The long grasses of the wild netherlands of Tigarlintez whipped at the horses' legs. Wind whirled in the faces of the riders, and their robes flew out behind them like the majestic cloaks of royalty. A wild laugh from the rider on the dark horse ripped free and floated back, lingering in the thin air. The other rider, on the tawny horse, pressed forward with a cry of joy.
"How much longer?" Poppy panted, spurring Tarran forward.
"About three days," Daisy responded merrily. It was really amazing what riding free in the wild prairies could do for a person. The no-nonsense housewife's daughter had become a free spirit who laughed at trouble and danced in the rain. Her beautiful satiny hair had become a closer approximation of Poppy's wild stringy mane, and her stormy eyes were filled with laughter and freedom. Her farmer's robes were tangled with hay, but she didn't even mind.
Poppy was glad to see her sister becoming more laid-back. After all, she hadn't had the free, wandering childhood that Poppy had. Being in a caravan meant that she had never boded with anyone. She rarely spoke to her father, and there were few children her age in the caravan. The ones her own age were more interested to wander the village, investigating the latest news so that they could make a big deal about it around the dire. Daisy had not had the values of a rule-free experience, but she had always had a secure home. The hut was small, but it was also a warm and cozy place filled with cooking smells and thick quilts and warm firelight. She had two parents who loved her, and no need to pawn her skills for gold and gems that were to be squandered away by her father. She had friends and animals, and good warm meals three times a day. Poppy only ate a tiny bit of porridge or other leftovers for breakfast, and they would eat bread, meat and cheese for supper late by the fire. There were benefits and bad parts to both lifestyles, but Poppy knew that she wouldn't trade her life for the biggest chunk of eronite the world had seen.
 "Come on, we have to get into the main city by nightfall, otherwise the gates will shut and we'll have another night in bedrolls. I don't want to wake up all dewy."
Daisy smiled and slapped the reins. Henna raced along, and Tarran struggled to follow. Once a gorgeous sunset began to appear on the horizon, they almost dragged their horses through the main gates. They traded a few gold nuggets from a past telling experience for a night at an inn, although not the nicest of inns and certainly not the most expensive.
Daisy sat on one of the beds.
"We have to figure out why we're following this map. There has to be some reason, and we have to be the people it was meant for, otherwise we wouldn't have the stones."
Poppy nodded absently. She was tired and saddlesore and just wanted to sleep. But Daisy thought they needed to plan even more, so she couldn't sleep.
"I'm exhausted," she finally remarked to Daisy.
Daisy rolled her stormy grey eyes.
"If we don't figure out how we're going to do this, we'll get lost and stuck before we get there. Be patient."
Poppy sighed. She had to admit that her sister was right. She rolled over on the sheets of her rickety iron bedstead, not bothering to change into her linen shift. She placed her head on the pillow and fell asleep almost instantly.