Lucinda was sitting in the grass near the maze she had so recently escaped from. Directly in front of her sat the small blue rabbit that had assaulted her within; although, it was no longer exactly small, and was even less rabbit-like than before.

“What is he?” Lucinda asked of the circle leader who had resumed her comfortable seat outside the bulging outer wall of the maze.

Yalia released another characteristic cackle at her words. “A greater jackalope. Well, a greater tundra jackalope to be exact.”

“I see…”

The beast in question was several times larger than it had been during their last meeting, putting it roughly at the same size of an unusually wide pig. The difference was surprising, but not nearly as surprising as the large pair of antlers that adorned its head.

“Are they all blue?”

“I believe so, though this is the only one I’ve met. A nice colour, wouldn’t you say?”

“…If I say no, will I get attacked again?”

Lucinda intended her words as a joke, and was rewarded with plenty of laughter from the older woman for her troubles.

“Could you tell me what his base level is?” she continued. “Having a form like that would be… incredible.”

“If only my status contained such useful information. However, I have no doubt it is at least level 40.”

“Haah… Okay. Never mind then.”

“I did warn you, Dear.”

“I know… One day, I guess.”

“Exactly so! Now, unless you wish to marvel at his uniqueness for a time longer, I suggest you get back to enjoying the fun we have on offer. There should be about an hour or two left for you to do so.”

“Yeah! Come on, Luci!” Varmia chimed in. “You’ve barely tried half the games yet.”

After a brief farewell to the circle leader, Lucinda set off in search of other fun. As Varmia had suggested there were still plenty of sights to see and activities to partake of. The first that caught her eye was a game involving blindfolds and a collection of similarly furry animals; the goal being to determine which was which through touch alone. Once that was done with, she was soon convinced to take part again, utilising her shapeshifting prowess to act as the mysterious animal being identified instead.

By the time the sky had begun to show hints that day was on the way out – which was the signal for the beginning of the next part of the party – Lucinda had more than had her fill of almost every game on offer. She had to conclude that while on their own none were world-shattering sources of entertainment, combined with the enjoyable atmosphere and friendly people – nearly all of whom she had taken the time to meet – it had been an afternoon well spent.

“If I may have your attention, please!”

Another rearrangement of the circle’s furnishing had taken place as dusk had arrived. Situated around a large fire pit – that was yet to be lit – a great number of low seats had sprung up from the ground in a typical dryad-fuelled fashion. They were positioned around the fire pit in a semi-circular formation, and it was at the northerly apex of that, that the circle leader was standing and addressing those gathered.

“This is not a speech before anyone starts grumbling,” Yalia continued. “I simply wanted to start off our evening celebrations with a short few words to our guest of honour.”

Lucinda tensed as a great number of eyes fell upon her. She forced a smile to her lips as she tried her best to meet them all. It helped that they were no longer strangers to her.

“Now, if we were a group of Wizards, or perhaps even Clerics, we would undoubtedly be neck-deep in some unbelievably boring ceremony of some form or another…”

“That sounds like a speech to me!” the voice of Grissa called out.

“I’m almost done, thank you very much,” Yalia replied in obvious amusement. “…we are Druids, Rangers, Shifters, Beastmasters, Wardens. We have no need for such things. Which is why I shall only say this: You chose well, Lucinda. There is no doubt in my mind that the class suits you perfectly, and I fully expect you and your animal companion to live a happy and fulfilling life. And with that said… Let’s bloody well enjoy ourselves!”

A chorus of cheers followed the old woman’s words, which Lucinda had no trouble joining in with. The cheer was still ongoing as Yalia initiated a spell cast, illuminating the space around her with a bright orange light. The act grabbed Lucinda’s attention fully, but gave her only a moment or two to consider its purpose before it reached completion.

With an almost deafening woosh, a column of fire descended from the sky directly onto the unlit fire pit. It collided dead-on, sending a wave of heat outwards, while igniting the mass of dead wood with a powerful roar of rushing flame.

“See!” The voice of Owilen said from Lucinda’s left side. “Mind-blowing!”

“You still going on about that!?” Varmia replied from Lucinda’s right side. “Do Wardens not have magic either or something?”

The young man laughed in response to the accusation sent his way. “There’s magic, and there’s magic. Who knows if I’ll ever get something like that? Ask me again in 60 years.”

“Like I’ll remember.” Varmia sighed. “Ready to have some fun, Luci?”

“Yep!” Lucinda replied eagerly. “Ah, but I’ve never really partied before.”

“I am shocked to hear you say that.” The frown Varmia’s words brought about only seemed to amuse her further. She giggled softly, her hands coming down to rest on both of Lucinda’s shoulders. “First off, you need to relax.”

“Yea, we’re all friends here,” Owilen added, clapping Lucinda on her left shoulder almost as soon as Varmia’s hands had retreated.

