The group left the tunnel and made their way back through the halls of the keep without incident. After stumbling around in the dark for a bit, the conclusion was reached that while they would not be able to find the exact spot where Oleanne had set camp a few days earlier, it would not be difficult to find a similiar site to make a camp. The dense wood showed signs of a steady rain earlier in the day, but now the sky was clear, allowing them a good view of the welcome sight of the bright stars and the thin sliver of the waning crescent moon.
Rumer breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the sky again. "Same watch orders?" she queried, touching Lasiar's symbol lightly as she stared at the moon.
Rennirolas nodded and smiled as he took in the smell of the forest. "With all of this rain, it may be difficult to get a fire started, but with a little work it should be possible. I think a small fire will do us all some good," he said as he dropped his pack to the ground.
"I won't be long, just going out to get some wood," Renn said as he left the campsite. He returned a few minutes later with an armload of deadwood and underbrush, and, after a small firepit was dug, managed a small fire.
In the time before he turned in Renn played a few softly blown melodies
on his flute, tunes not much different from
those he had played before at camp. And just before he retired
to his blanket, Rennirolas checked bandages and wounds again. He
cleansed those that needed washing, and mixed what herbs he had to facilitate
healing. "I shall have to start looking for more plants and herbs,"
Renn smiled slightly as he leaned against a tree and pulled his blanket
up over his lap. "It makes
me glad I listened to my tutor during the lessons on mundane healing,"
he chuckled before slipping into the Elven reverie.
The night in the forest seemed nice after a few days in the tunnels, although it was likely just a matter of perception. Everyone rested peacefully in the damp wood near the pleasant warmth of Renn's fire. Most were awake by the time the sun's light penetrated the thick foilage.
"I think we were supposed to meet the dark priest during the night of the dark moon. If that's the case, we better get a move on." Blacky said as he packed up his belongings.
Rumer nodded and gathered her own meager possessions. "Let's be off."
"Never mind meeting the priest," Arachne grumbled. "I wouldn't mind in the least if I simply had word brought to me that the priest couldn't make it owing to his own prior demise. But the way to meeting Echo again seems to lie _through_ the priest, and _that_ I do feel obliged to pursue." She sighed. "I'm being pedantic. Sorry. I know that what I spelled out is what you meant. I just hate conceding that priest any more value in my life than he merits, which is none." She grabbed her pack and hoisted it on her back. "Hmph. Actually getting into a fight and losing a few of those sling-stones _does_ make a difference. Let's go."
Kuiper's Farm--Late night, 28 Eleasias 1374
The realization that getting to the meeting point designated with the
rest of the party was going to take some doing slowly sunk in with the
group. They set off through the thick wood, getting turned around
and going the wrong way more than once. Eventually, and by sheer
chance, they found the Hog Brook and were able to follow it. Falgout
offered the short-legged Arachne what was known in common circles as a
"piggy back ride" so that she wouldn't have to sprint to keep up.
The day grew late and turned to night as they continued on along the small
creek to the point where it joined the river. One of the bug light's
went out, but the others continued to glow as they looked for a negotiable
ford in the darkness. Finally, cold, wet, and
exhausted, they approached the main house on Kuiper's farmstead....
At the edge of the cleared land around Kuiper's dwelling, Arachne stopped.
"Kuiper doesn't like me," she said. "I'm not too enthusiastic about
him either," she added. "So I think I'll wait here -- keep from spoiling
any enthusiasm he might have for helping the rest of you. You can
tell me later what news, if any, he might have." She looked around.
"There's a tree somewhere around here that I managed to climb before.
It only took me four or five tries." She started hunting. "I
think
it's somewhere pretty close to where Pug's buried..."
