“No beheading will be necessary,” you say and walk closer to Elza. “This is one of my companions. I sent her here last night to watch over you and keep you out of trouble. This forest is quite dangerous and I did not wish for you to have another deadly encounter so soon after the previous one. How long has she been like that?”

“No idea,” Lyanna says. “Cassandor found her like this in the morning.”

“Release her… please,” you add the last word after a pause. You can’t even remember the last time you said “please”. The notion of asking for something has grown foreign to you, but you have to keep up the appearances. At least for now.

“No,” Cassandor says only a single word, not taking his eyes off the prisoner.

“Pardon?” you ask.

“All I hear is you sending this woman to spy on us,” Cassandor finally turns around and looks at you with the intensity that does not belong on a child’s face.

“Cassandor! Stop this foolishness!” Gorrazsh shouts at the boy. “Enough is enough! Can’t you see that these kind people mean us no harm and are only trying to help?”

“S-so far they have only helped us,” Lyanna says timidly.

Mori walks over to the boy and whispers something to him. Cassandor sighs and, after throwing one last distrustful glance at you, snaps his fingers and the purple bondage evaporates from Elza’s body.

“Gah!” Elza collapses to the ground. Her limbs must’ve gone completely numb. You walk over to her and help her get up, putting her arm across your shoulders with one hand and holding her by the side with the other to help support her weight and walk together with Elza back to your party. On your way you notice Epsilon grinning.

“What?” you ask Epsilon as you walk past her to the dire wolves.

“Later,” she says with a conniving smile.

“How long were you like this?” you ask Elza.

“The whole night,” she answers. “Got caught in that snare the second I got close to the camp. As far as I could tell, they were sleeping before I even got there.”

“Then you got some sleep as well? Can you walk?” you ask.

“Yeah… Give me a minute.”

“Alpha!” You call to the smallest of the two battle bunnies, in nearly all respects, and walk closer to take a look at her. “Do you actually bother to sleep at night?”

“Yes,” Alpha answers as flatly as always. There is no light in her eyes, and her expression only tells of nothingness, but she does not seem to be physically suffering or exhausted.

“Good,” you say. What else can you say? It appears nobody is getting carried on the dire wolves’ backs today. Then you walk back to the four adventurers that are gathering their things. Lyanna and Mori appear to be arguing over who ate the last apple.

“If you do plan to journey to Ranville with me, we will have to hurry,” you say to the adventurers. “The two bunny girls have some business there and they have to reach the town before the sun sets on the third day.”

“That works for us just fine!” Gorrazsh appears as merry as ever.

“It does?” Lyanna asks the orc.

“Wouldn’t that get us there right in time to meet you imaginary Rafael?” Cassandor snickers at Lyanna and earns another smack across the back of his head, knocking off his wizard's hat.

“Great! Then it is settled!” Gorrazsh exclaims, apparently excited about the new company. “Wait, will the dire wolves be following you?”

“Of course!” you say.

“G-great! More protection!” Gorrazsh fails to imitate the same excitement he had just a moment earlier.