“Secondly,” the young Druidess continued. “You have fun! Which means: chatting, dancing, drinking, and…” Her grin grew suspiciously wide as she trailed off.

“And what?” Lucinda narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t think I like that accusatory look you’re sending my way!” Varmia giggled some more. “Besides, you have me all wrong. You know the older Druids are immune to drink, yeah? Turns out one of them found out another way to make things interesting a while back.”

“Oh… Okay?”

“It’s a mushroom. Doesn’t usually grow anywhere near here, which means we have real trouble producing a lot of it, even with two dryads helping. You place it in a bowl, hold a flame against it, and then it starts putting out smoke. Breathing it in is… nice.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” Owilen said. “I’m more of a booze type of guy.”

“Don’t Wardens get poison immunity?”

“Sure do. But got loads of levels left to enjoy it!”

“You breathe in fumes from a mushroom? On purpose?” Lucinda asked in utter bafflement.

“Yes, on purpose! I told you, it’s nice. Hard to explain exactly what it's like; totally safe though. Best way is to try it! I prefer it. But drinking makes my head hurt…”

“It is a sad fact of life that girls can’t handle their alcohol, unlike us guys,” Owilen said. He turned his feigned look of sorrow upon Lucinda bringing her to laughter in an instant. “I pity you both.”

“Yeah? At least we’re not boastful oafs.”

“If you actually had something to boast about maybe you would be? Like a unique class, let’s say.”

“Hmph!” Varmia pouted unhappily. “Where’s my backup, Luci?”

“Oh… Umm…” Lucinda stammered as she tried to get a handle on her continuing laughter. “Maybe there’s a not so good reason it’s unique?”

“Ooo, yeah, good one! Because it was so bad no wanted to take it?”

“Ouch,” Owilen said. “Wish I could say I hadn’t considered that…” Lucinda was beginning to regret her choice of words, when Owilen suddenly cracked a grin. “Didn’t consider it for long though. Enough messing about, time to start drinking!”

At almost the same instant that Owilen stood up in pursuit of his goal, a loud beat of a drum echoed through the clearing. It marked the obvious beginning of the music Varmia had mentioned, and Lucinda was both excited and intrigued to hear more. The man playing the percussion instrument – which was a single hand drum nestled between his legs – was set up near to where Yalia had been previously. He was a local, as was the woman beside him equipped with a set of panpipes.

“They have music back where you grew up?” Varmia asked as the drummer began a rhythmic beat.

Lucinda had to giggle at the intentionally ridiculous question, though she made sure to shake her head in feigned annoyance too.

“I’m going to answer the question you should have asked,” she informed her friend. “At the temple we often sang. It was probably the least unpleasant part of working there.”

“Heh, you know I don’t have any intention of ever setting foot in a temple, but it might be worth it to hear you sing.”

“I’m not that good… It’s better with a group anyway. Have you really never been to a temple?”

“Not ever. Why? Does that upset you?”

“No… Not really.”

“You don’t sound very sure of that…”

“Hey Varmia!” Owilen called out, interrupting the ongoing conversation. “You better help yourself to a bowl before they’re all gone,” Reaching his seat he sat down with drink in hand. “Ah, dammit. Sorry, Lucinda. Should have asked if you wanted anything.”

“Shows how little you know,” Varmia replied to the young Warden. “Each one will last the night, even if everyone went mad in using them.” Owilen only grunted in response, though the mug attached to his lips prevented much more. “Now, Luci…” Varmia turned a mischievous grin in her direction. “You came to try new things, yeah? To experience the life of us uncouth wild-folk? As your mentor put it. Just like your gran before you?”

Lucinda frowned suspiciously at the young Druidess. “Are you asking me if I want to start sniffing mushrooms? …Or something else?”

Varmia barked a laugh. “Sniffing mushrooms! I like it. But, yeah, just that… for now. There is plenty of alcohol too if you want. You’d have to ask Owilen what kinds though, it’s not really my thing.”

The decision wasn’t hard to make. Lucinda knew she had no particular fondness for alcohol itself, though she was wondering if drinking some might be a good idea for the inevitable dancing she knew was coming.

“It’s really safe?” she asked.

“I can’t believe you’d doubt me like that, Luci? Aren’t we friends after all?”

“Okay, okay!” Lucinda replied around a smile as Varmia mimed wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. “I’ll try a bit.”

“Then I’ll be right back!” Varmia dashed away without waiting for a reply.

Left alone with only the young Warden for company, it took Lucinda a moment or two to come up with something to talk about. There was, however, one topic that Owilen was the perfect person to ask about.

“How… wild… do things get usually?” she asked.

