After collecting some vials of Ankheg bile and a stomach that Ru wanted to fashion into a bag, Haven's Blade pressed forward through what recently was the back wall of the storeroom. Aeldevan produced a flame for them to see by, since the creators of this new tunnel didn't create it as smooth as the dwarves did. It wasn't long until they came to a T-junction, with a faint light to the left and darkness to the right as the tunnel sloped deeper into the earth. Not wanting to pick another fight at the moment since time was of the essence, the group opted to go left.

"That's the opening I saw before!" Ru informed the team, increasing her pace.

Once inside the part of the tunnel carved out by the miners, Haven's Blade saw a few of them working away at the tumbled rocks. There was one tending to an unconscious dwarf just as Ru had said there was. 

"Up you go!" Magra hoisted two of the working dwarves onto her shoulders, ignoring their grumbles that they were fine to walk.

Aeldevan threw the third one onto his back. "You've all been working really hard, so just rest while we take you back to camp." With his hands full, Aeldevan activated Drifty to light their way.

Ru and Feyre worked together to carry the unconscious one, almost dragging him across the dirt floor. Skamos awkwardly managed the last one across his shoulders like a lamb. The trip was exhausting for everyone, both groups having been going all day. The dwarves had stopped struggling to get down, especially when they were being carried over the Ankheg body parts strewn about, blood and other fluids pooling on the floor.

Before they had gone back into the mine, Ru took note of which was the medic tent. "Let's bring them over to this one." Once inside, Feyre dropped the dwarf's legs with a thud while Ru gently pulled him up into a chair.

The doctor of the camp, Aldwin, immediately went over to examine the unconscious dwarf, giving instructions to his assistant. Magra shrugged her cargo off onto the ground with a clatter, and Aeldevan had to shake his passenger awake. Skamos tossed the dwarf he was carrying onto the nearest cot. While her friends were already walking out of the tent, Ru paused to ask if Aldwin needed any help.

Without looking up from his patients, the doctor quickly replied in not an unkind way, "Nope, you've done enough. Thank you."

"Now what?" Feyre asked the group once they were all outside the tent.

"We should probably tell those other miners that we've rescued these ones," Ru responded, pointing her thumb to the medic tent. 

Feyre let out a long groan. "Ugh. My feet hurt. I'll stay here and wait for you." The gnome sat down right there and started taking her boots off.

"I'll come with you," Aeldevan offered. He and Ru started walking towards the mine entrance again.

Skamos shrugged and followed after them. Magra looked nervously between Feyre on the ground, rubbing at her feet, and her other friends getting further away. In a blur, she scooped up the rogue and started running after the rest of her group.

"Don't split the party!" she shouted. Some of the workers around just stared as they watched the half-orc run into the mine, holding onto a gnome flailing in the air with boots in hand.

◊◊◊

"You can all take a rest now," Ru announced to the dwarves who had formed a line, passing stones from the top of the cave-in down to the side. "We got the other miners out."

"We had to smash through three Ankhegs, though," Magra added.

The dwarves paused to turn to them, eyebrows raised. The last one in the line spoke first, "That's quite impressive. You should tell Haldrik so that he can send some men down here to stay on guard."

Ru nodded, "We'll go do that. You've made amazing progress in the short time you've been down here, but do you need help with anything before we head back?"

This time the one at the top of the pile answered, sitting down with elbows on his knees. "We'll still need to finish cleaning this out, but it's no longer a rush." He then bowed a little, which looked strange with him being higher than them, and thanked them in Dwarvish. The rest of his crew echoed him.

Haven's Blade left the mine for the third time and made their way to Haldrik's tent. He was still standing behind his table looking over the map of the mine along with some other papers, unaware that his crew had been saved. When the adventurers came into his tent, Haldrik looked up with hope in his eyes. 

"Any news? Have you gotten them out?" he quickly asked.

Ru recounted the events that took place while Haldrik's expression changed from surprise about the Ankhegs to ease that the miners were safe and being taken care of. "We informed the men working on clearing the debris, and they wanted us to ask you if you could provide more guards just in case."

