Exile's End: Day 31

Word Count: 186,005

Summary of Events:
Chapter 61:
After they finished journeying for the day all of the Iøsenräl gathered and all dined together to have a Christmas dinner, although Thårijn didn't really feel that it was Christmas — not that he minded, as if it had felt Christmassy he was sure he would've missed Helännä even more.
Chapter 62:
Æliyäu in his riding ahead saw a logging camp and sent Äbihæl back to warn Thårijn before he was spotted and hid. Thårijn went out to find Æliyäu and get more information from him and accidentally injured Æliyäu who he sent back to get tended to. The Iøsenräl walked through the logging camp in broad daylight and plain sight, but the loggers didn't even see them.

Excerpt of the Day:
"They came into a bit of a clear spot, although there were charred trees stacked up before him and a few sets of tracks around a hump of snow in the clearing. Thårijn decided to ride Græshädå over to the wall of logs to look over it and see what he could see.
An agonized cry rang out so nearby Thårijn could've almost sworn that the snow itself had cried out. Græshädå sidestepped and Thårijn heard shouts. Oh no. What had he done?
Looking down at the snow, Thårijn suddenly saw a cloak on the surface. Æliyäu. Oh no, had he really? Oh this was just great. Thårijn got out of his saddle and seized Æliyäu's shoulder.
Æliyäu's face was twisted in pain, Thårijn looked down along Æliyäu, but he couldn't see where Æliyäu would've been injured, but then he looked at where Græshädå was positioned. His stallion had stepped on Æliyäu's legs.
"Your cloak is took good of camouflage," Thårijn said.
Æliyäu opened his eyes. "Thårijn?"
"Your niece is safely with the people, I came to see what you'd learned," Thårijn replied.
"I think it's a logging camp," Æliyäu said.
Thårijn nodded. "They are seeking through the forest for something."
"Me I believe," Æliyäu replied. "One of the men spied me. I am surprised they haven't found me."
"I didn't see you until you cried out," Thårijn said. "And I had one of them come out of the trees and pass me by as if I didn't even exist. And also Græshädå is making no tracks, it is almost as if he his not putting his hooves into the snow, when he is, for an absolute fact."
"Göd is going to guide us through, their eyes blinded and their ears deafened," Æliyäu said.
"Come, rise to your feet," Thårijn said.
"No, I cannot," Æliyäu replied. "My leg."
"You are going to have to get up," Thårijn replied. "I think they heard your cry, although none of them seem to have come this way. Come."
Thårijn got Æliyäu to sit up, then he stood over Æliyäu's legs and wrapped his arm around Æliyäu's back. Æliyäu wrapped his arm around Thårijn's shoulder and Thårijn carefully levered Æliyäu to his feet.
Standing, Æliyäu kept all of his weight off of his right leg, putting it all on his left and Thårijn's shoulders.
"Now you need to get onto Græshädå," Thårijn said.
"No, I can't stand on it, I can't," Æliyäu protested, breathing as if he'd been running a long ways.
"I'll lift you," Thårijn said.
"You can't possibly," Æliyäu said.
Thårijn shifted his position and took Æliyäu up as one would take up a sleeping child. He carried Æliyäu over to Græshädå's side. Æliyäu slid his right leg over the saddle with a high pitched groan and slid his left foot into the stirrup.
"We'll be too much weight together for Græshädå," Thårijn said. "I'll wait here, you go back and get help from a doctor, and tell Bæjern to keep the people going.""