Shae awoke before dawn, her fire had mostly died, just a few red embers under the ash, the bugs had started to gather. She used a stick to reveal the hot embers, then added the wood she had gathered. Then she noticed it…

While she still had a few minor aches and pains, her body had mostly healed itself after her night’s sleep.

She worked on getting the fire going and bugs out, “Ok, maybe dropping me beside a troll so showcase how people recovered here was a good thing?”, ‘I’m sure it’s not just a me thing’ Shae thought as she blew the fire to life.

Once the fire got started, and most of the bugs fled for their safety, Shae began to get dressed in her cool, but dry clothes. ‘Shoes could still use a bit of time, I guess. Wish I had worn hikers instead these runners.’ She complained to herself, her uncle had always told her to be ready for any situation. ‘But uncle, it’s one thing hearing it and another realizing it. Guess I’m living and learning now.’ She continued to add a few more logs so the fire would burn a bit hotter to help her shoes finish drying. Wrapping the blanket around her waist as she sat on her tarp, she pulled her pack open. ‘At least I had some stuff with me when I went to his place. I kind of expected a small seeker quest from him.’ She mused internally. ‘I guess it’s also some small miracle the aspects had allowed her to bring it with me. Could have just dumped me here with nothing, after all I’m sure they wouldn’t send over someone who died in a car crash in their wrecked car. Or would they?’

She pulled out her toothbrush and gave her teeth a good scrub with a tiny dab of paste. Then she used just a bit of her water for the task of rinsing. Then she had a drink before she began to munch on her meager food reserves.

“Aww crap! I don’t have a shovel for number two!” she didn’t know how to feel about that really. Leaving her stool just laying about. Then with a shrug she renationalized it. ‘After all, this is not my old world. Going in the bush like the animals won’t cause a social medial frenzy if I get caught.’ Then with a mental chuckle she began to plan her day.

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Nick wished the inn had had some booze. It’s not like he needed to drink. But he liked the taste of most ales and loved the burn of the hard stuff. Small villages just didn’t have the coin for it though, or the traveler base to drink it before it went stale.

“They could have at least had one bottle of hard stuff, it keeps” he softly complained to himself.

His brother who was beside him on the road out of town looked at him. “You still complaining about that.” He asked

“I’m just sayin!” Nick lifted his arms to the sky then let them drop back to his sides.

“It would do you good to ease up on the drinking a bit brother. Sometimes I worry about how much into your cups you can get.” Mic replied his face looking a bit concerned.

“It’s not that bad.” Nick gave his brother an honest look. “It’s the magic you know. Sometimes it just burns too much. The drink helps a bit to ease the pain. And the guild doesn’t have any solutions. I’m just mister lucky with a rare condition.”

Mic laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I get it. I mean I don’t completely feel what you’re feeling. But I can understand.” He took his hand away.

Kip half turned to look at Nick. “You know, we were kind of looking into your thing me and Mel. While we didn’t get anything conclusive. We did hear about a mage that uses a special tobacco to help with pain. He had lost a leg or something to a monster. Would wake up screaming and still feeling his leg in pain the story went. It helped settle him. Maybe it could help you?”

“Yeah, you had mentioned you had an idea before.” Nick replied looking forward to Kipp.

“Well, you just waved us off when we came to you.”

“I was hurtin’ from a hangover alright. I said sorry, didn’t I?”

Kipp shrugged and turn forward again. Mel just shot a smile over her shoulder at Nick.

With a sigh Nick slumped a bit. “Yeah, ok. I’ll look into it. Thanks.” The last word softly.

Kip waved once and kept walking.

They continued to have small conversations as they trekked on to the central town that looked after the farm villages around it. Three days, and not likely a lot to do. They trudged onward.

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Shae now dressed pack on outside the cave and felling much better. “Time to conquer a world!” She said aloud stretching the last of her aches away.

She kept her hunting knife strapped to her thigh holster. After all, she didn’t know what today would throw at her. While it wasn’t a sword… a third of a meter of bowie knife was a decent start at protection, serrated edge, and all. You could even think of it as a short sword.

Her first order of business was to track her way back to where she had left the troll. It had probably moved on in search of other meals by now. Since four meters tall worth of body probably needed a lot of fuel. She’d keep it slow and her head on a swivel just in case it was hunting this area. She figured she was in just as much danger either way. A troll looking for food could be anywhere. Besides she wanted to head back to her starting spot. The aspects may have dropped her close enough to see a town from there.

She lurked through the swampy light wooded area back to where she had parted from the troll. It wasn’t hard to follow her own trail. She had not exactly been Mrs. Stealthy when she exited stage right. As she came up on the spot she stopped and looked around warry. Where the troll had been was a burnt spot that was not there before. ‘People?’ She thought.

“Hello?” She softly called out. Waiting with bated breath.

After a minute she repeated the process and waited another minute. Once she was sure all was clear she moved over to the burn spot. The first thing that came clear to her were the many footprints and what looked like a ground struggle. ‘Someone kill the sleeping troll? I mean you’re supposed to use fire, right?’

She gave the area a good look at, keeping herself to a small area outside most of the traffic.

‘Two, maybe three sets of larger prints. One smaller. Female. Well, at least women are not stuck at home sewing. Hope she wasn’t along for just cooking. Her prints are very orderly.’

She followed the prints back to where the group had crouched then continued back along their trail. It was the same way she had run. Following the path of destruction was easy. Whether the ground was damp and recovering or not.

She followed back to her point of origin. The prints were fast fading from the recovering ground, but there were still other signs of passage.

‘Yes! I was right in coming back. Fine lucky. Whatever. I have a guide to a town now at least, I hope.’

With higher spirits but still in stealth mode, she followed the tracks.

After a while the ground started to dry, she thought she had started to go uphill ever so slightly. The tracks led her to the edge of the forest. Off in the distance, a straight shot out, she could see what she hoped was a crop of wheat. If they had wheat. From Where she stood it looked the standard pale golden yellow.

‘Seems they have at least that staple here.’

She took a glance around outside the forest, then back the way she had come. Nothing was out of place or threatening.

‘Time to go meet the populace!’

She started to hum a soft tune and a song played in her head as her spirits perked up.

‘On the road again…’