Haldrik thanked Haven's Blade in Dwarvish and then repeated himself in common. "Thank you for all your help. It means so much that some strangers would put their lives on the line without hesitation. I don't have much to offer considering this is a work camp, but you're welcome to stay and drink as much as you'd like before you continue on your way."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Magra couldn't contain her excitement to relax after a hard day's work and drink.

Aeldevan added, "We appreciate that. We'll stay the night and continue on to Hammer's Fall in the morning," looking at his friends as he spoke to make sure they were in agreement.

"Hammer's Fall?" Haldrik seemed intrigued. He leaned down to open a toolbox on the ground before taking out a small object and coming around the table to Ru, recognizing her as a smith. "Here, take this." He put the object in her hand, and she realized immediately what it was. "This is a piece of cold iron ore. It can be used to craft stronger weapons than normal," he explained. Then he squinted his eyes, wrinkling his forehead. "It's more common in the mountains up north, though. I've never seen it this far south before. If it isn't too much trouble, please take this with you to Hammer's Fall. Someone there should be able to analyze it a little better to see if there's anything different about it. If not, they can at least use it to make you something." Although his mouth couldn't be seen under his mustache and beard, he was clearly smiling at the thought that he was able to gift something else.

"Thanks, Haldrik. Now where's that ale you mentioned?" Magra's bluntness made everyone laugh.

◊◊◊

Walking into the giant tent Haldrik directed them to, the group found themselves in a makeshift tavern with stumps for seats and larger cuts of wood as low tabletops. Magra walked up to the man standing behind the counter drying out some mugs.

"Afternoon. We would like some cold ale and warm food. What've you got?"

The barkeep waved his hand to the side, directing her to look at the two chalkboards displaying the current menu.

Everyone studied the menus written in common tongue with Dwarvish headings. It seemed that not everyone at this camp was a dwarf, including the human waiting for their orders. Finally, Feyre decided on the zucchini and duck that would pair well with her plum brandy. Ru ordered the same meal but opted for the Queen's Favor, a light purple drink with some shimmer to it. Skamos chose the porcupine, specifying for it to be de-quilled, with the cider from Wood Haven. Magra thought for a second after him, deciding she too would get the porcupine but with her quills on the side. She ordered two cups of the stout and immediately chugged the first one as soon as it hit the counter. Aeldevan went for a lighter meal of caterpillar and honeydew with a mug of the hueberry.

As the team waited at their table for their meals to be prepared, they sipped at their drinks while enjoying a calm moment from their busy day. Not long after, Aldwin made an appearance to get a pitcher of water. He noticed Haven's Blade and nodded at them before telling them the miners had all been stabilized and will be fine. 

Finished with her second mug of stout, Magra looked around to see if anyone seemed worthy of an arm wrestle. Not wanting to be deceived by looks alone, she abruptly got up and began feeling people's biceps at other tables. Her eyes finally landed on a woman dwarf, her arms bulky and her beard long. But before she could walk over, the food they had been waiting for had finally been served. She made a mental note to come back to the woman later. 

"That was really good," Ru commented after finishing her plate. The rest of the table agreed with nods and other compliments.

"Yeah, I'm stuffed," Magra said, patting her stomach and trying to lean back on her backless stump. "Excuse me," she waved to the barkeep. "Can we have some rounds of drinks? I need to make a little extra coin." Magra smiled devilishly at her friends.

"You're on!" challenged Skamos. He stood up, pounding both fists on the table.

Aeldevan shook his head at Magra, smiling. "I thought you just said you were stuffed."

"Drinks don't count. Everyone knows that!" She looked around at the other tables and pumped her hands up as if to prove her point. Other tables immediately cheered in agreement. 

Aldwin, who had come back to return his pitcher to the counter, came over and threw a gold coin on the table. "My work is done for the day. Count me in," he grumbled. Under his breath he added, "I could use a few drinks after today."

Haven's Blade made room for him at the table, Magra grabbing a stump from the table behind her with one hand and securing it down next to her.

