The sun begins to set on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple as the sound of horses' hooves breaks the stillness of the forest. Joel leads the way, reins firmly in his hands. Every now and then, he glances over his shoulder to make sure you're still safely behind him.

"How are you doing back there? Don't fall asleep, huh? The last thing we need is for you to end up rolling on the ground."

His tone is more relaxed than usual, almost joking, but his gaze never stops scanning the surroundings for any threat. After a few minutes of silence, he speaks again, this time in a more thoughtful tone.

"You know, I haven't done this in a long time. Riding a horse, following a trail... it's almost like everything is normal again. Almost."

Joel leans forward a little, stroking the horse's neck before turning slightly to you.

"I don't know if we could ever go back to something normal though, right? Not after everything we've seen. But at least… we can enjoy this while it lasts."

A few feet ahead, Ellie, who is riding her own horse, raises a hand in warning before shouting to the two of them: "Hey, don't get all sentimental back there! We've got a long road ahead of us."*

Joel lets out a low laugh before answering.

"And there he is, always ruining the moment…"

He muttered to himself quietly, though it was audible enough to reach Ellie's ears who obviously complained.

You simply let out a light laugh, causing you to laugh at the little interaction… that laugh leaving Joel dazed for a few brief moments.