“Not trying to be funny or anything, but it’s actually a bit weird seeing how worried you are. Every young circle member dreams of their first gathering. Being unable to attend, but seeing how obviously happy the adults all are the next day makes it seem like the coolest thing ever. Or that’s how I felt at least. The real thing came pretty damn close to my expectations though.”

“Mmm, I hadn’t thought of it like that. I wish I wasn’t nervous… I’m not even sure why I am… But I am.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it. I was a bit nervous my first time. Nothing a bit of drink won’t fix. Or mushroom smoke if that’s your thing.”

“I hope it is,” Varmia said as she returned. She had a small wooden bowl in one hand, which she held up for Lucinda to inspect as she resumed her seat. “Managed to get a fresh one, which means you’ll get to see it start. It’s awesome, trust me.”

Lucinda looked inside the bowl. The contents were about as she’d expected: a lone mushroom. However, the bright pink colour of its stem, and the similar but varying shades about its broad cap, were certainly less expected.

“You ready?” Varmia asked.

“I guess so… How are you…?”

Before Lucinda could finish her question, Varmia cast a very quick spell with one hand that brought a tiny gout of flame into existence upon completion. The fire hit the mushroom perfectly, which seemed to flinch in response. Then, barely a heartbeat later, a cloud of smoke erupted outwards. That the smoke was a faint pink in colour was another interesting feature of the strange fungus, yet the way in which the smoke filled the bowl and then stopped spreading any further was even more interesting in Lucinda’s eyes.

“Weird, huh?” Varmia asked.

“Yeah…”

“Don’t ask me how or why. Just watch as I show you what to do.”

Varmia brought the bowl up until it was situated beneath her chin. She inhaled slowly, inviting some of the pink fumes to rise upwards into her nostrils as her eyes fell closed. A moment passed as she seemed to savour the experience, and then an obvious sigh of contentment escaped her lips before her eyes opened once more and landed upon Lucinda. They seemed a little brighter, just as her smile seemed more enthusiastic.

“Easy as that! Maybe take a smaller breath though.”

Trying to ignore the hinted danger the Druidess’ words implied, Lucinda took the offered bowl and brought it to her chin as had been demonstrated. Some worry remained within her mind, yet her trust in Varmia was enough to prompt her to commit to the strange action. She took an intentionally small breath, catching a whiff of the curious smoke as she did. It was slightly sweet, with an aroma that was unlike anything she’d experienced before. However, her pondering on that topic didn’t last long, as an unquestionably pleasant sensation shot through her entire body in an instant.

“Ohh!” Lucinda gasped. She blinked several times, before meeting Varmia’s smiling gaze.

“You like?”

“It’s… nice. Like I’ve just got into a perfectly warm bath, or climbed into some fresh sheets, or…”

Varmia laughed loudly enough to forestall the rest of Lucinda’s hasty explanation. “Everyone has something different to say about it. That’s why I said it was nice.”

“I just thought you were being weird,” Lucinda teased.

“The only weird person here is Owilen! And anyone else that prefers whatever horrible thing he’s drinking.”

“This is anything but horrible,” the young Warden replied. He took another sip of his drink and then released a loud, contented sigh of his own. “Unlike her, though,” he continued at Lucinda. “If you prefer something else, I’m cool with that.”

Nodding briefly, Lucinda turned her attention back towards the bowl Varmia held.

“Is it magical?” she asked. “The way the smoke sits like that…”

Lucinda’s words were cut short as Varmia placed a finger to her lips.

“What are you, a Wizard? This is a party, Luci! We’re here to have fun, not ask boring questions. But… I don’t really mean it like that. Ask me again tomorrow. Now, though… You’re up for more, yeah?”

With how surprisingly enjoyable the experience had been, Lucinda had no difficulty in agreeing. Varmia seemed to sense her acceptance of the offer before she’d even voiced it, handing her the bowl with a knowing smile on her lips.

“Thanks,” Lucinda said, before taking another, slightly deeper breath of the unusual smoke.

“Woo! That’s it!” Varmia cried out.

She and Lucinda were standing near the lit fire pit, along with many of the other gathering attendees. As the drumming and accompanying panpipes had picked up in pace and volume, a silent consensus to begin dancing had been reached. Lucinda had been extremely nervous at first, but the persistent effects of the fungus fumes combined with Varmia’s strong encouragements had quickly helped her get into the spirit of things.

“Now you’re feeling it, yeah?”

“Yeah!” Lucinda shouted back; a spat of jubilant giggling following her shout. “This is… great!”

Laughing and giggling freely, they danced around the fire pit together with the others. There was no real pattern to follow other than the beat; a fact that had played a large part in Lucinda’s initial struggle to get comfortable. Accepting that attempting to match the other dancers was unneeded and that she should be dancing however she chose too instead had been difficult; yet once she had, her enjoyment had grown with each passing moment.

