Chapter 1: Departure (Day 2)

Most of the frog-people dive quickly into the water, leaving so few ripples that you could wonder if you had only imagined them being there in the first place. Brown Frog and Green Frog remain above water, though Green Frog ducks behind its companion, whispering, "Quick, use the knives! Use the knives!"

But Brown Frog makes a low soothing sound at the back of its throat. "These are not the dead ones... they speak," it says, and croaks Green Frog’s name again. You decide to think of the name as ‘Bronk’, as that comes close to the sound. Still, both of them are clearly wary, scared even, as they inch backward from your approach, ready to leap at the slightest provocation.

"Travelers?" says Brown Frog. "We... do not know this word. Your faces are... strange. Like the faces behind the Wall That is Not a Wall.". It points a spindly hand, long groggy fingers gesturing to the South Gate you have come from. "The faces that never speak," it finishes in a low whisper. Behind it, Bronk the green frog trembles, clutching at its friend in fear.

Bronk and Brown Frog share a silent look. Slowly, Bronk releases its grip on Brown Frog and steps timidly out from behind. "The dead ones hurt friends. It is what they do," Bronk says, making the hand-wringing gesture, eyes lowered.

Brown Frog bobs its head a few times. "This world is strange to us also. Words are strange to us. We... have not known words?" it says, raising its eyes skyward for a moment, shaking its head. "Not right words. We woke to a strange world. The words... came to us." It looks at Bronk, and the green frog rests a gentle hand on Brown Frog's shoulder.

"It is well," says Bronk, using another croaking word toward the brown frog. You choose to translate it as Brown Frog's name: Brack. Bronk turns toward you and explains, "We have not used words with your people before. It is hard."

"But you speak of travel. Across the water?" says Brack. Brack and Bronk share another look. Brack continues, pointing a spindly hand toward the southern shore of the lake. "Toward the nest of knives?" You're not immediately sure if that's the direction you'd intended to travel. Yelnar would know for certain, but your impression was that your destination was more to the southwest than directly south.

Slowly, the other frog people slide back up from the water to stand on the wide, flat deck of the boat, though they stay a distance away they consider to be safe. One points back up the hill, toward where the rest of your party waits. Others nod and look in the same direction.

The frog people -- Bronk, Brack, and the others -- all turn to look at one another. There's a palpable air of excitement, and they begin croaking rapidly to one another so quickly that it's hard to make out more than a few words here and there:

"Knives!"

"Gromp was right!"

"Not possible!"

"Lies!"

Bronk turns back to Verrian. "You remember from... before the Awakening? Your friends too? Please... we are friends, yes? They can come down, yes!"

Brack continues to speak rapidly with the other frog-people, each of them bouncing lightly on hind legs, touching each other on the head and shoulders.