"I'm going to sit this one out," Feyre stated. "I'll watch, but I want to read fortunes after. My mind needs to be clear." She closed her eyes and lightly touched her fingertips to her temples.

Magra rolled her eyes. "Fine, little one. But no sneaking into anyone's pockets," she warned, pointing a finger at the gnome who was making an innocent face.

Shortly after everyone threw in their gold coin, the first round was set before them. The stout went down fairly easily for everyone, Aldwin quickly finishing his before everyone else. 

"This next one is a specialty that we received this morning: Kuo-toa Green Lager," the barkeep said, pouring the moss-colored liquid into their mugs. 

Aldwin made a face after finishing that one just before hiccupping and falling over. Magra was able to catch him before he hit the ground and gently positioned him to lean on the table. He was already passed out.

"Looks like he was a little more tired than he thought," Skamos joked.

Next, the barkeep placed shot glasses of Faerie Fire liquor around the table. The colors in the glasses shifted smoothly between blue, green, and violet, some force mystically swirling them around. The liquor proved too much for Magra, as she was next to hit the table.

What would be the final round then came out. Ru recognized the lavender color and smiled, knowing what to expect. Unfortunately, both she and Aeldevan passed out with a few sips left in their glasses. Skamos, however, maintained consciousness just long enough to take his reward money before joining the others on the table.

The workers at the other tables around them had been partially paying attention, finding the band of adventurers amusing to watch. They cheered when they saw Skamos won and sang a lively song even though he was unconscious.

◊◊◊

While her friends slept at their seats, Feyre began unpacking from her a bag a large dark cloth that she unfurled over an adjacent table. Once she got settled, she was startled to see Skamos standing next to her, swaying from the alcohol.

"I help," was all he managed to say, using all his energy to stay upright. 

Feyre hesitated, but the bard wasn't going anywhere. "Fine," she groaned. "But get down and stay under the table." She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, but no one seemed to pay them any mind now that the games were done. As Skamos crawled under, Feyre instructed him further in whispers, "When I say the keyword "stick", you hit the bottom of the table twice."

Skamos gave her a thumbs up and almost fell over without the extra support. 

"Your tail!" Feyre hissed. In an instant, Skamos's red tail was sucked beneath the cloth.

After clearing her throat, Feyre stood up on her stump. "My name is Feyre Fapplebottom," she announced, drawing out the words to sound more mystical. "I am now open for service." All the heads in the tent turned toward her, some with hungry faces. Feyre quickly clarified, "for fortune telling, that is." The heads turned right back around to continue whatever it was they were previously doing.

Sitting back down, Feyre's feet barely touched the ground. Unfortunately, they were still in range of the assault to come. Skamos unloaded onto them most of the drinks and food he had recently eaten.

"Sorry," Skamos whispered, the word slurring out of his mouth.

Feyre's eye twitched as she resisted the urge to yell at him. Doing so would blow her cover, so she opted for just hitting her heels against the stump to get most of it off. She waved the barkeep over for a pitcher of water. When he had his back turned, she poured it all out on her shoes.

"Stop peeing on me!" Skamos forgot to whisper, so a couple people turned to look over in Feyre's direction. 

The gnome pointed her thumb toward Aeldevan, "Sometimes he says the strangest things in his sleep!" Feyre's lie seemed to convince them enough to not pay any more attention. She leaned over and pulled the tablecloth up just a little to scold Skamos. "It's just water, 'cause you threw up on me!" She threw the edge of the cloth down to let him know they were done talking.

Feyre readjusted herself and tightened her corset a little more to hopefully attract some men to come over. Instead, it made her fart. The release wasn't loud enough to alert anyone, but Skamos made some gagging sounds as he tried to stop himself from throwing up again.

After several minutes of waiting, Feyre was finally approached by a fifty-year-old male dwarf. His reddish-brown hair and full beard were vibrant with youth as he was still young for his kind. 

"Welcome," Feyre said, still drawing out her words with elegance. "Please, young lad, have a seat." Once he did, slowly and cautiously, she continued, "I am trying to spread joy and happiness while helping people find themselves along the way. Do you need..." she struggled for the right word, "that?"

