The horse plodded on, all night without rest, hooves muffled by pine needles and soft earth. Byung swayed in the saddle, half-dead with exhaustion. Every muscle burned. His eyes kept sliding shut despite the cold wind that slapped his face. All night they had ridden—no real rest, no safe camp—only the steady rhythm of the horse and the quiet strength of Maui in front of him.

Maui handled everything. She held the reins in one huge green hand, guiding the tired animal along hidden trails she seemed to memorize by instinct. Her other arm stayed wrapped protectively around Byung's waist, keeping him from falling.

Murkfang remained unconscious but it was Byung who was tucked inside her chest, hidden beneath layers of leather and cloak. The sick goblin's fevered breathing was the only sound besides the creak of saddle leather and the soft thud of hooves.

Byung had tried to stay awake at first, scanning the dark for pursuers, but the long escape from Elandor had drained him dry. After the third time his head jerked up from almost falling, Maui had simply pushed him deeper into her breasts so he could be steady..

"Sleep, little inventor," Maui encouraged him, voice low so it wouldn't wake or disturb Murkfang.

"I've got the helm," Maui reassured her.

He meant to argue. He really did. But the moment his cheek rested against the warm curve of her chest, exhaustion won. The steady thud of her heart became the whole world. Safe, strong, unbreakable. He slipped under like a stone into deep water.

Hours blurred. Sometimes he woke just enough to feel the horse change direction, to hear Maui murmur soft orcish words to the animal, to smell pine and frost and the faint iron scent of her skin. Each time he started to pull away, her arm tightened gently, and sleep dragged him back down.

The sun had risen in the distance, yellow light bleeding across the sky, Maui slowed the horse. Byung stirred, blinking grit from his eyes.

"We should be close to dwarf's hold," Maui whispered.

"The dwarf contact. Safe cave, warm fire, beds," Maui could already picture the comfort that would come with this. Byung sat up straighter, rubbing his face.

"I remember the landmark—three crooked pines and the broken watchtower. We passed it an hour ago," Byung muttered out loud.

They turned back, searching. They rode the same stretch of trail three times, eyes straining in the growing light. The pines were there. The crumbled tower too. But no hidden door, no smoke, no sign of the dwarf who was supposed to shelter them. Only empty hillside and the lonely cry of a morning bird. The building was gone despite the environment being the same.

"Place should be here. I can smell some dwarf smoke… faint, but there," Maui frowned, tusks catching the recent activity within the area because they had moved past the human settlement in hopes of resting here but that option was no longer available. Byung's stomach sank.

"Either he moved, or someone made him move. We can't risk searching longer. Murkfang's fever is climbing again," Byung knew they had other things to concern themselves about. Maui's jaw tightened, but she nodded once.

They managed to get by the human border patrol even though the humans recognized them, they looked the other way without giving them much trouble which made Byung wonder if Rodell was the one in charge of this border otherwise they had no reason to allow them pass considering their past interaction.

Byung managed a tired smile because he knew the brothel was their next destination which was some distance away.

"Let's hope we make it there in one piece," Byung muttered under his breath,

The horse sensed the journey wasn't over and found new strength. They pushed through the last miles of forest, down winding paths, until the trees parted and the wooden palisade of the brothel appeared in the morning mist. Smoke rose from chimneys. The smell of baking bread drifted on the air.

"The goblin—and Maui the orc!" A voice called out, it was familair. They instantly recognized this voice to belong to the smuggler.

He was surprised they were able to make it back in such a short time-frame which meant they must have charmed the human they went to meet.

The orcs spilled out the moment they heard Maui's name. The smuggler pressed warm bread into Byung's hands. Before he gestured for others carefully lifted the still-unconscious Murkfang onto a stretcher of blankets.

"You did all that to rescue him?" The orc was confused as to why they would take such a risk for a single life.

"We did and it is a choice we don't regret," Maui said.

"You and the big green lady. Whatever you need—beds, food, healer, horses—it's yours," The orc reassured them, clasping Byung's shoulder.

Byung swayed on his feet, exhaustion finally winning now that safety was real. Maui caught him before he fell, one arm steadying him because this place might be a brothel but they had enough the necessary medicine to treat a fever.

"Beds," Maui rumbled, voice thick with fatigue of her own.

"Hot food. And a healer for the sick one. Then we will talk about what to do next,"

The headman nodded quickly. "This way. Best house in the village is yours."

Byung let himself be half-carried toward the warm glow of an open door. Behind him, the sun had finally reached its peak illuminating the treetops, spilling gold across the brothel's roof. For the first time in days, he felt something lighter than fear in his chest.

They had made it.

They were safe—for now.

And soon, very soon, they would ride for the mine.

Byung couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong there but as he was being taken to a place they could rest.

Byung saw something or rather, someone for a brief second but it had to be his mind playing tricks of him.

There was no way Borg could be here.

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