You are still in danger, you have to push on.

You clap you hand to your face, trying once again to purge the fatigue from your body. Even as you do so, you can feel your eyes sliding closed. You almost fall asleep right there, before catching yourself at the last second. Standing up again, you move to Aegis, ready to mount once again.

"I need to get as far away as possible before daylight." You say to yourself.

It takes only a moment, but you are soon back on the horse and riding towards Gerlangen. Not wanting to get lost in the dark forest, you turn the horse back towards the road. You know it would be foolish to ride out in the open, fully expose to any scouting demons, but you are confident that you can remain somewhat hidden and still keep the main road in sight.

It takes less than half an hour, you are moving slow to avoid detection, but you are soon able to see the main road through the trees. Twice during this period your treacherous eyes nearly close, after which you would have been flung into the realm of dreams almost instantly. Even now, with the road in sight and no sign of pursuers, you have to struggle to keeps your eyes open. At this moment, you would give up anything to have even just a cup of tea from the abbey to help keep you awake.

"I would even ride nude, if that is what it took." You say to yourself, mostly out of desperation, but there is a bit of humor as well. The blanket you picked up in the stable has helped to keep your body heat up but, from time to time, the wind is able to get up underneath and chill your flesh. The cold air is particularly shocking when it brushes past your damp underwear, jolting you with the sensation. You hate to admit it but, more than once, the cold air has been the only thing that has kept you from falling asleep.

You are able to keep ridding like this for a while longer. During this time, you perform mental exercises in order to ward off the fatigue that threatens to end your journey before it can truly begin. You have to keep yourself awake until dawn. Once the sun is up, the effort required to keep yourself awake will be greatly reduced.

With this thought, you begin to try to estimate just how long until the sunrise, only to have your train of thought derailed by something that has been hiding in the back of your mind. You were so focused on staying awake, that you never noticed a feeling of unease. Still moving through the woods towards Gerlangen, you delve into the feeling, trying to figure out what is causing it. It takes you a moment, but you suddenly realise that some thing, some instinct is telling you that you are traveling in the wrong direction.

You nearly stop Aegis as your discovery dawns on you. Instead, you take the time to get your bearings and ensure that you are, in fact, going the right direction. A quick glance is all it takes to confirm that you are. The main road runs next to the forest, not through it. As long as you keep the road to your left while traveling through the woods, you are going the right way. Despite this undeniable fact, you can't shake the feeling that this is the wrong direction to be traveling in.

"Is this some sort of delusion brought on by exhaustion?" You ask yourself. You aren't completely sure. This could be your mind playing tricks on you, or perhaps this could this be something else. Perhaps, this is the Goddess trying to aid you in your time of need by offering you guidance. Then again, can you afford to risk youself, and your quest on this feeling?