Feyre felt Skamos push the tablecloth against her legs slightly as he narrowly avoided being kicked by the other man's boots. The man seemed unaware as he thought about what to say.

"Hmph," is all he grunted, indicating he was willing to listen.

"Well..." Feyre waited for the man to introduce himself.

He tersly responded, "Ulfgar."

"Ulfgar. My friends," she glanced at the table nearby, "rescued some miners earlier today. Although we don't usually ask for payment for our deeds, we still need to feed our family. Why don't we start with one gold piece?" Ulfgar merely stared at her, waiting to hear what else she had to say. "Do you have any questions for me or the great beyond, Gary?"

Ulfgar raised a brow at the nickname but ignored it otherwise. He leaned across the table to whisper to Feyre. He looked a little worried that others might hear. "Is there more to life than," he looked around again to make sure no one was listening, "just mining?" He winced as he spoke the words out loud as if it hurt him to ask such a question. Being a dwarf, you were expected to work with your hands, especially mining, and it was frowned upon to do anything else.

Feyre merely replied, "Of course. Not everyone is meant to hold a stick all day."

At the mention of the cue word, Skamos banged the underside of the table a couple times, startling Ulfgar and almost making him look under.

"Pay no mind," Feyre quickly said, placing her palms down on the table, indicating that the cloth was not to be removed. "'Tis only the spirits agreeing."

Ulfgar's face showed suspicion, but he didn't press the matter. 

Feyre continued, "Just trust your heart."

Ulfgar looked down at the table, an internal battle waging within himself. After a few moments, he looked back up and nodded. He kept his eyes on her, waiting for more. 

"What are you looking for?" Feyre finally asked, trying to get the conversation to go a little deeper.

With a straight face, "I don't like women with beards," is all Ulfgar answered with.

Feyre tried to keep her face calm as she didn't even know how to react at the unexpected response. "Well, what are you looking for? Does anyone here give you inspiration?"

Ulfgar glanced around the tables, avoiding looking at the bearded female dwarf. His eyes landed on Magra. He nodded in her direction as he looked at her with hungry eyes even though drool pooled from her mouth as she slept.

"Oh, well she's already in a... relationship. Perhaps there is someone else out there beyond the borders of this camp," the gnome offered, not wanting to upset him.

He gazed at the ceiling of the tent, the light of the sunset making it look orange, before looking back at Feyre. He took from his pocket a small pouch of coin and slid it over to her, mouthing his thanks. He then disappeared from the tent with a confidence he hadn't come to the table with.

Making sure no one else was looking, Feyre looked into the bag to find twenty-one gold pieces. Her face beamed. She tossed a couple of them under the table for Skamos. When he started to argue, no longer slurring, Feyre quickly quieted him, telling him he was still drunk. She tossed him two more coins to appease him, though.

By now, the other members of the group had begun to wake up, although they didn't look like they'd be moving anytime soon. When Feyre got up and made her next announcement that she could do one more short reading, her friends covered their ears like someone was blowing a foghorn in their faces.

The female dwarf that had been sitting by herself the whole time decided to walk over and flip Feyre a coin. "What ya got?" she brusquely asked.

"First of all," the rogue started, "I love how you braid your beard. What's your name?" Her tone was more conversational now, although still not her casual attitude.

"Torga," the woman answered, showing a slight smile as she stroked one of her dark brown braids.

Feyre's eyes lit up and looked at the dwarf like they had a long-lost connection. "That was my mother's name." Despite the lie, Torga believed her, the dwarf's eyes widening.

"Now," Feyre continued, "what is the most important question you wish to ask the universe?"

Ru and Aeldevan rolled their eyes at Feyre's performance. Despite their headaches, they were watching the whole thing.

With her mood having been warmed up, Torga showed no signs of skepticism. "Can the spirits tell me where my blasted hammer is?"

Feyre was surprised by the responses of her customers today but effortlessly continued her charade. "I immediately see my mother pointing to the mine." She looked up as if in thought. "You know, while in the storeroom, I saw a hammer that for some reason conjured the image of my mother in my mind. I didn't know why at first, but this must be the reason I resonated with that stick."

