- Let's see, I could say something like - and she begins to say the potential words of the message, not activating the stone yet, and counting with her fingers to make sure the message matches the spell's limit - "Allied ourselves with the kobolds. Found hints of the Crown's whereabouts in four places in the Valley. We will visit the closest - The artificer's tower- tomorrow morning". 27. Too long. Mmm. "Allied ourselves with kobolds. Found 4 possible locations for the Crown's whereabouts in the Valley. Will visit the closest - Artificer's tower- tomorrow morning. Love, Saoirse."  25. This is fine. Hey, don't laugh about the last words, I'm sure Tesfaye will appreciate them! - Saoirse says, with a slight smile. She does miss their tortle friend.

If Lam and Sha agree, she will then proceed to send the message and then tiredly move to lie on her carpet. She stays in that position for a moment, doing nothing but stare into the ceiling, before sitting up again:

- I'm... I don't know how to say this .... I'm ... worried? even scared? ... about what we may find out tomorrow in that tower. Or the next day when we go to those other places the Crown may be in. I didn't expect to listen or see this many hard truths in a single day. All this time I was thinking about how great it would be to to help out the people in the valley, and how I would later come back home feeling good for having helped. But now I'm not sure I ever want to come back again? How I am ever going to go back saying "Hey, remember that Lightbringer figure we've all been revering all this time? Well let me tell you what I've learned about him". 

She goes silent for a moment and then adds:

- I'm sorry. I'm sure you all have your fair share of things to worry about to be listening to my whining just before sleeping. I'll overcome all this. Somehow. Just don't know how yet.

After a few minutes, Tesfaye's voice speaks inside of Saoirse's head: "Wonderful you're okay! Was worried. Rhys says great so far. Storytelling event here amazing, both arcane and cultually. Contact me from Artificer. Miss y'all here.

Lam nods and agrees with the message, with the main thing he wanted to transmit to Tesfaye being that all of them are safe. He himself is still pondering all the things they learned from Hamza, having never kept a secret or cared about such complex things before. He listens to Saoirse’s speech sitting up with his hands in his lap. When she says, “I'm sorry. I'm sure you all have your fair share of things to worry about to be listening to my whining just before sleeping.” he shakes his head.

”Hemlock said… if you need a friendly ear…” he doesn’t quite remember how Hemlock finished that phrase, but he stares earnestly at Saoirse. He knows that his friends all came from different places of their own, and that Saoirse may eventually need to return to her village- but for now, Lam is grateful that they are all together. He doesn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have them to follow. “We are here for each other.”

After the bedtime conversation ends, Lam manages to get into a comfortable position on the sleeping rug, seemingly unused to working with blankets. He still tosses and turns, but less than last night. He has one of the more peaceful sleeps he has had in a while, and he dreams of magic- the magic of the cave, the magic of his friends, and the magic of Hamza. He wakes up feeling stronger than he went to sleep.

Hemlock looks at Saoirse for a long moment, studying her face for the signs of anxiety and worry, even as Lam offers some words of comfort.

"It is true, we are here for each other. And of the four of us, this journey has been most enlightening for you Saoirse. It is no wonder after all you have learned that you feel anxious about the future, and your past, and your place in the world", he says nodding in understanding.

"They say that with knowledge comes power, but it can also hold a terrible burden. Some shy away from the burden, others turn their focus so completely on the power they don't realise the burden is there, even though it weighs them down. There are even those who turn away from the knowledge, preferring to deny it rather than bear the weight of truth", he says and stops for a moment, trying to imagine how it would feel to suddenly have all you know to be true torn apart.

"They also say that the truth will set you free. Your journey may have changed Saoirse, and it might be harder than you ever anticipated, but this is how you will grow. And you have the opportunity to free the people of your village from chains they do not even know they wear. Your burden is great, but by sharing it with the three of us, you will find the strength to continue. Do not apologise for sharing your feelings, it is a sign of courage and maturity. I do not know if you will overcome this, I am not sure it is something that you should try to overcome. But if you embrace it, all the knowledge and the feelings that go with it, I am sure you will find the right path".

- We are here for each other - Saoirse repeats after Lam and Hemlock. It wasn't the first time similar words had been said among the four of them, and though she had embraced them every time, it was as if they had a deeper and stronger meaning in that particular moment of her life.

She laid a hand on her heart and noticed it calming down, from the wild beating it had reached when she started sharing her anxiety with her friends to a more relaxed rythm. They were right. She was not alone. And though the path was a difficult one - and the burden heavy - it was one she didn't want to stray from. Of that, she was completely sure. 

