Balassar just rolls up his bedroll placing it on the pack as he walks over to Nyx. He gives her a soft pat "Morning girl, ready to continue today?" he asks lifting up some of his rations to her.

The horse sniffs at the rations, gives them a lick, but does not eat them.  However, she has been grazing well and seems happy enough and ready to go.

Alton packs up his things and tends to their horse before chowing down on his own rations. He looks around and wonders how close he is to home as he waits for Wash to get ready to head out again.

Balassar just eats the rations and then mounts the horse as he begins to head back to the road and then to the direction of Felderwin.

Balassar at a fast pace again?  Roll an Animal Handling check.

Wash and Alton, attempting a fast pace?   Roll another Animal Handling check - one of you can make a straight roll.

It is around 200 miles on the Gravelway Path to Felderwin.  This could take another three days on horseback.

Balassar pushes on , eventually they would all meet again in Felderwin.

OOC:
Animal Handling check: 21

You make very good speed this day.  Are you riding without stopping to Felderwin, or are you asking people during the day if they've seen Art?

If there is anyone who is working a field he would stop to ask them. If not then he will keep going.

Wash attempts to make up for his clumsiness on the horse the previous day - animal handling: 5 and utterly fails because he is chomping on some rations as he attempts to ride.

Wash and Alton,  I will leave it to your imagination the series of pratfalls and misadventures that characterise the day's journey.  Suffice to say you do not think you have made progress on catching up with Balassar.

There are people working in the fields, and it doesn't take you long to find one happy to chat.  Young lad riding south, master dragonborn?  Yeah, just this morning, maybe two, three hours ago.  Wasn't going too quick, I'd say.  You planning on catching up on him then?

After their misadventures with trying to ride on Trigger. Alton slides off and taking the reigns starts to lead the horse back to the road and south towards Felderwin. "I don't think riding will make much progress for now." Alton sighs, "I hope Balassar is doing alright." 

Balassar just smiles "Thank you and if I'm lucky." he says as he begins to chase after art at a fast pace.

Alton and Wash, it's a long and uneventful day.  If you choose to ask folk, they will not remember a half-elf youth on a horse, as such things are common enough.  They will remember a dragonborn on a horse, as dragonborn are much rarer in this part of the world.

Balassar, are you stopping to ask people about Art as you go?  Or just riding fast to the south?

Knowing that he was close, he will stop to ask occasionally keeping it short and to the point so not to lose time.

You stop two people in the morning, and they both tell you that they saw Art, or someone who looked like that. 

The first people you stop after noon is a human woman driving a caravan filled with barrels of what might be sunflower oil.  Well, she says.  I saw a rider headed east overland, but not on the road.  Didn't get a good look at him.  That was about a half an hour ago.  She points.  That way.  Friend of yours?

Balassar just nods thanks “No a thief.” He says riding in the direction she pointed.

As they ride, Wash plays a variation on the 'I Spy With My Little Eye' game with Trogdor, where he asks Trogdor to spot something and then project an image of it in his mind, then Wash tries to find it. It is mostly to pass the time and he stops when Trogdor grows tired of it.

Trogdor does not grow visibly tired of it, and he seems to enjoy the engagement.  Wash, you find that your connection is getting deeper as you are spending so much time focused on your new companion.  When he communicates thoughts and feelings to you, you begin to hear... it's not quite that you hear him speak in your mind with words, it's just that you can interpret his thoughts much more clearly, and understand as though he had spoken in words.

This is a good game for travelling.  It encourages you to look around more at the world.  You played it as an infant, yes?

Balassar, you feel confident that you are gaining ground, but also that your horse is beginning to get really tired and struggling to maintain a fast pace.  You can decide to keep pushing on, or give your horse  more chances to rest.  Please also make a further Animal Handling check.

OOC: animal handling check: 20