Knowing the other dancers also played a large part in her enjoyment, especially when they found a moment to converse amidst the throng of people and sounds of music.

“Looking good, Apprentice!” Waflaw called out as he ended up nearby.

“You too, Waffles!” Lucinda shouted back, earning herself a great deal of laughter from the woman dancing with her mentor.

“Beats being a Cleric, huh, girl?” Grissa asked once she’d caught her breath.

“Yes!”

As their dancing continued through several different panpipe melodies, Lucinda didn’t fail to notice how most of the other dancers were grouped into couples, as she and Varmia likely also were. The realisation didn’t diminish her enthusiasm by any noticeable degree, yet it did frequently turn her thoughts to considerations of how the night might end. Far more startling, however, was the alteration of attire that began taking place among an increasing number of the women; both in those dancing, and elsewhere. As more and more tops were removed or rolled down, Lucinda struggled to avoid gaping at the audaciousness of it all – much to Varmia’s amusement.

They returned to their seats for a breather a time later, finding Owilen was still seated and still drinking happily.

“Not joining in on the fun?” Varmia asked him as she passed the seemingly endless bowl of pink smoke towards Lucinda.

“I did already,” came his reply, a slight hint of his inebriated state evident in his voice. “Danced with your gran actually. No way she could move like that if she weren’t a Druid!”

Lucinda’s eyes sought out the oldest gathering member automatically. She found her dancing away amongst the others, and felt a slight flush reach her cheeks as she noticed the circle leader was a proud member of the more brazen group of women present.

“Still enjoying yourself, Luci?” Varmia asked. A similar hint of redness was evident in her friend’s cheeks. “Even now?”

The underlying meaning was abundantly obvious, and while the unexpected change had caught Lucinda off-guard, it wasn’t something that was directly affecting her. That there was a chance of that changing in the near future was hard to ignore, however.

“I am!” Lucinda replied, beaming a smile at the young Druidess. “The music’s great, the people are great; even this weird mushroom thing is great!”

Varmia giggled happily in response. “I knew you would! But would you be enjoying things quite so much if I hadn’t got you to dance, or got you to try that mushroom?” Lucinda raised one eyebrow as she considered the questions, though more words quickly followed. “What I’m saying… Is that I think I deserve some thanks!”

“Umm, thanks?” Lucinda replied unsurely. Varmia began giggling again, and Lucinda couldn’t help but join her.

“I was thinking something a bit more personal, yeah? Like say… a kiss?”

A loud spluttering cough erupted from nearby. The source was none other than Owilen, who it seemed had unintentionally ejected some of the drink he had been trying to consume. That some of it had managed to catch Varmia, and upset her greatly in the process, made the situation absolutely hilarious in Lucinda’s eyes. Her laughter boomed out uncontrollably while the young Druidess berated their Warden friend, and continued onwards even when Varmia’s frowning face turned upon her.

As Owilen retreated to obtain more drink, Varmia cleaned herself up with a quick spell that conjured water from nothing, while Lucinda managed to get herself under control once more. However, she had a question of her own that was far too important to keep to herself.

“How do you do that?” Lucinda asked. “I mean, what spell is it? And the small fire you made earlier? Just like Waflaw… It seems so useful!”

With a teasing grin upon her face Varmia offered a simple reply. “Tomorrow!” Lucinda’s resulting frown lasted barely a second; the delicate hand that landed upon her thigh bringing her thoughts back to other seemingly more pertinent topics. “I’m still waiting for that thank you.”

Lucinda’s face flushed brightly as Varmia’s gaze held hers. It was quite a forceful asking, yet she found she didn’t mind; she’d been leaning towards acquiescing, perhaps even before she’d been asked at all. That she moved forwards to fulfil the demand almost immediately, surprised her almost as much as it did the other woman, and that even in the brief span of heavy heartbeats prior to their lips inevitably meeting, Lucinda felt only a slight nagging doubt was even more surprising. But as their kiss began in earnest, and with it the warm, pleasant feelings, such things quickly retreated to the back of her mind.

“Mmm,” Varmia mumbled a time later. She bit one lip as she affixed Lucinda with an intense stare. The abundant redness to her cheeks was matched by Lucinda’s own. “That’s more like it.” Then her smile turned mischievous in the blink of an eye. “I’d quite like another though… How about you close your eyes if you do too?”

A suspicious frown spread across Lucinda’s brow, but the similar desire she knew she held soon convinced her to do as she’d been asked. With her eyes closed, she sensed Varmia shifting about in front of her. She thought little of it, at least until the same warm lips found hers; for as other parts of their bodies touched, it became clear the young Druidess had decided to adopt the very recent trend of toplessness. Lucinda’s body stiffened at the unexpected occurrence, but a return to a contented, relaxed state wasn’t long in reaching her.

