It was the day afterwards and the rain hadn't stopped. Elkhorn was soaked, tiny rivers ran along the citybeasts shell, stained black by the ash of the dead fires and a dozen delvers had joined the pyres just as another dozen had been sparred them by Erika’s hands. Her magick stopping blood and sealing wounds, unlike with herself or Kara Erika hadn't given the rest a full treatment, just enough that they didn’t die and would heal naturally over time with a bit of extra aid from her in future days. She’d erred on the side of caution of course because she was still a novice, she hadn't paid much attention to any medical stuff, it was gross after all. She still wasn't doing the gross stuff and refused to, instead just a brief tap and spell before she moved on to the next patient until she’d run out.

Now the expedition was moving away, the citybeast had carried them to their destination and they’d pillaged the last dregs of food and water from it, hauling them down the side and into their caravans.

Erika had been told that another nomad tribe would find the citybeast at one of their scheduled meetings and, when it was proven empty, would occupy it. Space was an eternal premium to the citybeast riders and a city wiped clean was half tragedy half opportunity to the survivors. Erika wished them well as long as she didn’t have to come back, she’d had quite enough of the grand clearing for one lifetime.

Now the wagons were rumbling along once again, elkhorn vanishing below one horizon as the Wold grew from the other. The grand clearing was just that, a clearing in the Wold, nobody knew why but everyone knew it wouldn’t take you the whole way, the clearing was the easy bit just like the burning road, next up was the real Wold, wild and untamed.

Erika didn’t much mind however, she was floating on happy clouds in her mind, she’d recovered her magick, saved a bunch of lives, killed a monster and got a girlfriend, not a bad five-day right?

Speaking of her girlfriend Kara was sat beside her in the rumbling wagon, the entire “leadership” of the delvers, mostly informal of course, had been called together by Alvis and Sigurn for a run down of the losses in the last battle.

“…three cases of climbing equipment including rope, eight magnification glasses, three bottles of preserved jam…”

The casualties were bad of course but, in a way, the lost supplies were worse.

“…one leather pack of rare medical herbs, three tents with accompanying pegs, two cast silver holy symbols…”

Katlin groaned audible at that.

“…nearly a months’ worth of preserved food rations, thirteen gallons of potted water, 2 cases of weapons, over three hundred thunderarm cartridges expended or lost…”

Helga muttered a dark oath.

“…several scrolls and books each translated from Silvermane’s private library, two packs of…”

Alvis had enough and cut off the droning voice with a politely faked cough. “Thank you for the report, Snorri, it sounds like it would be easier for you to tell us what we didn’t lose.”

Snorri looked down at the slate in his hands, rubbed a few symbols off then smiled up Alvis rather sheepishly. “We’ve still got our Wagon Rush board boss.”

The mood darkened, hands formed fists, people cursed in the background. Trying to raise spirits Erika thought for a moment then smiled. “Well… at least we won’t get bored right?”

Helga giggled, a surprisingly light sound from the solidly built woman, and gently bumped against her shoulder. “Always looking on the bright side, right?”

A few people made aww sounds at the display causing Erik to hide back in her hood again, Alvis smiled tightly but genuinely before running a hand through his sweat soaked hair.

“Ok… split up everything we’ve got, ration, weapons, ammo, everything. Everyone takes the same number of supplies and splits it between their wagons….” Alvis started rattling off instruction after instruction as the expedition rushed to obey.