Immediately, there was another thundering from below the table from Skamos. Aeldevan realized at that moment that Skamos wasn't at their table, then gave Ru a look to let her in on the secret. She chuckled, getting a better idea at her new friends' personalities.

"The spirits concur!" announced Feyre, bringing her hands straight up into the air while looking at the ceiling. 

Torga looked amazed. She whispered to herself, "Did I really leave it there?" before running off to check.

"Little one," Magra said, her speech sloppy, "you have outdone yourself this time."

Skamos coughed under the table, wanting the same compliment. Not realizing the Tiefling was under the table, she then said, "Feyre, I think the spirits might have a cold." She then turned to look around the room in a daze.

A few minutes later, Torga came into the tent, whipping the flap open. Excited, she announced, "Found it!" She then gave Feyre a Dwarvish bow before tossing her a small pouch with fourteen gold pieces before walking back out of the tent.

After Torga left, Feyre put her elbows on the table. "I'm exhausted," she said.

Skamos took that as permission to crawl out from under the table. The cloth caught on his horns and almost pulled Feyre down off her seat. Once he stood up, he held his hand out to Feyre expectantly, palm up.

"Fine," Feyre huffed, and gave him two coins from the pouch.

As the group all stumbled over to the tents Haldrik said they could sleep in, Feyre nudged Magra's leg. "By the way, watch out for a dwarf named Gary. I mean Ulfgar."

The half-orc nodded while looking confused, but she didn't question it.

The sun was barely peeking through the trees as they set down their equipment. Aeldevan and Skamos shared a tent with two cots and pushed them together. The other three occupied a separate tent with four beds, two of which Magra combined before passing out on with a flop.

◊◊◊

Ru woke up first with the morning light shining through a gap the tent's opening right into her eyes. After quietly putting on her clothes, she snuck out of the tent to order breakfast, which was lucky for her. Feyre woke not too long after.

"Wakey wakey, I do yoga while I'm nakey," Feyre announced to Magra, bending her naked body into nimble and awkward positions. 

Magra groaned and rolled over to avoid looking at the flexible gnome and increasing sunlight.

Feyre got dressed and met Ru at the tavern's counter. Once the barkeep handed Ru her food, he looked at Feyre to take her order.

"Do you happen to have any rose water that I can use to wash up with?" Feyre inquired, fluttering her eyes with a smile. 

The barkeep didn't seem amused at this hour and merely pointed opposite of the rising sun. "You'll find a stream that way."

"Okay, thank you," Feyre said. She turned and walked over to Ru who had sat down in the same seat she had the evening prior. "I'm going to check around for some flowers before I take a morning bath."

Ru swallowed a mouthful of sausage and potatoes. "I'll go with you," she said before clearing her throat with some light ale. "Let me just grab one of the others to watch the food. I ordered for everyone, so it'll be out shortly." After quickly grabbing a few more bites, she left the tent to go wake the rest of the party.

Aeldevan had been awake since the first crack of dawn when the birds began their trilling. He laid there with Skamos's head over his arm, caressing the Tiefling's arm gently. After some time, he kissed his partner's forehead and silently left the tent to grab breakfast. He ran into Ru, who informed him of the plan.

"You go on ahead. I'll wake the others," Aeldevan assured her. "This way I can actually enjoy a meal without Magra's chomping," he joked. Ru laughed with him before going on her way.

After following the direction that the barkeep gave, Feyre and Ru found a small waterfall that emptied into a sizeable pool of water. The two began stripping off their clothes, the early spring air still nippy. The stones were smooth from the erosion of the water and didn't hurt their feet. The pool water was chilly but refreshing, and it was big enough where they could swim around comfortably and still touch the bottom if they wanted to.

Near the edges of the pool where the water was calmer, lilies and other water plants floated on top. Nearby were bushes of flowers, droplets from the morning dew and spray of the waterfall glimmering in the sun. Feyre locked onto a pink rose and swam over to it. Without hesitation, she plucked it from the bush, dove back in the water, and shoved the unfortunate flower into her nether regions.

