“We’re not taking the road?” Shaynen gaped.

“I know my way home.” Cleatus said. He walked into the marsh. Odelia and Haagut both shrugged.

“Well I don’t have a reason not to trust him.” Odelia said. Haagut agreed. They both began walking behind him. Shaynen made a noise but begrudgingly followed. This would get him to the High Forests, and he wasn’t travelling alone. The journey itself was pleasant. With lots to look at.

Cleatus’ tail moved agitatedly as he led the party. They broke through the trees and found themselves walking through hilled grasslands. With more room the party spread out, getting some distance between each other as they explored the high visibility area. Cleatus stopped in alarm.

“Don’t go any further!” He yelled. Haagut stopped and looked back at him but Odelia and Shaynen didn’t. They turned to look over their shoulders and plunged waist deep into the marsh. Cleatus carefully ran over to the two as they discovered they were sinking deeper. He pulled a rope out of his bag and threw it to Odelia. She pulled herself free. Shaynen vanished out of the marsh with the shower of glitter and reappeared, covered in mud just behind Haagut and Cleatus.

“Are you two all right?” Haagut asked. Shaynen turned with a glare at Cleatus.

“I need an established road, marked on a map.” He snapped. His heart was trying to escape his chest.

“Well you won’t find one near here.” He said. “We just ventured too close to the moors. If we keep closer to the hills-”

“Then we need to find a clearly defined trail.” Shaynen yelled over him.

“Fine.” Cleatus said dismissively. “We’ll go closer into the hills. Meet up with the main road on the other side.” Shaynen grumbled under his breath while Cleatus led them into the hills.

As night fell down the party found a defensive spot to camp for the night. Cleatus brought wood and built the fire. Odelia sat away from the party in the dark. Shaynen brought out some cast iron and began attempting to cook over the fire.

“Let’s get some good stories going!” Shaynen called. Haagut sat heavily to the side, sharpening sticks.

“I’ve got a few. The might not make much sense.” He shrugged.

“I don’t think that matters, stories are stories.” Shaynen mused. Using a dagger to check the food. “Hey Cleatus, you said something about being in the army. Bet you’ve got some good stories!”

“No. It was not fun.” Cleatus fiddled with a medallion as he past the fire. “The only good thing that came from it was my wife.” Shaynen turned and watched Cleatus pick out a large tree and scale it. Disappearing.

“Oh. Uhm. Odelia! What about you?” Shaynen called. Odelia didn’t respond. It went quiet as Haagut shoved the dull ends of the sticks outside the fire. Shaynen pulled the half burned attempt at cooking off the fire disappointedly. Though it was cut short as Haagut pulled out dead rat after dead rat from a bag.

“What? Why do you have a bag of dead rats?” Shaynen asked.

“Remember the food stores? No mouse holes?” Haagut asked. He pulled out a little silver panpipe. “This attracts them. Either way. Meat is meat.” Haagut skinned the rats and stuck them to the sticks

“I suppose that’s fair.” Shaynen couldn’t help staring.

“Get some sleep. We’’ll each have to take watches.” Haagut pointed to the side. Shaynen shuffled off and sat against a tree. He didn’t like the idea of sleeping in an open field nor did he particularly trust the people he was with. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Not entirely asleep, but drifting. A practice he’d been taught at the monastery, where he was perfectly awake, but wandering.

Shaynen opened his eyes, feeling perfectly rested. He got to his feet and began stretching.

“Oh good. You’re awake.” Haagut said. He was building the fire up. “It’s your watch.” Shaynen walked back to the fire while Haagut found a little ditch to sleep in. Shaynen went about his morning as usual even though the sky was still dark. He settled down with a hot cup of tea and reclined back. As he stared into that starlit sky he heard a rustling nearby. Shaynen sat up alert. In the bushes ahead he saw something red and scaly It disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. Shaynen paused, waiting to see if it would appear again. It didn’t. He looked at Haagut, then to the tree that Cleatus was in. He got to his feet and walked over to the cold corner that Odelia was sleeping in. He leaned down and shook her awake.

“Hnh? Wazzat?” Odelia mumbled awake.

“There’s something in the bushes,” Shaynen whispered. Odelia was on her feet in a second.

“Where?” She demanded. Shaynen pointed where he’d seen the movement. Odelia pulled out a short sword and stomped into the bush. Shaynen watched awkwardly as she stomped around. She bent down and picked something out of the underbrush. Odelia walked back with a primitive looking spear in her hand.

“What did it look like?” Odelia asked.

“Red, small. Scaled?” Shaynen said. She nodded.

“Whatever it was, it’s gone now.” Odelia said. She tossed the spear into the fire and sat down. Shaynen sat beside her.

“You can go back to sleep.” She said. “I’ve got it from here.”

“I already did. I’m okay to stay awake.” Shaynen grabbed his tea and offered her a cup.