathered stone markers, automatically touching the small prayer bead clipped to their belt. Meadow watched the gesture with that focused attention she brought to everything.
"Daily devotion," Coco explained, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "Every step taken in faith, and all that."
Meadow reached out and gently touched one of the stone markers, her fingertips tracing the carved symbols with careful precision. She looked up at Coco with a questioning expression.
"Waymarkers," Coco said. "Messages from other travelers."
They shouldered their pack again, wincing slightly as they adjusted the weight. Their left arm had been bothering them more than usual lately, but they tried to ignore it.
"Oh, and..." Coco paused, looking almost embarrassed. "When we get there, people are going to call me by my real name Casey. Coco is just a nickname that people gave me as I told you before..."
Meadow nodded seriously, as if filing this information away for later use.
"Haven's Deep is..." Coco searched for the right words. "Different from other cities. More advanced. There's someone there who... well, she makes things work better than they should. It's complicated."
Their expression darkened slightly, and they clearly didn't want to elaborate.
"We should keep moving," they said, starting down the path again. "Long way still to go."
As they walked, Coco found themselves stealing glances at Meadow. She moved through the landscape with that same easy grace, never seeming to tire. It should have been reassuring.
Instead, it just added to the growing list of things about her that didn't quite make sense.
Three days to Haven's Deep. Three days to figure out what they were going to tell people about their mysterious traveling companion.
The wind picked up again, carrying a promise of rain, and Coco pulled their scarf higher around their face.