Uria

Uria knelt to the ground again, using some fire magic to melt the snow and better see the ground. It was slow going, but eventually he could make out the continued tracks leading deeper into the woods.

"They're still going." he said as he stood up. The captain, shivering on his horse gave a nod of assent before motioning the others to continue to follow.

They'd been following the tracks for most of the day now, and a day too late. Snow had fallen during the night and covered the trail. Were it not for the melting of the snow, sometimes over a large area at a time, they would be going much faster. But alas, it was what it was.

"How much deeper do you think they lead?" the captain asked him. Uria looked back over his shoulder to Grissom, one of the other guards walking on foot nearby. Grissom opened his map.

"They can't be much further sir. You can't see them from here, but the mountains come together only a few miles ahead. They'll be trapped.

"Good, we'll take the totem back and be done with it. Maybe even be back tomorrow. Can't you melt this any faster?" his gaze returned to Uria, who ignored him. They'd gone another couple hundred feet and he was focused on melting another large area, and then holding the water at bay to not muddy the ground. It re-froze and he cast it aside, kneeling again to look for tracks.

"What will you do with the thief, sir?" This was Grissom again. "It depends." the captain said. "Either he doesn't come quietly and it ends here, or he does come quietly and he hangs."

Uria knelt, looking confused at the uncovered tracks. Here he could see the bootprints, likely of a man. As they continued though, they appeared to change into large, cloven hooves. "Grissom" he called "what do you make of these?"

Grissom walked over, torch in hand as he knelt beside Uria and gazed at the ground. "What in the devil?" His finger traced over the hooves. "Sir!" he called. "The thief appears to be a changer."