//------------------------------//
// Maps  
// Story: Sins of the Mother 
// by Chelis 
//------------------------------//





As the days of walking wore on, everything became a routine. 

Golden Delicious would be the last one to perform the night watch, getting ready once the first light of the morning sun arrived. He changed his military garb: a green, lightweight, tunic with an assortment of brown leather pouches throughout, and a large green hooded cloak. The 'Equestrian Ranger' garb, the same one that everyone in the group had. It was made for long distance traveling and scouting, which was the modus operandi of the plan.

Everyone else began to wake as he started to finish his daily breakfast of a hardtack with preserved strawberry jelly.   Everyone else was ready in an hour... except Prism Bolt.

To wake up the laziest member of the team, Golden Delicious would carry water when he was down by the local creek to the camp, for everyone to clean, drink and/or to wash their hair or body with a sponge. What was left of the pure water was dumped on the sleeping man. He wheeled around when he was slashed by the icy cold water, always waking up screaming "The fuck!"

He only had half an hour to prepare before they began their daily march to the Griffon Kingdom. Armed with a mandolin, Cotton Candy lead the group in song as they walked, sometimes making up music along the way. They commented on the beauty of the buffer lands, the large trees that seemed to pierce the heavens, and the many animals and birds that called the place home.

Towards the middle of the day, they stopped for an hour or two by a small stream or, if there was none nearby, a pond or spring. They would use the time to rest their feet, eat lunch, or if there was time or enough game: go hunt.  Usually, the hunting time would be reserved for a few hours before sunset, where they would find a cave or a hidden space with a source of water nearby and bunkered down for the night. While Prism, Delicious, and Starburst hunt and forage for mostly herbs, squash, and berries, everyone else either chopped the firewood, prepared the area for them or did an inventory of the remaining supplies. 

The hunters very rarely returned empty handed, usually coming back with small game like quail, rabbits, or even the occasional squirrel. 

When the source of water was large enough, they would go bathing in groups, usually the women and the men washed together, while the others temporarily took over their duties, also making sure that some of the guys (Prism) does not sneak out to peek at the women bathe and vice versa (Cotton Candy... and Anthea).

As soon as all the preparations were done and the cooking was complete, there was not much left to do but to relax and enjoy the meal, which always had a healthy amount of food for everyone. 

The conversation always started with their day of marching, but always went back to the solemn talk of their families and their homes. Every time that happened, Cotton Candy would always lead the group with songs from her mandolin.

With the night continuing, they took turns guarding the encampment while the rest slept, only to continue the same thing again. 

In the buffer, there were only two times that the group decided to settle for a whole day.

The first was a abandoned potato farm. They (mostly golden delicious and starburst) took a look inside, found the place to have been left years ago, the crop still thriving even without the help of human care. Coupled with a stream that ran next to it and the amounts of deer in the area they decided it was the right place to rest their head for a day or two. Deer and Potatoes were grilled that night, and everyone had large portions, it was a feast. 

They left a few hours later, as sleeping in was the group choice.

The second occurrence was at a less as exciting onion farm that had recently been abandoned, and quickly if the indications were correct. They would have moved on, but an afternoon thunderstorm had them pinned down for the night. They did come out with a whole lot more supplies than what to do with. 

All the traveling led up to their destination: the edge of the Griffon Kingdom.

"Woah," Cotton Candy said, looking at the towering statues that marked the border. They were now in dangerous territory: near the roads. That was the idea of the Princess. The idea was that the fewer people seeing them as possible would mean that their movements would not be tracked by either the Princesses of home or whoever was causing the crisis in that foreign land.

Cotton Candy and Anthea admired the three story statues as Starburst placed the paper map on the ground. She was surrounded by the rest of the group.

"We can stay off the roads if we go through this mountain pass, through there we can arrive at Grand Valley without dealing with roads. Once we reach the valley, it's a given with all those towns and farms that we will be seen."

"What about the crisis? Would that affect the valley?"

"My best guess is that if whatever is happening is only going on in the capital city, we will. if this is something more across the kingdom, well we will have to fight our way to our parents, assuming they are at the capital."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Bolt Prism screamed. "Let's go!"