“You should try it, it’s a lot of fun,” Varmia encouraged a short time later.

“I couldn’t…”

“Yeah, figured you say that. That’s fine.” The young Druidess grinned widely. “Even though quite a few here have seen you entirely naked already. Me included.”

“It’s not the same in the baths!” Lucinda half pouted, half smiled at her friend.

“Well, I’d go on about how no one would mind and stuff… But I think you know all that already. Consider it, yeah? While we do more dancing!”

“…You’re going to dance like that?”

Despite having seen plenty of the other women do so, Lucinda couldn’t prevent herself from asking all the same. Varmia only laughed in response, and then climbed to her feet and began dragging Lucinda with her by the hand.

Lucinda’s enjoyment of the festivities remained high, yet recent events with Varmia lent a slightly different edge to that enjoyment. As they resumed dancing, she found her eyes lingering on the undulating, beat-matching motions of the slightly older woman with her, as well as the newly revealed parts of her lithe body.

When they next returned to their seats – an action prompted by a pause in the music as two new players switched in – plenty more mashing of lips took place, and would have continued to do so if not for the lack of a certain something.

“Owilen, what happened to our mushroom bowl?” the young Druidess asked in a demanding manner. “You were supposed to be looking after it.”

The young man had moved from his last position. Lying upon the grass nearby, his gaze slowly turned away from the sky above.

“Sorry, was thinking…” he replied before resuming his prior observing.

“Grrr.” Varmia’s unhappy expression was replaced by a smile as she looked at Lucinda. “I’ll go find it. Don’t go anywhere, yeah?”

Without waiting for a response, Varmia dashed off, leaving Lucinda alone with her increasingly troubled thoughts.

Mmm, kissing her is nice… I even started it! What happened? That thing about Gran? The mushroom? Ahh, does it matter? She’s pretty and I like her… That’s fine… That’s fine here. But… what next? Do I…

“Hey, apprentice!” the voice of Waflaw called out suddenly, bringing Lucinda’s attention back to her surroundings. The sight of her mentor sent her eyes shooting wide, and then her gaze scanning the rest of those gathered in a hasty instant. Fortunately, while Waflaw was completely without clothing, no one else was.

“Waflaw… Why are you naked?”

“Ah, yeah, that.” Waflaw looked slightly embarrassed as he emitted a short chuckle. Lucinda was too, though that her mentor’s hands were effectively covering his crotch helped immensely. “Some things happened; you won’t want to hear the details. Suffice to say, Grissa wasn’t too pleased, and then she decided to steal my shorts.”

“Umm, okay? …Weren’t you wearing them?”

“Never mind that. Did you see her before? She hinted they might be around here somewhere…”

“No, sorry. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“I saw her,” Owilen called out; his words were followed by a deep belly laugh. “She…” he managed before laughter took him again. “Sorry… One sec…” His laughter gradually diminished enough to let him reveal the source. “She chucked ‘em in the lake. Good luck finding them.”

In the face of Waflaw’s horror-filled expression, a fit of intense giggling struck Lucinda and held her for a significant stretch of time.

“Of course she did,” the older Druid grumbled unhappily. “That woman… Well, if that’s the way she wants to play it!”

Lucinda was still laughing as Waflaw stomped away, his exposed backside making things all the more amusing. Naturally, Owilen was likewise expressing his enjoyment of the situation, and continued to do so for a good while.

When her mirth had finally died down again, there was still no sign of Varmia, prompting Lucinda to return to her pondering.

Would it really be so bad? Gran must have done it… Fi was telling the truth, I’m sure of it. It’s like what Varm said too. It’s not a big deal… And it doesn’t change anything… It doesn’t!

As she considered the same problems that had arisen in the face of Varmia’s intimate offer, Lucinda found that despite everything, she couldn’t quite dismiss them. It was a fact that ending the party in the other woman’s arms was an exciting prospect she wanted to experience; yet, it was also a fact that she couldn’t commit to allowing it. The conflict between her desires and her hangups was intensely frustrating, and became more intense the more she tried to overcome it.

“Dammit!” Lucinda seethed out-loud as the build-up of emotions finally burst free from its internal cage. She caught sight of Varmia in that moment. The young Druidess was talking with a group of four people. Her animated state brought a smile to Lucinda’s lips, though it was more sad than happy.

“You okay?” Owilen’s slightly slurred voice called out.

Lucinda opened her mouth to reply in the negative, when a sudden thought struck her. Her eyes found Owilen’s form in the grass, then quickly ran over every well-muscled part of it. Almost as soon as the idea had come to her she regretted it.

I couldn’t… That wouldn’t be fair to her…

Even with her internal denial having been made, her thoughts stayed on the same topic. Plausible excuses didn’t take long to begin forming, all the way up until she seemed to have an answer for everything.

