Given that Anator did see some gnomes, their general direction seemed more to the left or to the right?

Just to avoid choosing blindly...

However, if it is not easy to understand which direction should lead to the gnomes, Khessa asks the old and new comrades: "I take a look around with Anator's senses. But as long as I use his, I can't use mine. Will you protect me for a moment?"

After that she slowly closes her blue eyes and, while her brother, following her mental indications, flies for a while along the first passage on the left, the blonde arcane warrior concentrates and ...

"Wow!" she exclaims softly, while her mouth remains partially open in wonder. It's the first time she's done it... she had read the description of the phenomenon many times in her own spellbook... but experiencing it in person is something else entirely! All of a sudden, she's aware of everything she has around her, within 60': the walls, the cracks, even the tiny flying bugs... It's more like... knowing, being aware of, than like seeing. It's almost like exploring another world! Only it's not another one; it is always Toril... but perceived with different senses!

Not to mention the sensation of flying! That reminds her a little of swimming, swimming gracefully in a pool of calm water; only she's not swimming in the water... but in the air!

(OOC: What does Khessa perceive with Anator's senses, while he flies along the left branch? He/She has blindsight 60')

Jasper takes Khessa’s right hand and places it on his left shoulder. 

Khessa does not oppose resistance... and does not react either. She is propelling herself through the corridor's air, absorbing the details of everything around... but totally unaware of anything that is happening to her body.

Katarina watches whatever Khessa is doing curiously for a moment, her tail flipping back and forth restlessly, before turning her attention to the surrounding landscape on the off-chance of something dangerous emerging from the rocks or the water.

"Katarina most certainly hopes that Khessa has no need of protected right now," the cat says with a small laugh. "But still, if protection she wants, then protection she certainly has."

Lol! Who needs a watchdog, when you can have... a watchcat? 😉

Through Anator's senses, Khessa can see that the path to the left leads to a dining room, which is empty for the moment, but there are sounds coming from a room to the back of the dining area. Anator flies closer and can see through the doorway a huge bustle of activity inside what looks like a kitchen. There are several busy gnomes scurrying about, several of them appear to be working with different colored mushrooms, the same kind of mushrooms that grew on the islands in the waterfall pond.

Khessa is happy with what she just saw... the kitchen gnome will surely be able to give directions! Anator immediately disappears from the kitchen to reappear at the blonde arcane warrior's side, just as she opens her eyes again... with a slightly melanchonic sigh: "It was awesome... to fly through an entirely new world... I'd like to be able to let you experiment all this!" her blue eyes shine with excitement while she speaks to her companions "Anyway, this way there are the kitchens... The gnomes there will surely be able to direct us to who is in command. Thank you all for having kept an eye on me!"

The tall adventuress leads the way to the kitchen, announcing the arrival: "Hi and well met, gnomes of the clan! We are a delegation from Phandalin, sent by Harbin, that townmaster fellow... Could you tell us please where we can find your leaders? You know, the dragon Cryovain is becoming a real threat... it is time to collaborate and get rid of it before it's too late".

Since Khessa is leading, Katarina volunteers to take the rear-guard position during the trek up the mountain. She decides against drawing her weapon, as she doesn't want to appear hostile when first meeting the gnomes.

Jasper keeps a watchful eye as they enter the kitchen. Keeps to the center of the group. Holding his spear behind his right shoulder. 

Khessa checks for a moment from the corner of her eye if Aura is still with them.

'Perhaps sometimes I talk a little too much...' thinks the blonde arcane warrior 'but that giri with the wonderful pale blue skin is my opposite, she is so quiet... Maybe because she is not used to having others around? She had mentioned that she had had a terribly lonely journey... I hope she is all well!'

As you enter the kitchen, you notice everything is made to gnome specifications, much lower to the ground than is usual. Though the gnomes themselves are short, the ceilings throughout Gnomengarde have been about 7 foot in height, comfortable enough for the tallest among you. The network of cave systems that comprise Gnomengarde are lit by hanging oil lanterns attached to rope-and-pulley mechanisms that make it easy for the gnomes to lower the lanterns and refill them with oil.

Inside the kitchen you see five gnomes hard at work. One stands next to a large stove, prodding the fire with a poker. A male gnome is using some sort of squeezing contraption to crush a large red mushroom and extract the juice into flasks. One of the female gnomes is standing on top of a table kneading green bread dough; several green mushroom caps litter the table around her. A male gnome assists her, shaping the dough into loaves, his little tongue poking out in concentration. The last gnome, another female, appears to be stuffing a purple mushroom into a barrel, teetering precariously on a stool all the while.

