Your journey begins

You climb into Aegis's stall and are relieved to see that he is tacked up already. You open his paddock door as quietly as possible and walk the charger out into the muddy yard. Along the way, you feel an unnerving flutter in your belly. You steady yourself against the charger with one hand, while the other settles on your stomach. The feeling passes, and greater danger than an upset tummy is all around you, so you pay it no more heed. Unaware that a pentagram has etched itself onto your skin, just below your navel, you climb onto your steed's back and spur him with your heels.

There is no need to ask him twice. The horse takes a running start and leaps over the fence, landing heavily on the other side. You dare to take one last look back at the abbey, smoke rising from the broken windows on the northern wing, and your anger weaves itself into your resolve.

"I will not fail you, War Mother," you mutter through clenched teeth. "I will make sure Thoros and the other daemons pay the price."

Your heels drive Aegis west at a gallop, over the rolling green hills and away from the coast until you reach the Victory Road. You know enough about the countryside to know of three paths to the distant city of Gerlangen. It will take you two days and two nights to reach the city by horse.

While considering the path before you, the stirring in your belly returns. After the day's earlier activities, you worry about what this could mean. Though you do not want to delay your quest, it would be prudent to determine if there were any lasting effects from the daemonic toxins you were exposed to. Given the circumstances, this really leaves you with only two options:

You can look for shelter in the nearby wilderness to rest and recover before setting out for Gerlangen. There are light woods before entering the Blauwalt that should provide enough cover to avoid being easily spotted by any potential pursuers, and if you're lucky, you might even be able to find a shallow cave.

Or, you can take the rural Splinter Road to Launsdorf, instead. The promise of a warm bed at the village's inn is tempting, but you have no coin to pay for the night. What's more, it's a long ride, and you're not entirely sure that your stomach will agree with you the entire way. Still, it would be safer than camping, all things considered.