She’d understand. Grissa said that’s how things are here. I could tell her I want to still, just that I’m not ready… It’s the truth! Then I could… spend the night with him?

The decision seemed to have made itself. As the man in question sat up to direct a quizzical expression her way, her mouth opened to reply at last. However, words didn’t quite make it past her lips before another problem reached her.

What if he’s not interested!? That would be… embarrassing! I’ve seen him look at me like that before, but does that mean anything? Maybe he doesn’t even like girls…

A short string of giggles escaped her lips at the amusing thought. Owilen’s quizzical expression revealed a hint of concern in response.

“Lucinda?” the young man asked. “You alright?”

“I think so…” she replied. “I… Oh!”

Lucinda’s breath caught as a sure-fire way of determining Owilen’s potential interest in her came to mind. It didn’t involve asking him; instead, it involved what suddenly seemed to her to be a powerful alternative, as demonstrated by others at the gathering. Her hands fell to the hem of her top, she lifted it a bare fraction before hesitation halted her action.

Can I really…?

A fluttering of butterflies swarmed inside her stomach as she considered the situation. Owilen’s eyes hadn’t failed to notice the placement of her hands, and it was the faint look of expectation in his gaze – real or imagined – that helped push her to a decision. Her hands pulled the petal-garment upwards, and continued to do so until it left her body entirely. The young man’s eyes remained locked in her direction, taking her blushing to new extremes.

“Wow…” Owilen breathed as his gaze lingered upon her chest. “Bigger than I thought…”

The words were so unexpected, yet also so familiar. They prompted Lucinda into a fit of giggling that no amount of embarrassment could hold off. That they seemed to suggest the young man might have some interest in her was also welcome news.

“Glad to see you didn’t get bored waiting for me…” Varmia’s voice called out. The suddenness of it dragged Lucinda’s eyes to her just in time to see the other woman’s eyes light up. “Ooo, Luci! You decided to let the girls out after all? Way to go!”

“…The girls?” Lucinda’s confusion at the question was joined by a faint hint of guilt and worry.

“You mean you don’t call yours that? Erm, anyway, I got our bowl back… Apparently Sevi and her husband don’t have them in their circle, which ended up with them managing to get through an entire mushroom already. I rescued ours in time you’ll be glad to hear.”

“That’s… good.”

Varmia’s brow furrowed slightly. “Yeah? You want some?”

Though Lucinda knew she needed to broach the topic consuming her thoughts with her friend, and was mostly confident that her explanations would prove sufficient, actually initiating such a discussion was far from straightforward.

“Okay,” she said.

Varmia smiled warmly as she offered the bowl to Lucinda with one hand. With the other she held up a mug and called in Owilen’s direction.

“I brought you another drink. Because I’m nice like that.”

“’Preciate it,” a delayed reply sounded out from the sky-gazing man.

“Just don’t blame me if it’s wrong.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Owilen climbed slowly to his feet, wandered over to the seats with only a single misstep, and then took the offered beverage as he sat down. That his eyes had managed to find the time to inspect Lucinda’s exposed flesh during the brief journey wasn’t surprising; neither was Lucinda’s appreciation of that inspection, at least with how things were at that moment.

As the surprise visit by Waflaw was brought up and laughed about some more, Lucinda continued to partake of the mushroom produced smoke. Her intention to speak to Varmia persisted, and with the help of the strange fungus, or perhaps just time, she eventually made that intent known.

“Varm,” she started. “Can we talk?”

“’Course we can! Away from prying ears you mean?”

“Yeah…”

“Come on then. My room or yours?”

“Ah… Maybe just…”

A pleased giggle interrupted Lucinda’s words. “That was a joke, Luci.” They moved away from the fire pit until the strong orange glow it was producing was illuminating very little of their surroundings. “What’s up?”

Here goes. Hope she takes it well… Ah, it’ll be fine! Just say it!

“Ah, umm, I’ve been thinking about tonight. The kissing and things…”

“Have you now?” Varmia’s tone held a hint of playfulness, yet her expression appeared mostly serious. “And?”

“I… like you, Varm. You’re pretty, you’re fun… I want to do more, but… I still can’t.”

“Aww, yeah?” The disappointment evidenced in her friend’s face was considerable. “You sure?”

“Yes… It’s still stupid, I know that… I’m just not ready yet… I think I need time still.”

A half smile spread across Varmia’s lips, which Lucinda only saw thanks to the hand that had tilted her downcast face upwards.

“That’s fine,” Varmia said. “That’s better than fine, actually. I've been forceful, I know.” Her smile turned into a full one. “I can wait. But you know the gathering does end in a few days time…” The way her eyebrows shot upwards expectantly would likely have brought a smile to Lucinda’s face if not for the remaining topic to be discussed. “We can do other things tonight. Like cuddle…”

“Ah,” Lucinda interrupted, forcing herself to say what needed to be said. “I… Would you mind… I want to…” Her cheeks heated as the words failed to come. Taking a deep breath she continued. “I want to spend the night with Owilen.”