Breathing out and nodding slowly she said:

- Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I sometimes forget that sharing one's worries is not a sign of weakness, but as sign of courage as you have put it, Hemlock. And a sign of trust. I do trust you all and thank whoever put you in my path for allowing me to be here sharing this with you - she smiled, showing deep appreciation to the three of them - I will most definitely embrace this path. The way I see it, there's really no other option. I cannot just shy away from it. I will not. And who knows If I can free my people from those invisible chains. But at the very least... we have already freed one. It has already been worth it. 

She nods to herself, confirming those words. "It has already been worth it". She had to remember that. 

Feeling lighter after sharing her worries with her friends, Saoirse is now ready to sleep. Before doing it, she relays Tesfaye's answer. 

- Let's hope we can see him soon enough. That story telling event sure sounded nice.

Sha-gravis sleeps.  He dreams of a simpler time when he held his children, nuzzled his wife.  Fish were a special treat all of them loved.  There was never enough time.  Why me, why must I alone bring light to this twisted darkness?  As dreams go there are scenes like learning to swim and speak sylvan, befriending a lone goblin recieving ‘Alptraum’.  Did I make the right choice?  Sha twists and turns as his last thoughts are of Saffi, "I'm Saffron, Saffron Gale," she says, pulling her long, ruby-colored hair back and following Sha over to Lam. "Most people call me Saffi, though.  I'm a changeling, for what it's worth. I'm usually happy to present myself as-is, so to speak, but around so many unknown people, this is my go-to humanoid look. I'm not really an 'honesty-is-the-best-policy type,' but there's no point building distrust with anyone who may be likeminded about the, um, intentions of this HMC-run gulag."  Sha-gravis wakes up feeling like a flame has been lit in his heart, ‘I’ve been down that road... you can’t balance hurt with more hurt... bringing joy cherishing moments is the only way.  He sees his friends, as he meditates and prays.  His Goddess is somehow closer today, he smiles as he finishes up.

In the colony, there is no change in lighting to distinguish night from day. Neither is there the sound of birdsong and insects going about their business. But as you sleep and dream, kobolds come into the chamber beside you, speaking in low tones, but not hushed ones. Apparently, sleeping so near each other as a rule, it is a cultural expectation that people will have no issue sleeping through light conversation. At some point even that fades, as the kobolds in the next chamber sleep. Every now and then, someone moves about as you sleep, some few people tending chores and similar on another shift. If you stirred in the middle of the night, you may have caught a glimpse of a few of the kobold women looking in on you, wide-eyed in curiosity,  before leaving again. Their clothing is more decorative, although leaving almost as many exposed scales as the simple loincloths of most of the men. They don't cover their chests any more than the men do - why would they, they're reptiles and have no mammary glands or breasts. The physical differences between men and women mostly amount to hips set slightly wider, a tendence towards a little more fat on the arms and back, and a more pronounced set of display scales on the back of the head.

If you wake before the kobolds beside you, and looked into the neighboring chamber, you would see that first husband, Hássan, and Jamíl are sharing one sleeping rug - their room looks empty and bereft with the sleeping rugs that should have been there all moved into your room - the first husband's chambers. They lie curled up in each their own corner of the rug, chins resting on their own tails. They are close enough to be touching, but are not in any sort of an embrace.

Most of you are probably awake before the three of them stir, and it looks like you have an opportunity to talk to each other before interacting with the colony. There is, however, the faint smell of something cooking wafting through the air - and more of that spicy scorpion venom as part of it. Speaking of, the next time Lam and Sha visit a latrine or chamber pot, they will find that the essence of scorpion venom is at least as spicy on the way out as on the way in. Saoirse's body will seem to have metabolized it, and she will not have the same problem. Hemlock, to his fortune in this case, ended up with a very mild meal as a side-effect of steering clear of meat. 

Anything you would like to do or discuss before leaving the chambers and interacting with colony members on your way out for the day?

Though the genasi's sleep has not been the deepest and most rested - she's been aware every time a female kobold has entered their chambers to look at them with curiosity - Saoirse wakes up feeling renewed and energetic. She spends a few minutes cleaning herself a little with whatever water she can find - the contents of the waterskin she carries in her backpack can suffice if she doesn't find anything of the sort in the first husband's chambers - and preparing her equipment for the coming journey. She also takes a moment to clean and sharpen both rapier and dagger, making sure they are perfectly ready for whatever danger they might find on their way.

With that done, and remembering that the night before she saw a training area when Hássan walked them to the sleeping chambers, she thinks of going there to meditate for a while. Same as she used to do back home after every training session, or when she needed to find a quiet moment to empty her mind from the daily activity. If any of her friends are awake when she is about to leave the chamber, she informs them of her intentions and invite them to come over, should they be interested in meditating too. If not, she will just go for herself and return to them shortly.

