They finally got where they could ride again and did so keeping their horses at a walk, as to not accidentally injure them or themselves.  Endermon''s horse mentioned that the cart felt lighter than usual.


    They stopped, and sure enough, anything that could be traded for or sold was gone, and that was most of their stuff.  Endermon asked that any birds in the area and any other animals go pay Rutus''s ''friend'' a visit.


    Endermon turned to Shiloh and with a look, Shiloh zipped off.  She sent Dresden back to his village as they could handle this one.  He looked like he wanted to argue, but he just went down the path on his horse.


    Soon enough Shiloh came back, dragging a very guilty looking dwarf.  Blocking the paths, they let Rutus handle it.  And hoo-boy did she tear into him.  If it were possible for a person to literally shrink, he would have disappeared.  Finally Rutus said he had a very short amount of time to bring all their stuff right there, or she would report him to the higher ups for illegal business doings.


    He turned pale and scrambled away.  It took longer for him to come back ad he was carrying a couple large sacks.  He stood there as they looked through the contents.  When they were satisfied it was all there, they let him go.


    Rutus said he should be better.  Her parents wouldn''t take kindly to hearing about his dealings.  As he shuffled away, Endermon asked what Rutus''s parents had to do with anything.  Rutus said they were a tight knit community.


    Shiloh raised an eyebrow and Rutus said he was around her place an awful lot and it was almost as if her parents raised him.  Ah, there it was.


    After resituating the cart, they continued down the mountain trail.  At the bottom, they saw Dresden''s horse and Shiloh hopped off Endermon''s horse and onto Dresden''s.


    Once they were in the meadow they were able to make up some time until Rutus asked if they could stop.  She felt bad about how she left things with her friend, and said she was going back and would meet up with them on the way back.


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    They watched her race back to the trail and disappear up the mountain.  Endermon asked the birds to let her know when she arrived and if she was safe.  They said they would and took off.


    With nothing else to do, Endermon and Shiloh headed through the meadow towards the fairy kingdom.  It was a relaxed pace and any conversation came easy.  It was always this way when they were alone together.


    They had been traveling quite a while and lunch had worn off ages ago so they stopped for dinner and to stop for the night.  They made a small fire and Endermon just reheated some of the food that Rutus''s family had made.


    Rutus made it safely and had gone back home after patching things up with her friend.  The birds and other creatures said so.  But that was while they were riding, so they didn''t have much of an update after that.


    As Endermon ate and Shiloh watched, they talked about how far they had come.  Shiloh asked if she could have guessed that they''d end up where they were.  And Endermon said she hadn''t felt the way Shiloh made her feel before, so when they first started out, Endermon would have been happy just seeing Shiloh again.


    Shiloh called her a sap, but said Endermon was different from her other paramours, but yes at the beginning she was looking forward to seeing Endermon again as well.  Shiloh said it outside the vanishing tavern that she realized the feelings for Shiloh weren''t going away.


    Shiloh said she was quite surprised at the kiss, but she also knew that staying away was just not an option.


    They decided to take it as it came, and see what the day would throw at them.  They were making good progress when Shiloh suggested they stop at her place for a bit.


    With nothing on the agenda, Endermon said why not?  And they turned down the lane towards Shiloh''s cottage.  They passed the stone wall with a black cat sitting on the gate post.