"Was that the only one there?" Ru asked, hopeful there would be more.

Feyre grimaced, "No, that was the only one. Sorry."

"That's okay, that's what you were looking for anyway." Ru proceeded to make her way to a grouping of other bushes where a small lilac bush nested. She grabbed some of them in addition to a few smaller, white flowers resembling honeysuckle.

Although none of the plants they used had any sudsing properties, they still provided a pleasant fragrance. Using non-abrasive stones for their skin, the two women felt much cleaner after all the bug guts and mine dust from the day before were scrubbed away. The pair also gave their clothes a good rubdown as best they could, using bristles and cones of some nearby pines which inherently left a nice scent.

After wringing out their clothes and hair, they shook the water off their bodies and went back to camp in only their skivvies. Feyre grabbed some rope from her pack and the two tied it up in the sunlight to throw their clothes over to dry. They didn't have another change of clothes, so they went into the mess tent as they were to eat.

Their friends were surprised at the lack of clothing but said nothing. As Feyre reached over for a piece of now cold bread, her chest brushed against Skamos's face. His body trembled before wiping at his wet face.

"That was unpleasant," he commented. When Feyre gave him a mean look, Skamos quickly added, "but you do smell nice."

"So, Feyre, how did your fortunetelling go?" Aeldevan asked with a grin. 

The gnome gave a recap of the events, giving Skamos credit when he prompted her by clearing his throat. He smiled proudly after that. 

"It amazes me how you manage to fool people, yet things turn out better," the druid commented as he picked up his mug to take a sip of elder tree tea.

Feyre retorted, "Hey, if I'm helping people, then who cares how I do it?"

Aeldevan put his hands up, conceding to her argument. In the awkward silence that followed, Feyre heard someone from another table mention Ulfgar's name, so she listened intently. Apparently, he had packed up and left that morning. She echoed this to her friends.

"See? I was able to give Garry the confidence to pursue his own goals." She smugly looked at Aeldevan, who had no objections and just smiled.

Magra spoke next, "Well, now that that's settled, let's not waste anymore daylight." She got up from the table with all the plates cleared. 

"Good idea," Aeldevan agreed. "I'm going to let Haldrik know we're heading out." He then followed Magra out of the tent and made his way over to the leader's office.

After informing Haldrik of their leave, the dwarf grabbed Aeldevan's hand and shook it firmly, thanking him and his friends again. "Some of the supplies in the storeroom got damaged," he said, Aeldevan grinning uncomfortably, "but it was bound to happen anyway from those Ankhegs which would probably have left it even worse." Haldrik turned to pick up a large package on a side table and handed it to the druid. "Here. I had some lunches made for you as I figured you'd want to get an early start. There's even an extra side of caterpillar since you seemed to like it so much." He patted the top of the stack and winked.

The mild weather of the morning looked like it would be changing soon, gray clouds off in the direction they were heading. As Haven's Blade set out on the road again, Skamos began a song that would hopefully keep the rain away for another day.

◊◊◊

As the skies had threatened, rain started pouring down on the adventurers as they continued along the path towards Hammer's Fall. The droplets became bigger and fell faster as the morning progressed, soaking the road and the group.

Skamos joked aloud toward Feyre and Ru, both at the front of the crowd so that they wouldn't have to smell their companions, "Looks like your bath was a waste of time!"

"Well maybe I didn't want to smell like a donkey's butt!" she retorted.

Dilliah snorted in resentment and shook her short black mane, spraying her rider with more water.

Feyre leaned down to apologize softly in her steed's ear, "No offense, Dilliah."

Despite the heavy rainfall, the dirt road wasn't muddy enough to hinder their pace. The rain began to slow around midday. At this point, the farms that had bordered the path were now completely replaced by forest. Maples and oaks showed new leaves while firs that had weathered the winter looked just as full as they had in the fall. The stream that ran into the pool Feyre and Ru bathed in flowed west of the path, its waters running a little faster with the rain's contribution.