Once in the training area, she will sit down seiza-style, ceremoniously placing the rapier to her left and Swordbreaker  to her right, then straigthening her back and resting her hands on top of her legs, right hand placed inside the left and thumbs slightly touching each other.

In this position, that is inteded to reach relaxation without never really loosing the awareness of the surroundings - this would allow her to quickly grab her weapons and react in case of being attacked - Saoirse closes her eyes and begins to breath deeply. Emptying her mind from every worry, from every though that does not belong to that specific moment and specific place. Inside her mind there is only herself, her weapons, and the void surrounding her.

The genasi stands there for several minutes, breathing in, breathing out, and when she's about to finish meditating, a tiny radiant dot appears in the void of her mind. Though she hasn't seen something like that before while meditating, it doesn't upset her. On the contrary, it fills her with a calming sensation. A feeling of achievement. As if something has been unlocked inside her. Perhaps it is a light she can use to protect those around her. Yes, that must be it. She will use that light, along with the rest of her abilities, to keep advancing on the path that has been set before her. 

Saoirse then opens her eyes, a smile on her face while she takes her weapons carefully and leaves the training area to find her friends.

Sleep does not come easily to Hemlock in the caverns of the kobold's home. He knows he is underground, but still he stares at the ceiling hoping to find the familiar pin pricks of light that he is so used to. He cannot fault the kobold's hospitality, as different to his own culture as they are, but he is very much looking forward to leaving. When sleep finally takes him, it brings with it the comfort he was looking for, as he floats amongst the stars watching constellations form around him. The three brightest are the ones contained within his star map. The Chalice, the Archer and the Dragon.

It is the Dragon this particular dream focusses on, which seems to morph between the familiar constellation and a different visage. That of reflections of sapphire gemstones, looking much like the dragon Hamza that they met that day. At one point in the dream, the two dragon forms split into two entities, seemingly conversing with one another before turning their attention to Hemlock. An overwhelming feeling of certainty fills his heart and soul at that moment, and his mind is filled with new stars expanding the familiar constellations as more of his path is revealed.

When he wakes, he feels a warmth on his chest. As he reaches for the spot, his fingers find both the hard wood of his star map amulet and the sapphire gem given to him by Hamza now perfectly inlaid into it. As consciousness comes, he stretches his long frame which spills over the side of the rug the kobold's gave him to sleep on. Sitting up, he looks around, noticing Saoirse is not present but seeing Sha and Lam are there.

He starts to move around the room, hoping to be able to wash and dress before the kobolds come to find them, but struggling a little in the dim light.

There is a small basin of clean, cool, still water. If you lift water out of it, you can hear a small trickle as it refills itself to full. Nearby it are a few stray droplets from when Saorise briefly washed up herself. You do not find a mirror. You almost trip over a chamber pot in one corner of the room, though it is dusty with disuse, and does not have any of the smell of its purpose lingering on it. Hássan would have pointed out a shared latrine somewhere between the fountain and the training circle (basically just a hole over an unending deep pit).

Lam is one of the last to wake up. It seems that this has been one of the first good nights of sleep he has gotten in a long time- in a cave, surrounded by friends. Even the Village Tree had been more new to him than this. So it takes a while for Lam to wake up. When he does, while Hemlock is finishing the use of the water basin, Lam has to go find the latrine. After spending quite a while there, he comes back to get himself washed and dressed. His mind is on his dream, and on the new sense that Hamza had opened him up to yesterday. He can’t sense it quite as clearly as he could yesterday, but he can feel how to access that sense in himself and knows it would take just a bit of effort to feel it that strongly again. He ponders what this means. The world has so many more complex layers than he thought. He can help in ways that he never would have imagined. Fully awake now after his experience at the latrine (in which he did not roar, but wanted to), he takes his turn at the water basin after Hemlock is done using it. He seems unused to using such a small basin and manages to avoid splashing his friends, but makes quite a bit of noise in the process.

After awakening prayer & meditations Sha will inspect his gear don his armor shield and grab the rest of his gear.  Surely everyone is awake and ready by the time Sha’s preparations are complete.  Passing by Lam and Saoirse Sha renews vigilante blessing and grants guidance 4 respectively.  Looking about for Hassan Sha would like to offer his deepest thanks for the hospitality shown to us, “Please pass my gratitude to the many hands which have shown us such wonderful kindness, and may we meet again.”

Saoirse returns to the chambers and finds her friends finishing their preparations. With a calmed and rested expression, much different to the more anxious and worried one she displayed for a big part of the previous day, she wishes everyone a good morning.

