Caio and Ghoul watch as Nimue vanishes down the road. He's still for a while longer, enjoying the silence and chill in the air. His other self is right. There's a certain sense of closure in knowing that a book can be picked up and opened again down the line, even if you've only just begun to read it. Besides, there's another story that needs to be finished before he can truly dive in to a new one.

As Alaris wakes, Caio is stoking the fire for the morning's breakfast. "Yes." He pokes at the embers, and they glow brighter in response. "Nimue has left us. A family emergency, something more pressing than the quest she'd been on. She said she'll keep in touch."  Ghoul seems to miss his newest friend, and the cormorant pecks around aimlessly in a futile search before hobbling over to Alaris and nestling in to their blankets.

Alaris makes a little room and rustles in one of their pouches for a leftover nibble of meat. "I'm sorry, Ghoul - I miss her too," the paladin murmurs and offers the bite to the cormorant. After a long stretch and sigh as the aasimar works the aches of ground-sleeping out of their lanky frame, Alaris rises and begins making the rounds of the little camp, offering an encouraging word and a reminder to each member of the traveling band.

"Good morn, Brother Ludomir... I trust you and the priors slept well. Step lively now, and remember yesterday's lesson - there are dark shadows lurking in this forest. Pray for us to have keen eyes and the light of the Lady to guide us."

"Time to start waking up, Shiva dearest... No, you can't have five more minutes. Move your butt! You're getting as bad as Ling in the morning..." Alaris sighs again. The discomfort of traveling without the whole group disturbs them, and the hair on their neck prickles a little with anxiety. The paladin nods to Nikolai, who is already awake and doing whatever smart people do in the morning.

"What news, Astrid? Is this an area your folk are familiar with?" They make their way to the last family from Piotrgrad with a gentle smile and a wave. "Good morning. We want to get moving soon, and we'll need to move with more alertness and focus now that we're traveling through the forest. Stay close, don't wander, please. Let me know if you've any supply needs."

Finally, they make their way to Caio. "I've got everyone up and moving - hopefully they will heed my warning to be on their guard and to move with alacrity and dispatch today. We can't take chances here." They tug another nibble of last night's dinner out of their pocket and feed Ghoul.

The forest is dark and full of terrors, but the Lady's light drives the caravan to maintain their pace on the road east. Under Caio's guidance, they pass silently beneath the trees. Many hours later, as the moon rises high into the sky, the elf catches the scent of fresh blood on the wind. It seems to be coming from the south-east.

Caio motions for the group to stop. “Blood. Fresh blood.” With a squawk Ghoul swoops low over the group before zooming off into the dark woods in search of whatever is producing the scent.

Alaris nudges Zadkiel forward with a gentle knee. Loosening Hope's Edge in its saddle rig, the paladin gestures with their other arm in the direction Ghoul flew and murmurs, "Go if you would. I'll guard these here - be silent and safe, and try not to engage without us."

      Before departing on the day's journey, Astrid pauses to face the mountains where her clan lives and offers a silent prayer to The Scribe for Nimue's new path: Brightmantle, keep on eye on that one, please. See that she makes it to... wherever she might be going to, so that she can help her family. I know they mean a lot to her.  And, maybe bring her back to us... if you can?  The dwarf then finishes packing her belongings into the various satchels strapped onto Bluebell before hopping on. 

     With the moon rising Astrid pulls her robes in close and watches the tops of the trees for any signs of more of the creatures that fell upon them the night before. Seeing Alaris and Caio pass a few hushed words, she brings her boar along side the priors' wagon to offer them protections should there be any trouble. "Maybe you should sit tight in here in case something's out there," she offers to Ludomir. 

As the dusk descended upon the forest, Shiva remained vigilant and readied herself for whatever may lie in wait on the group's path. 

"Seems there isn't anything that bastard can't reach out and take. Poor Nimue, I hope she's alright."  "Yeah, me too. Just another reason why we need to find a way to bring him down quickly. And I wouldn't be surprised if he took her brother just to make it easier to bring us down, he doesn't seem interested in the rest of us like he is with Ling and Nimue."  "Well he likely knows that anything short of fighting you all himself won't get results. So this may end up being a war of attrition. Steel yourself, Shivala of Vudra."  

The inner dialogue is interrupted by Caio's alert. Quietly dismounting, she crouches as razor sharp claws extend from her fingertips. 

"The Lady's light will protect us," Ludomir tells Astrid quietly, but he does not leave the wagon.

Caio follows the taste of blood on the air to a clearing to the south-west. The shady glade is strewn with the corpses of Sarameian janissaries. Amidst the carnage, a green-skinned woman with clothes made of leaves leans against a tree, her bow clutched casually behind her.

As Caio lies in wait, analyzing the scene before him, the keen archer spots the elf before he can react. Their eyes lock, and Caio gives a polite nod. “Did you kill these men?” His tone is flat, not accusatory. Ghoul circles around to rest on the rangers shoulder with a murmured squawk at the woman.

"Some of them," the woman replies matter-of-factly, tilting her head to the side as she inspects Caio from a distance. "Does that trouble you?"

“Not in the slightest.” His eyes drift down to cast a disdainful glance over the soldiers’ bodies. “I am curious as to why you came to blows though. Did they give you trouble?”

"Yes," the woman answers simply, "but also, no," she adds after further consideration. "They were felling trees. What is it that you seek in our forest?"

Caio nods in understanding. “Passage. My friends and I escort a group of priests to Littlewood. Is there anything we should be aware of as we travel?”

The woman steps backwards, melding into the trunk of the tree behind her, only to emerge from another much closer to Caio.

"Your friends should turn back. The destruction wrought by these men has made spriggans of my sisters. They will not spare you."

Caio turns to the woman, unbothered by her repositioning. “That is not an option. Perhaps we could offer a service in exchange for safe passage. If you are willing to speak more on this destruction, we may be able to help in some way.”

The woman pauses for a moment.

"What is your name, boy?" She asks as she paces in a slow circle around Caio.

The elf stifles a smirk, as it’s been a long while since someone has called out his relative youth. “Caio Cypherien. The troupe I travel with is called Septem Mortale. How may we address you?”

"You may call me Aora," she tells him softly. "I am a sister of the vale, summoned by the plight of my kin. If you can put an end to the Sarameians' logging, the spriggans will allow you to pass."

“Very well.” he responds with an understanding nod. “Excuse me while I fetch my friends.” In much the same fashion as Aora stepped through the gnarled trees, Caio steps through the shadows that lie between them. He reappears where he first vanished int the treeline and rejoins the others. He gives a concise explanation of what he’s found before adding, “I offered to help them. It will behoove us to have allies within the trees themselves as we travel, and the less imperial presence we have to deal with the better in my opinion.”

"Sounds good to me." Shiva says as she approaches Caio, her claws receding.  "So do you have something in mind? Stalk them and kill enough to keep them from ever coming back, maybe?"