“Oh…” Varmia’s smile remained in place but suddenly seemed anything but sincere. “Huh… Nothing holding you back there, yeah?”

“Sorry…”

The older woman sighed loudly. “If that’s what you want, you go ahead. I’ll… find something else to do.” With her sentence delivered, Varmia turned on her heel and began walking away.

“Varm, wait!”

Pausing mid-stride, the young Druidess turned and offered a faint smile that may have been slightly forced. “Go have your fun, Luci. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lucinda watched the half-naked form of her friend walk away with conflicted feelings. A great deal of guilt was there, yet also a fair amount of excitement for things to come. She released a sigh of her own as she tried to ascertain how Varmia truly felt about things, but when that inevitably failed, she sighed again and made her way back to the firelit party.

Owilen was once again watching the sky when she found him, causing an immediate concern as to whether he was actually awake. Fortunately, that abated as Lucinda drew close enough to make out his open eyes. Sure of her own wants, and intensely hopeful of the male Warden’s, she sat down next to him in the grass.

“Searching for truth in the stars?” she asked.

Her words brought a smile to the young man’s lips. “Nah, just admiring their beauty. I’ve always loved watching them. You?”

“Mmm, yeah. I don’t do it often, but they’re pretty to look at.” A hint of colour found Lucinda’s cheeks as she considered how to proceed. “…There are pretty things down here too though, don’t you think?”

The young man’s eyes found hers and narrowed ever so slightly. “That’s something I can agree with, sure.” He smiled again and then sat up. A quick search of their surroundings took place before his eyes returned to her. “Varmia not with you?”

“Nope.”

“That so?”

“Yep.”

Owilen cocked one eyebrow and grinned. His eyes flicked down from hers briefly, his grin increasing as they did.

“Looks like you got over those nerves, huh? Pretty cool if you ask me.”

“It seemed like the thing to do…”

"Even with all those wandering eyes roaming about?” The young man’s point was backed up by another spell of wandering from his own eyes.

Smiling and blushing as her pulse increased noticeably, Lucinda nodded silently in response.

“S’not like a pair of eyes has ever hurt anyone I suppose.”

“Yeah… Though maybe I wouldn’t mind if it was more than just eyes…”

Owilen’s eyes widened as his brows shot upwards. “Uh-huh.”

With her intent abundantly clear, Lucinda leant forwards to push things in the direction she wanted. More butterflies took up home in her stomach, yet it was still easy to commit to. Even more so than with Varmia, in fact.

“Lu…” Was all the young man managed to say before her lips were on his. She once again found herself comparing things, and once again found so many differences. However, Owilen’s strong hands upon her shoulders ended the intimate moment long before she was satisfied.

“What was that…?” he asked.

“A kiss?” Lucinda giggled as she delivered her reply.

Owilen laughed and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant! I thought you and Varmia… I thought you were… you know…?”

“Umm, no?”

After sighing and laughing some more, Owilen responded. “I didn’t think you were interested in guys. Did she put you up to this? As a prank?”

“No!” The accusation brought a pang of hurt to her breast. “I wanted to kiss you. I thought maybe we could… go to my hut?”

Just as before, Owilen’s eye shot wide and his brows upwards. Similarly affected was his mouth, falling open slightly to Lucinda’s initial amusement, and then a sudden rush of her interest as she realised how inviting his lips were. She moved in for another kiss, and didn’t fail to find her target. With their mouths locked together, Lucinda sent one arm around to Owilen’s firm back, and then brought her own body closer to his until they were touching chest to chest.

“Lu…” Owilen’s muffled voice said. “We can’t…”

“We... can’t?” Lucinda replied in a similarly muffled fashion. Thoughts of Varmia were long since gone, the enjoyment of her current situation and what awaited her afterwards being simply too much.

“Ah… I… Fuck!”

A sudden shove against Lucinda’s body sent her toppling backwards into the grass. Her breath was knocked out of her upon impact, but she was otherwise unharmed thanks to the softness of the surrounding vegetation.

“Oww…” Lucinda uttered as she looked up in pure bewilderment at Owilen. “What was that for?”

A look of shock passed over the young man’s face, swiftly followed by a grimace. Extracting her legs from Owilen’s lower body, Lucinda righted herself and returned to a normal sitting position. Her confusion was still all encompassing.

“Owilen?” she asked as the young man began muttering to himself, his eyes clamped shut tightly.

“Sorry. Really, I’m so sorry,” the Warden replied as his eyes found hers. “I should have said something before… I shouldn’t have been looking at you like that! I thought it was harmless; that it didn’t mean anything. Didn’t even consider how you might take it… I am such a fucking fool.”

