Don't believe in no-win scenarios

"These are hirelings, from the Wildeye stables," Terentius answers, equally glad of the distraction. Felix lingers to offer him a boost into the saddle, but the elder man waves him off and hauls himself up with a grunt of effort. He's determined to reassure the others that he can keep up unaided. "It's never been worth the cost for any of us to keep our own. Though I won't lie, these bones have regretted jouncing all the way down to Lake Rumare on a cart more than once."

They fall in with Stratos as he nudges his horse on and leads them out onto the road, nearly flat at first as it leads up into the evergreen woods. The road has been partly cleared of snow for the first bit of the way, but very quickly they'll only be able to follow it by the wider spacing between the firs, or the odd guard fence or embankment poking out where drifts have started to thaw. And after that, they'll be depending on Felix's memory and Stratos's clairvoyance to guide the way...

"Stratos has a horse up in Skyrim," Felix points out conversationally once they're away from the gate. "He's the rider. He's even learned to fight on horseback."

"On a properly trained mount, perhaps. I don't intend to try that today." Stratos grimaces a little, feeling that his brother is overselling his skills more than a little.