- Hope you all rested well. I believe Hàssan is still sleeping, but judging by that spiced smell, they'll probably wake in no time.

Looking at Sha, she remembers he went to speak to the dwarven prisoner the night before, so she asks him:

- You spoke to the dwarven woman, yes? How was that? Is she staying with the kobolds or will she return to the HMC? Speaking of - and she turns to address Lam and Hemlock too - we should leave before they come and see us, right?

Once Hemlock is done with his morning ablutions, he waits for Lam and Sha-Gravis to wake and make, which gives Saoirse time to return.

"My rest was sufficient", is all he will say about his nights sleep, not wanting to complain about the stone ceiling.

"I think you are right, we should be long gone before our former captors arrive. Our presence here would not aid in negotiations, quite the opposite", he muses after waiting to hear of Sha's conversation with the dwarf.

"Do you think the kobolds will take offence if we request to pack breakfast and eat whilst we travel? They seem to have a very strict sense of propriety".

Once he has truly woken up and his friends have all joined him, there is brightness in the look that Lam gives all of his friends. He is relieved to see Saoirse looking a little better than yesterday.

He says in a voice remembering how to speak after a long rest, “Good morning. Sleep was good.” He does seem more well rested than he has been in the last couple of days.

He listens to anything Sha has to say about his conversation with the dwarf woman, and then nods at Saoirse’s and Hemlock’s words. His arms in front of him, his fist instinctively goes into his other palm. He would rather not run into the HMC today.

His stomach growls when the word breakfast is mentioned. “I hope they… I hope we can do that.”

- They may take a little offence, but if we explain the reason behind it, I think they will understand. Or that is my hope, at least. In the end, it's not only our safety that we are concerned about, but theirs, too. Well...we shall see son enough.

Sha-gravis fills in his friends about his conversation, including his reaching out to Billy Beerbelly, “It is my hope that they may see the truth.  She is not convinced the HMC is a tool in the wrong hands.  Forgive me but last night I dreamed about Saffi, I hope nothing terrible happens to her, she seems to be capable of great violence if left alone.”

Saoirse grimaces when hearing that the dwarven guard knows about Sebastian's collar. 

- I do hope that the guard is right and when Jonah learns about the collars, he'll stop collaborating with Strixwell. He would make a fine ally against her. But seeing how they still see us as "Aerar and Grommit's murderers" and people "who spat on the face" of the justice that we had been given, that doesn't seem possible, does it? Now I'm even more convinced that we need to leave this place quickly.

She pauses and then adds:

- I don't know what you all think, but I believe we shouldn't spread the existence of the collars any further. Or at least, not to people we don't fully trust, like Tesfaye and such. It's just ... I don't like the idea of people knowing about them. If they fell in hands as wrong as Strixwell' they could very well end up placed in an innocent's neck. Perhaps even our own necks.

Regarding Saffi, she adds:

- I also hope she's fine. Something tells me we'll cross paths again, and I hope that we are on the same side when that happens.

'It is possible that this Captain Jonah will think more favourably of us knowing how we ensured the safety of one of his, and how we dealt with the machinations of Samantha and Sebastian's collar", Hemlock says as he ponders the implications of divulging information to the dwarf guard.

"I saw first hand the Captain's dislike of Samantha, and how he reacted to being controlled by her. He will shed no tears on hearing of her demise that is certain. As for telling others, it also depends on Sebastian himself. Whilst he remains here, we can keep it secret, but if he leaves he might need to make it known in order to absolve himself of responsibility for his prior actions. For our part, I do agree we should only tell those we trust, unless there is very good reason to do otherwise".

When Saoirse returns to the group, Hássan follows soon after, to invite you to a breakfast of eggs and a starchy root concoction that is similar in consistency and nutrition to oatmeal. This meal is also happening around the fountain in the center of the colony, but there are no lavish rugs, and the atmosphere seems much more relaxed. People come and go as it suits them, not waiting to be served. Hássan will gladly give you as many hard-boiled abyssal eggs (they are a dull gray color and slightly larger than chicken eggs) as you ask for, for the road.

The kobolds all bow slightly when you pass near them, clearly treating you as honoured guests, though very strange ones, as well. Females are also eating in the center room, although in small circles of just females. Apparently it's only ceremonial meals where they don't even enter the room.

When Sebastian sees you, he approaches timidly, keeping his eyes on the ground, and speaks in a low voice, though clear enough to here. "Thank you for what you did yesterday. And... thank you for not killing me." He will try to walk away again after saying that.

When the time seems right, Hássan asks you all "Are you ready to leave and continue your journey?"