Elyria can't help but smile as she hears Frost go on. As Rahkeshi and Aurelius answers she excitedly nods along. "Does the queen seek our help? If so we are at her service." Elyria says, hoping this would mean they would have to go back to the Feywild. "What is it we are needed for Frost?"

"Then what are we waiting for." Elyria says, smiling widely to Aurelius and Rahkeshi, clearly excited over this turn of events. Everything would be fine as soon as they got to the Feywild, she hoped. The elven maiden grabs her backpack and readies herself to follow Frost into a grand new adventure.

"Yes! Off we go! There is a crossing not too far..."  Frost goes from eagerly heading off, to suddenly stopping. He turns to the group. "I should add the crossing is not there now exactly.  You see, it only appears when the sun goes down. But... we can go there now." 

His voice drops a little as he mumbles to himself. "Surely there aren't more trolls or anything."

"If there are we will take care of them too." Elyria says grimly, sending Aelric to scout from above and then taking point herself, eager to get to the Feywild.
Stealth: 11 Perception: 24
Aelric perception: 16

(what a strange out-of-body experience I just had...)

Aurelius summons Lady, strokes her neck fondly, and then releases her from his spell, to return to the Feywild on her own.  "I'll call you again if we get into trouble," he says.

He turns back to Frost and the others, shoulders his pack, and grins.  "Well? Let us be off!  If the Jewel of the Fey requires our help, we must brook no delay!  Fear not, my queen, Aurelius is returning to your side!  Woe to your enemies, and rejoicing to your friends!"

Frost watches Elyria head off ahead and stays back with Aurelius.

"We will come to a deep canyon ahead," Frost says.  "Then we can follow the edge to get to the portal."

Rahkeshi watches the elf quickly move ahead, so she resumes her position lagging behind at the back of the group.

It is a bit more than an hour until you come to the steep canyon.  It is over 100 ft. drop down and you can see a small river far below.  it is slightly less distance across.  On your right,  the canyon continues many miles until it seems to open out into a broader valley.  Presumably somewhere in that direction is the town you had been heading for.  

In the other direction, the landscape seems to rise slightly in elevation and the canyon seems to deepen.  The forest's trees come almost up to the rocky edges.  Frost indicates to head to the left. 

Frost chats with Aurelius as they walk. "You are most kind to respond to this call. The Queen wil be most pleased. But I am sorry to have interrupted your mission.  Did you say giants were going to destroy a town?"

Aurelius walks beside Frost, looking first ahead at the elf, then glancing behind at the half-orc, then shaking his head. 

"I... er, we would do anything for that glorious lady.  (By the way, did she happen to mention me specifically? my name? "The handsome paladin"? Did she smile as she did so?) As to the giants, yes, as agents we were sent to investigate several villages that had been raided and razed.  We discovered the cause to be giants and their dragon pets.  Over the course of our investigation we defeated a dragon, and used some... misdirection... to prevent the giants from taking revenge on a hamlet, but sooner or later their dim wits will probably lead them back to their original goal.  We hope to be able to either evacuate the townspeople or prepare them to fight for their homes."

After a while Elyria becomes unsure which way to proceed and falls back to the group, confident that Aelric will spot any threats between them and the portal to the Feywild. She stays by Aurelius and Frost for a moment listening in on their conversation, not surprised hearing Aurelius keeping the conversation going without her, smiling at the mention of the misdirection, thinking back on Rahkeshi tricking the less than decently dressed giants to take off in the wrong direction. They didn't seem too clever so it should take some time for them to catch on, and by then the team might even back from the Feywild, or would they? Did she even want to?

After a while Elyria falls back a bit further by Rahkeshi's side. "Can I keep you company?" She says with an unsure smile on her face.

Rahkeshi seems a little bit distracted when Elyria falls back alongside her.  She turns her head to look at the elf and seems to tense up a bit.  "Sure."

Quiet for a few moments, she then says, "So you really didn't see the troll?"

Her gaze shifts to look about and she mumbles very quietly to herself,  "Strange so few spirits about...."  Then in normal voice, "There!" She points up towards the sky. "Can you see that air spirit?"

You see absolutely nothing.

Aurelius notes that Elyria has moved to the rear, alongside Rahkeshi.  While he does not turn to look at them, a small smile plays around the corners of his mouth.

"So this troll, it just happened upon you randomly as you exited the portal? Extraordinarily bad luck it would seem.  Unless you think it was waiting there for you...?"

Frost laughs, "Oh, I did indeed hear wondrous tales of the gallant paladin! Gee, I hope this detour does not hold you from your duties here.  But I fear the matter is urgent.  If something isn't done, dark Fey Forces might even infiltrate these lands!"

