"That's not a good idea, Blackbur! There's something else in the cavelet that I couldn't figure out by myself, it's living and mumbling", the rabbit twitches her nose while uttering the last part. Then she moves towards the ailing Hurdrak, and listens to Heidi eagerly. A sudden realization hits her, Chwingas! She faces these little fellows and thinks about their magical power, Could they help Hurdrak to get well sooner?  "Hello", she cries out but goes silent the next moment she remembers their shy nature. Tilting her head she uses hand gestures to indicate the ally spider and asks for assistance, "Can you help us? We can offer you something in return."

Charisma (Persuasion): 5

It might be Blackbur’s imagination, but when he mentions setting torches to the webs, he fancies he detects a new urgency in the chittering, echoing from down the corridor.

Dixie has definitely caught the attention of the Chwingas. Their demeanors perk up noticeably at the offer of something in return. While initially shy, they seem to have no concept of personal space, and approach quite close, one even reaching out to touch the rabbit’s fur.

Hurdrak con save 17 22 minutes or 220 rounds of sleepy time

Sirithal pulls an extra torch from his bag, lights it from Heidi’s, and passes it to Blackbur. ‘Lead on, and I’ll follow behind you.’ he says, hefting his staff as though reliant on his more mundane skills now...

Quote from JorvikDave >>

Sirithal pulls an extra torch from his bag, lights it from Heidi’s, and passes it to Blackbur. ‘Lead on, and I’ll follow behind you.’ he says, hefting his staff as though reliant on his more mundane skills now...

 

 He is in a holding pattern again watching Dixie. 
“She’s onto something. And it sounds like we could burn someone else up if we try to burn out the webs. Someone’s trapped, Dixie?” 

Now Dixie mentions it, Blackbur picks up the faintest of scent trails, from the direction of the lair. Not quite a mouse, but not very different from one, really. Its own muffled attempts at communication can be heard more clearly now, echoing down the tunnel with renewed urgency, perhaps also alarmed at the prospect of torching the lair. 

The Chwingas continue to give Dixie their undivided attention, tilting their long, featureless mask-like faces this way and that, as they examine her closely. One attempts to tug gently at her whiskers, eliciting an involuntary wrinkling of her nose, while another attempts to pet the soft fur of her side. The last holds a hand out, as though expecting something..?

With the action over, Erhard is again nowhere to be seen, until he moves to approach Blackbur for orders. The young tenderpaw probably does not notice it himself, but it is obvious to the others that his feathered capelet allows him to blend quite unnaturally into his surroundings, so long as he is motionless. It does not seem to keep him any warmer than any other such cape might, however; and it is, perhaps, not the cape he had hoped to earn. Might even earn him some good-natured ribbing for his fashion-sense, but an inarguably useful prize nevertheless.

"That's bound to happen when ladies grow out whiskers"- Dixie jokes about the uncomfortable position she's currently in. The chwingas have been offered something by her, now they are asking for the offering, wriggling their adorable hands in such a menacing way! She nods at the Patrol Guard in agreement, then pulls out a tiny box from her backpack. It's a set of playing cards gilded with silver that's sparkling under the faint light of torches. "Will you like it? It's quite precious for me as it's filled with good memories, but I'm ready to give it up."

Despite their lack of facial expressions, it is evident that the Chwingas are delighted with the gift Dixie has presented to them. Accepting the cards and passing them around, they belatedly remember their end of the bargain.

Approaching Hurdrak, they join hands, each placing its free hand upon the fallen spider. They display none of the fear or discomfort that many would experience in their situation. Their hands upon the spider begin to glow with a blue light, and after a few moments the spider starts to regain consciousness.

Time passes. The chittering from the lair subsides, and a single spiderling approaches the patrol, just as Hurdrak comes to. It appears to hail him in its own chittering, tongueless tongue.

Hurdrak understands the spiderling:

The light infuses him and Hurdrak startles awake with a heavy intake of breath.  His legs twitch and his head darts back and forth.  Then he calms seeing familiar faces.  Then his head turns sharply towards the chattering.  

"The spiderlings... they speak.  Said we are to leave their mother and the bird.  If we do that we can take the night but then must leave," he repeats to the others.

One of the Chwingas silently scurries over to spiderling messenger, mimicking its movements as best it can, with only four limbs. The spiderling, having delivered its message, hurriedly returns from whence it came. Continuing to prance about like a spider, the Chwinga returns to the others, who are still admiring the cards Dixie had gifted them. 

Hurdrak stretches his legs and arches his back a little.  He was still sore but sore was better than dead.  His hand then goes back to his scabbard and he sighs.  "Anyone grab my sword in all of that..."

Dixie has been silent for over ten minutes, closely inspecting the activities of the Chwingas with amusement. These wee creatures hold much power to cast advanced charm on living creatures, what about their charm on the weather?

Hurdrak's gradual improvement cheers her up a bit. But she's concerned about the presence of the elemental creatures, they won't stay forever with the adventuring party, will they? She wonders how much time is left till they depart from the party, then there will be no more help! She takes a mental note to return the favour or altleast try to make up the assistance by teaching them how to play cards. What happens if they leave earlier than intended?

She moves near the front of the cave to examine the weather outside.

Intelligence (Nature): 7

Mistral accompanies the rabbit, considering the weather with a practiced eye (survival: 21).

"What are we to do about the creature the spider has trapped in the cave?", he asks, deeply troubled.

“Indeed. We can’t leave someone to die. We have to go in.” Blackbur will start the advance again into The spider lair

"We can take another chance to explore deeper into the tunnel. But we don't know if the resting party will be faced with danger again"- Dixie stares at the departing figure of Blackbur then continues to speak, "This time we should advance more carefully, what do you say, Mistral?" She moves towards the Healer and her mouslings to examine their condition. Can they accompany the party to venture into the lair?

Wisdom (Insight): 14

The blizzard is still raging, a chaos of wind and swirling snow. It has already added snow the height of a mouse, and Mistral's practiced eye predicts a like amount on top of it, before it is through. A storm of this magnitude will not sustain itself for more than a few hours more, however, most likely.

Dixie recalls the two small sides passages that the mouselings might find refuge in. She had not heard or sniffed out any activity or danger coming from them. If they could be tucked away safely nearby, perhaps Heidi could stay close to the patrol, should a healer be required in the impending action?

Blackbur leads the advance, down the cavelet in the back, and past the constriction. The corridor ahead becomes a tunnel of webs, just as it bends around out of sight, to the right. The chittering has stopped, and the murmurings of the captive animal ceased. It is eerily quiet.

Blackbur looks for signs of the captive before continuing on.

Perception 9