As Khessa announces their presence and asks her questions, all five heads turn to look at the newcomers, but it's the female gnome standing on a table kneading dough that responds. 

"Phandalin, eh?" she asks, seemingly without much interest. Her attention is already beginning to stray back to her dough. "Better talk to Fibblestib or Dabbledob in the workshop. Our king is...indisposed at the moment." She says this last part with a grimace. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry your king is indisposed!" Khessa worries "Maybe we could help him! Jasper" she points at him with her thumb "is a skilled healer".

"Katarina thinks that maybe we talk to workshop gnomes first, like the chef gnome said," Katarina says. "If gnome Fibblestib and gnome Dabbledob are in charge, they would know if there is anything we can do for king, yes?"

She then addresses the gnome cook. "Please, tell Katarina and her friends where to go to find gnome Fibblestib and gnome Dabbledob. Katarina would be most grateful, and she is sure her friends would be grateful as well."

(Back at the waterfall:) Aura nods happily at Echo, her smile widening at her kind words. “Yes, I am indeed an adventurer. I am so looking forward to travelling  with you!” 

The genasi stays uncharacteristically quiet as she walks in the middle of the group, too busy admiring her companions and their skills to run her mouth. She is particularly awed by the tall, pretty blonde who had introduced herself as ‘Khessa,’ and the connection she has with the bat whom she refers to as her brother. ‘To be able to fly, even through the eyes of another.. how wonderful! It was almost like something out of her novels. And to think she, Aura Dyernina, was journeying with such talent, along with that of her other companions - why, that was thrilling! If the group was to complete their quest- as she had no doubt they would - They would surely go down as heros.’ The Genasi keeps her thoughts to herself, but her pale eyes shine with unbridled excitement as her thoughts wander to the journey ahead of them.

This lively spark only brightens as she reaches the gnome’s kitchen, taking in the new sights and smells with delight. She cannot help but find the Gnomes rather endearing… their miniature furniture was just so cute! Her cheerful mood is somewhat dampened by the gnomes words, replaced by worry for the Gnome king. “Indisposed? Is he okay? Is there perhaps anything we could do to help?” Pausing to listen to Katarina, she nods along to the Tabaxi’s words. “Yes, that seems like a wise idea, let’s do that.”

Jasper relaxed himself at Khessa’s gesture and speaks. “I could try if the king is indeed in need of healing. But indisposed?” Jasper hearing about the gnomes in their workshop agrees that should be their first stop. Jasper awaits directions from the kitchen gnomes. 

The gnome returns her attention to kneading the dough, but she says, "Fibblestib can tell you more about the king. You can find their workshop in the caves on the other side of the waterfall. If you go south from here, you can go across the rope bridge."

"Thank you very much, dear!" Khessa greets the gnome who provided the directions "You were very kind! We won't disturb you further".

She then leads the group according to what she has been told... south from here, in direction of the rope bridge to go across.

Along the way, she exchanges her impressions with her companions: "Did you see what those gnomes could do with mushrooms? I'd be really curious to taste some of those preparations... Obviously, it's impossible for them to be tastier than cabbage! But I'm curious all the same... Who knows, maybe later we'll have a chance".

"At least," the blonde arcane warrior sighs in relief "this time the visit starts under good auspices... Well, okay, they have the king sick; but compared to the two visits we had to make in the previous days... When we went to visit Adabra, the midwife, we met Cryovain during the journey, plus we were in serious danger of being eaten at the mill. When we went to visit the dwarven prospectors, we were in no time exploring a cursed temple... with its cursed inhabitants! Plus, the orcs came to wish us a good night later. What is a king's disease compared to that? Maybe this time we won't have too much trouble, after all".

"I'm also incredibly curious what it will be, this secret that, according to Harbin, the townmaster, the gnomes should know and that can help us against the dragon" the tall adventuress' blue eyes shine with anticipation. "The gnomes should be quite happy to share it with us so that we can defeat the foul beast! Surely they too have had their problems with Cryovain".

Jasper looks to the others, “Shall we head back the way we came?” Jasper keeps a keen eye on his surroundings as they travel south through cave corridors.

Perception:  25

"So it seems  to me, Jasper..." replies Khessa, keeping a bit more near him than to the others "Back, then the corridor to the east, then south at the T intersection... and try keeping south ftom there on, until we meet a passage that leads west to the bridge".