To Aurelius' remark about the troll, he looks a bit more serious. "Yes, he caught me not long after I crossed.  Perhaps he was waiting.  Oh! But I just had a thought!  His invisibility - makes sense if perhaps he were from the Feywild. Or even just lived near a Crossing."

As the conversation continues, your travels continue. It is getting later in the afternoon when you see something, though still in the distance.  Stone juts out across the canyon. As you get closer, it seems to be an arch.  While once it may have bridged one side to the other,  it is now only slightly more than half intact.  This side connects, but the end hangs nearly than 40 ft. from the other side. 

As you see the stone arch, Frost calls out, "There it is! Our Crossing!"

"No...oh, wait yeah, you mean the one looking like Aurelius looking himself in a mirror and sitting backwards on a donkey?" Elyria answers, but then she breaks out in a quick warm smile, winking at Rahkeshi, but then she gets serious again. "I'm sorry Rahkeshi, I mean, I don't see it. I don't know what it means, but it seems you have connected to the spirit world on a deeper level than me. I'm glad for you, it must be amazing to be that close to nature. I'm sure you at least will feel at home in the Feywild." Elyria says, trying a bit to seek out the brown eyes of Rahkeshi now.

At first Rahkeshi looks confused at Elyria's response, then a reluctant grin comes to her face.  "Heh... not at all like that." 

For a moment her eyes catch the elf's green eyes.  She quickly looks away as her eyes start to tear up. "Yea, I seem to always be able to see what others say are 'invisible' spirits.  Just like I've heard pixies like to hide with their invisibility to play tricks.  I just always see them. I thought maybe you could... like with the way you called that bear spirit. I saw her come from the spirit realm, but I don't know how to call to them like that. You know she followed us for a time after she left, lingering on the edge of the barrier."

"Oh, believe me, I would so much like to see what you see Rahkeshi, but that is a gift I have yet to recieve." Elyria says, looking down now. "I...I make you sad, and I don't want to. I'm so sorry for what I said earlier, I just want things to go back as they were. Please talk to me Rahkeshi, or I'll throw myself into the canyon." She says, only half-joking it seems.

Rahkeshi shakes her head, "Don't do that!"  She looks quickly up at Elyria, a little shocked she would say something like that. She didn't tear up this time,  but does look a bit sad still. "I'm not sad,"  she says, clearly lying.

"We can talk. Looks like we're headed back to the Feywild. I hope that turns out well." She continues not looking at the elf, although she is constantly making short glances in her direction.

Aurelius approaches the archway for a closer look.  He investigates for any signs of magical portals.  He also inspects the surrounding canyon to be sure there are no enemies, visible or otherwise, laying in wait for them.  He suggests the party take a short rest while waiting for nightfall.

Investigation 12

Perception 10

"Yes, the Feywild..." Elyria says dreamily as they approach the portal, her soft elven hand making brief contact with Rahkeshi's.
"I'll check the peremiter, you can make yourselves comfortable." She says to the others, but looking at Rahkeshi, smiling warmly now.
Soon they would both be back to a place where they could be together, where time would not touch them, where cruelties would not reach them, or so she thought...

Perception: 12
Aelric perception: 12

Aurelius' search does not reveal much, although there are some indications of footsteps along parts of rocky arch.

Frost leaves Aurelius to check the archway while Elyria moves to scout the perimeter. He comes over to chat with the half-orc. "You certainly are a quiet one.  Looking forward to getting back to the Feywild?"

(22)

As Elyria wanders around the perimeter, neither she nor Aelric notice anything out of place.

"We'll be safe here." Elyria says confidently as she comes back from her sweep. "I didn't spot any of those invisible trolls either." she says smiling and winks at Frost.
"Care to tell us anything more about what were getting into?"

Rahkeshi briefly gives Elyria's hand a soft squeeze before she wanders off to scout.  She gives the elf a small smile as she goes.

When Frost approaches, she turns her attention to him. "Umm, I'm just quiet today. A lot of things to think about. But yea, I suppose the Feywild will be fun," she says half-heartedly.

She starts to glance around to what the others are doing.  "Hey, is that..."

She starts to stand, but Frost jumps in, "Is that what?" He steps in front of her, turning to look as well. "I don't see anything. But hey! Tell me why you aren't excited about this trip! I can show you many wonderous things there!"  He moves back over to one side.

Rahkeshi's smile broadens. "Well, the way you put it does make it sound fun. It's always so hazy trying to remember what happened last time. I don't think we had a guide though."