The Lone Kirin

Miscalculation

Valeria was sure that taking a wolf squad wasn't going to help us all that much when we eventually wanted to interact with society. So she just ordered them to stay behind and watch out for her children, when they came back. For them, she left a magical note, that would speak her words out loud when they came back.
Impressive stuff.

She decided to keep the crows, although I do not know why.
They would take all the time hunting after us until we came to a rest. And then they would be too exhausted to do their job.

Well, whatever. They'll come in handy, at some point.

[Are you finished yet?]

Valeria dove into her pond and was out of my sight, searching for something.

"Wait a few more minutes."

[How much luggage can a Nymph even have? Especially one that wants to travel a lot.]

"You'd be surprised how many souvenirs I have gathered. Before I got pregnant, my life had a lot of ups and downs. And for each high and low, I have a little thing that reminds me of it."

[And how exactly do you want to drag all of that around? It's not like we have any bags on us. Or do you?]

"You'd be surprised, but this young and rebellious Nymph once lived in a society that wasn't unlike those that exist in these lands."

[You know, how that tells me exactly nothing. I don't know about stuff like "society."]

"Well, all you have to know is that I do have the means of transporting stuff around. Us Fey do..."

[Just get on with it.]

"Is someone in a bad mood today?"

[Nope. But I want to leave this place as fast as possible. Too many emotional attachments.]

"That's deep."

For that, she stuck up her head out from the water, just to give me a raised eyebrow.
After another 10 minutes, she finally emerges and has a bag over her one shoulder.

[You have a bag with you but no clothes?]

"Well. I didn't think I had to show myself when traveling around."

[But even then. Just having them wouldn't hurt, yes?]

"I guess. But you know. We Nymphs are nudists by nature. Not that we enjoy being around people naked, but clothes just inhibit you from feeling nature. And you can understand how that may interfere with our way of living."

[I suppose.]

"Fine. Then let's ride! I want to get out of the forest on our first day out. Maybe even ride beyond the border."

[How far is that?]

As if she knew that I was going to ask that, Valeria pulls out a map and shows it to me. There is one landmass on there, so I assume that that is the continent we are on.

"You see this tongue there on the right? That is where we are right now. With your current speed, we will reach the border in about a week's worth of traveling."

I study the map for a few moments.

[Isn't that way too long? If I keep up my max speed without throwing you off, we should be able to reach it in two days.]

"We aren't racing there now. Are we? Let's take some time to look at stuff. Maybe visit some villages. I am sure my fellow fey have plenty of wondrous places on this route. We could go to the beach. Swim in the ocean. Do all sorts of stuff. We don't have to hurry."