A cloud seemed to pass over Syela's face, and with the force of a thunderstorm tears welled up in her eyes. She thought of Aymala, and Milena, her brother and her parents back in Rutland. What were they doing at this moment? Were they out looking for her? They would be worried to death by now, with her gone and no trace left that they could follow. Syela pressed her hand to her eyes and cried. After a while, as the tears started to cease, Jolly gently laid his arm around her shoulder. "I know you miss them, and I cannot tell you when you will be seeing them again. But consider..." With his free hand he gestured around the room, and Syela knew that this movement embraced the whole beautiful landscape around them, "you have a new family here. And we're more than happy to have you in our midst."
Syela sniffed and wiped the last tears off her face before she gave Jolly a sideways glance. "Are they all as good as you?" she asked quietly. The man smiled affectionately. "They're better than me." The girl considered this for a moment before she replied:"Then I'll be more than happy to have you as my new family."
On finishing their breakfast, Jolly urged Syela to take off. They still had quite a way to go to the camp, and he had promised her not to take the ghost horse, but retorted to a more convenient way of travelling. "We'll take our carriage", he said as he led her around the tavern to a back yard, followed by Carmel and Cailin who wanted to say their good-byes to them. In the yard stood a versatile looking coach with a strong, night-black - and alive - gelding yoked to it. The carriage was also black, with a large white square painted on both doors that bore an intricately designed seal in its center. Carmel pointedly cleared her throat and tugged at Jolly's arm. "You tell Kyler he should stop messing around with that carriage", she warned. "The pace he tries to squeeze out of it, he'll break his neck one day." - "But Mom!" Cailin piped up before Jolly could answer. "Kyler knows about vehicles, nothing'll happen!" Feeling cornered by her own daughter, Carmel just rolled her eyes heavenwards, then pulled Syela closer to her and whispered:"If you'll ever go in that carriage with Kyler... be careful." - "I will", Syela promised, wondering vaguely who this Kyler might be. But her thoughts were cut short by Jolly motioning her to climb into the carriage. Syela hugged Cailin shortly, promising to call on her soon, and made herself comfortable in the surprisingly plush interior of the coach. Jolly scrambled upon the coach-box, cracked the whip across the horse's back, and the carriage rumbled off.