"This weather is going to give my feet blisters," Feyre remarked.

"But you're not even walking," Aeldevan responded. Feyre just turned her head to make an annoyed expression but said nothing else.

While Magra had Dante and Feyre had Dilliah, the rest of them had to journey on foot. Kevin was already burdened with having to pull the wagon himself, so he typically wasn't ridden. Nick had hopped up in the cart to guard the supplies placed in it.

"Let's stop over there for a little bit to get out of the rain," Ru offered, pointing up ahead of them. Between the river and road was a dense patch of trees that formed a thicker canopy, providing less shelter than a tent but more than the open road.

The grove was off the path enough to provide some privacy from anyone approaching. There was a small fire pit already there, showing signs that someone before them found it a suitable spot to rest. Magra and Skamos got the herd under the trees as best they could and unhooked Kevin from the cart. They turned it over carefully to form a small space that provided more protection from the rain for their gear. The other three did their best to find wood that could be used for a fire. Aeldevan was able to use magic to get most of the moisture out of the wood before igniting it with a wave of his hand.

After warming up by the crackling fire and eating their lunches that had been thoughtfully provided by Haldrik, Feyre announced to the others, "I'm going to look in the stream for some nice rocks." Seeing the confused faces of her friends, she continued with a sigh, "I have some leather straps that I'll use to make jewelry." She pulled her boots off to dry by the fire, otherwise she really would get blisters.

"You know what? I think I'll join you," Aeldevan added, taking off his own footwear. Immediately, his form began changing, shrinking him down into the form of a platypus. Not only would he still be able to communicate with Feyre thanks to her gnomish ability to speak with small creatures, but his aquatic features would help him find his own rocks.

"Good luck!" Ru encouraged. "I'd like to look around to see if I can find any herbs for tea and cooking."

Picking up a slender stick that looked sturdy, Skamos contributed his plan. "This rain makes it easier to catch fish, so I'm going to try that out."

Magra continued sitting against her tree and looking at the mesmerizing leaps and pops of the fire. "You guys have fun. Nick and I will stay here to keep watch." She stroked the hound's damp fur as he lay next to her, the smell of his coat providing a musty scent.

Over the next few hours, each person went about their activity while the rain continued to fall steadily. 

Magra, chewing on a piece of lemongrass Ru had found for her, finally announced, "If we're going to get any more walking done, we'd better get going!" She stood up and brushed herself off. Nick stretched his body while giving a long yawn before shaking off the dirt and leaves.

The rest of her team started coming back to camp, showing each other their finds. Feyre held in a large pouch fifteen smooth stones with some sparkle. Aeldevan, now back in his usual form, had acquired twice as much as his friend, much to her disappointment, in addition to an amber gemstone of a rich gold color.

Ru didn't have much luck finding a variety of plants, but she did find a dappy sap plant that could be crafted into a love potion. She added it to her lemongrass cuttings that she had brought over before.

Skamos held up a six-pound trout in one hand and a four-pound bass in the other. "Fish for dinner, anyone?" His friends applauded his skill, Magra clapping his back so hard it almost made him drop his catch.

The team debarked for the second time that day to make whatever distance they could with the remaining light. The sun had started setting later, allowing them more time to travel. The rain had turned into a light drizzle and finally stopped just before the last rays of light faded behind the trees. It turned out to be a nice spring evening with the rain keeping much of the wildlife inside their homes, creating a peaceful ambiance with stray beams of orange glimmering in the mist.

While Aeldevan repeated his trick with the fire, the others prepared camp. They skipped dinner as it was getting late, and no one was particularly hungry after their hearty lunch.

Feyre stood at the tree line with her eyes closed and deeply inhaled the smells of the forest - damp earth and wet leaves. "The rain might be inconvenient, but it sure does make the forest smell nice."

Magra came up next to her and did the same, although her inhale was much noisier. "You got that right." She looked at a bud starting to grow on a branch in reach. She plucked it off and popped it in her mouth, Feyre bewildered. Magra added, "Makes it taste better, too."

◊◊◊