They spent the next several days preparing for the journey. A large part of the work was just making sure Simon was going to be alright without the extra sets of hands, but he was adamant that he didn't need them.

"Don' worry 'bout me, girls! I'm enjoy th' spot o' pers'nal peace for a change" He said, laughing. "Ne'er seem to get much o' those 'ese days, I'm 'fraid."

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The girls, rather than taking offense, seemed to be glad that he was glad. Eleanor and Rose both confided to Jack later that evening that they worried about ever leaving him alone, as old as he was, but were grateful at the chance to get out for a change, especially since it'd be with him. Up until he'd arrived, they'd never really been given much chance to see the world, much less meet anyone outside of their family.

They packed provisions in a set of sturdy backpacks that Eleanor and Jack managed to conjure and craft out various materials. Food included a mixture of dried meat, dried fruit, and rendered fat called pemmican that Madeleine and Rose made together in large pots and shaped into log-like rolls similar to beef jerky candy bars, cheese, several large loaves of crusty bread, and a couple bottles of wine that Simon insisted they take from the root cellar for the trip. There were also other supplies, such as a large oilskin tent for shelter, cooking utensils, a map, bedrolls, and other essentials.

Jack also packed several sets of his new tunic and breeches that he'd made with the help of the girls. He hadn't planned on getting rid of his old world clothes, but even in spite of magical cleaning and restoration, they'd completely fallen apart into a threadbare mess over the last month or so of constant wearing and battering. It had finally gotten so bad that Rose insisted he find new clothes for basic decency's sake, forced him to strip behind the barn, and burned them as he stood there ass naked, trying his best to keep the important parts covered with his hands.

Though, to be honest, he wasn't sorry for the change. It made his "hero" status feel just a little bit more official. And honestly, the new clothes were just a whole heck of a lot more comfortable, for some bizarre reason.

After several days, they were finally prepared to go, and decided to set out early the next morning. Not knowing for how long they would be gone, they decided to hold a small party together with Simon, drinking and eating and laughing well into the night, until they all finally drifted off to sleep with bellies full of meat and wine, and heads full of anticipation for their coming journey.

Awaking some time after dawn, they stepped out of the hotbox of the house and into the comparably chilly air of the early morning. A thin layer of fog blanketed the ground, and the sky was largely raked over by clouds that dulled the glow of the sun. But, as he shouldered his heavy pack and plopped his axe haft on his shoulder, nothing in the world could dull Jack's excitement. He felt for certain his heart would beat completely out of his chest. He turned to the girls, who were all dressed and geared for the trip.

"Are we ready?" He asked.

"I think so. I went back through all of the packs this morning before we put them on." Madeleine said simply. "Yours is the heaviest."

"Of course it is." He said with a mock sigh, and readjusted his pack.

"Alright then! Let's go!"