“We believe this corruption originates from a cult devoted to ruin and chaos.” The shaman woman said.

“I think we’ve encountered that cult once.” Shaynen said, remembering Safrun and the pendant that he’d noticed multiple times. “It’s called The Black Antlers,”

“Did the demon tell you that?” Haagut asked lowly. Shaynen turned sharply.

“No it didn’t. And I’ll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself.” He snapped.

“Well if you’re going to stick around with us then you wanna let us in on anything else you’re hiding?” Odelia asked, resting her hand onto the hilt of her blade.

“What makes you think I was hiding anything?” Shaynen asked. Cleatus and Haagut both moved behind Odelia, with Shaynen opposite of them. “Any time I brought it up you all would jump down my throat about it! And you’re really something talking about hiding shit. You hide everything!”

“I don’t hide things, I’m just a private person.” Odelia said.

“There’s a difference between actively keeping something secret and not talking about personal things, Shaynen.” Cl;eatus said sternly. Taking on the tone of a parent scolding a young child.

“Oh fuck off.” Shaynen yelled “If she had her way, we’d all just be calling her human woman!”

“I like that.,” Odelia agreed. “It’s Straightforward and to the point.” Shaynen grit his teeth together hard enough to make a grinding sound that shifted his bones. Without another word he stormed out of the hut with a slam of the door that shook the walls.

“Well.. Uh… Seems like you all have quite a bit of… ah, quite a ways to go together.” The shaman woman said awkwardly. She cleared her throat. “Uh. Halfling, Haagut? The mushrooms?”

“Oh yes!” Haagut fished the mushrooms out of his bag.

“Right, I need more arrows.” Cleatus said. He folded up his map and put it back in his bag.

“I could do some shopping too,” Odelia said. They both left the hut and went their own ways into the elven city. Odelia walked through the city until she found a wooden sign with an armored breastplate on it. The shop was built into a giant tree. Odelia walked into the shop, behind a counter that was somehow grown out of the floor.

“Can I help you?” The shopkeeper asked.

“Uh, yeah. Is this an armor-smith?” Odelia asked. Not closing the door behind her yet.

“Indeed it is, this is Armor-singer. What can I do for you?” the man behind the counter asked.

“I need some new armor,” Odelia said. She approached the counter.

“Yeah you do.” The man said looking at Odelia’s ripped up and nearly destroyed leather armor. “Come back with me. This will take a few hours.”

“I have nowhere to be.” Odelia shrugged and followed the armor-smith into a small room. In the middle of the room and a pedestal and at the far end; a bench.

“Stand on the stage please.” The armor-smith pointed to the little pedestal in the center of the room. “And take off everything you won’t be wearing underneath your armor.” Odelia shed the shreds of her armor and left a small pile of her things beside the stage before stepping up onto it.

“:Arms out, feet apart. And hold still. Otherwise the armor might not fit right.” The armor-smith stood upon a well worn place on the floor. Odelia held out her pose, waiting for the smith to come get her measurements but was startled when instead he began singing. After the first two notes the stage below Odelia began to shift. The wood growing up over her feet and taking an armor like shape.

“What are these mushrooms worth to you?” Haagut asked craftily.

“They aren’t something I’ve seen around here. I could use them for many things.” The shaman woman said slowly. “I can trade for them, another gift from Grandfather tree. One he bestowed to me, but I’ve had no use of.” Haagut thought this over carefully.

“Sounds intriguing. What is this gift?” He asked. The woman went into her kitchen and pulled out a little bag from one of the cupboards.

“They are beans.” She said and held them out to Haagut, he didn’t take them.

“Beans?” Haagut asked.

“Magic of course. There’s no way of knowing what they’ll do. So try not to use more than three at a time.” The shaman woman said. Haagut hmm’d, looking at the magic bag of beans curiously.

“Deal.” He said quickly. Handing her the bag of mushrooms and taking the beans eagerly.

“Deal, and I wish you all. Luck.” The shaman woman spoke slowly, hesitantly. “For your journey. It is not an easy one and I bid you all to try and make it work. Whatever must be done. Try. It’s the only hope we have.” Haagut stared into the woman’s pointed face. Fear painted clearly in her amber eyes.

“Right. Thank you.” Haagut said. He backed away and out of the hut with a long sigh. “No pressure.” He muttered as he looked around the city.

Cleatus looked about the city. Nothing jumping out at him that screamed ‘weapon shop’. He asked a group of gossiping elves after a quiver of arrows and was directed toward the barracks. Inside he met again the guard woman that led them inside the city.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“Yeah! I’m looking to get some arrows. Any kind. I’m not picky or anything.” Cleatus said. Her intense stare was giving him unpleasant flashbacks. “If it’s straight and it flies then It’s good enough for me. I. I’m a straight kinda guy.” The woman stare turned dumbfounded. She reached around and pulled all the arrows from her own quiver and held them out to Cleatus.

“If I give these to you, will you leave?” She asked sternly.

“Yes ma;am, thank you ma’am.” Cleatus coughed awkwardly and took the arrows. Quickly leaving the barracks.