“I don’t follow…”

Owilen barked a half-hearted laugh. “Sorry, Lucinda. I know I’m babbling… I’ve got a girlfriend back home. We’ve been together for years, and then I go and almost fuck things up like that!”

“Oh…” Lucinda’s heart sank as understanding finally reached her. “I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t, how could you? I was this close to not saying anything and just letting it happen… Fuck!” Owilen hopped to his feet. “Sorry,” he said again before fleeing the scene.

Lucinda was left alone in the grass feeling exceedingly unhappy about how things had played out.

Am I to blame? Crap… either way I upset Varmia for nothing. Why didn’t I ask him earlier? We had all day…

Further consideration of the situation rapidly led Lucinda into a self-pitying sulk, and with that a steady trickle of tears soon emerged to make their way across her cheeks. Things would have been far worse if not for the large bird of prey that appeared at her side, as pressing herself again Marrow’s soft plumage never failed to improve her mood.

“Friend! Marrow!” Marrow’s mental words revealed more of an understanding of the situation than Lucinda would have expected. That her companion would always be there for her was intensely comforting, and soon brought more tears to her cheeks, if for a different reason.

As Lucinda’s emotions returned to a more normal level, she cast her eyes about the firelit gathering. The intensity of the fire had petered out considerably as the fuel powering it had reached barely sufficient levels. There was still enough light, but it mattered not as there wasn’t actually much to see. A man and a woman were sitting near the other side of the fire, though with how occupied with each other they were, she couldn’t determine who they were. However, sudden movement from her right made her aware of a sight she’d almost missed; one that made her question her own eyes when she finally did notice it, as well as bring a smile to her lips.

“You think we should join them?” she asked her companion, whose feathered head she was still stroking.

“Soft?” Marrow replied simply.

Lucinda’s smile remained strong as she considered Marrow’s question. The pile of furry animals laying haphazardly about the grassy ground, as well as atop each other, was highly varied in terms of species – a discovery that had taken her eyes some adjusting to notice – making a judgement on the potential softness a reasonably tricky determination. It didn’t take her long to conclude she didn’t actually mind either way.

“Join us if you want,” a deep voice rumbled outwards from the pile as she approached. “Always room for more.”

“Bear!?” Marrow’s mental voice exclaimed as her wings flapped several times.

A fleeting moment of concern for her own sanity assaulted Lucinda as she stared at the brown bear that had apparently spoken. Even once that had passed she remained frozen in disbelief, at least until the bear began laughing in a decidedly non bear-like manner.

“From your look I’m assuming no one mentioned it’s possible to talk while shapeshifted? That’s understandable, a lot of Druids think it’s a waste of a skill point. Their loss.”

While still marvelling at the hard to believe spectacle, the familiarity of the bear’s voice didn’t elude Lucinda’s notice.

“Demik?” she asked.

“Oh-ho, I’m impressed. Got a good ear set of ears on you, lass. For a human that is.”

Ahh… He’s really talking while shapeshifted. When can I get that!?

“What level?” Lucinda blurted out.

“Hmm? Oh… it’s been a while. 16? 20? Higher? Someone’ll know, I’m sure. Think most are asleep or… busy, at the moment though.”

“Right…”

“What do you think, then? Any form’ll do; even something small.” Demik’s bear form laughed once more. “Wife says I sleep like I’m riding a damned horse usually. As a bear though: like a log. We all do.”

“All of you?”

“Mmm, yeah. Honestly not sure who’s even here at the moment, excluding my wife of course. Don’t let that bother you though. Just find a likely looking spot and slide right on in there. It’s all good.”

With her other plans for the night having fallen apart quite messily, Lucinda didn’t take long to decide upon a course of action. Shifting into her lynx form – chosen largely at random – she prowled around the pile of animals a short distance with Marrow waddling beside her.

“What do you think, Marrow?” she asked of her companion.

“Up!”

“I had a feeling you might say that…”

Atop the back of a particularly large bear that may or may not have been named Flarfi, the search for a comfortable place to rest came to an end. Snuggling into the warm furry hide with Marrow at her side, Lucinda settled in to sleep.

Some time later, while unsure of whether she’d drifted off or not, Lucinda became aware of a new furry body that was pressed against her own. The fire hadn’t completely gone out, which made little difference for her feline eyes, but likely did for those of the giant otter beside her.

Ingala? Or…

It was to be a short-lived mystery, as a single webbed paw offered her a wave, before descending playfully upon her nose. The action prompted a hefty amount of relief rather than the annoyance it might have caused at another time. Having announced herself, Varmia wiggled into place in an obvious attempt at getting comfortable. Then when she’d finally settled, there was nothing else to hold back the encroachment of dreamland at last.