Chapter 2: The Creepy Forest

Kendral calls to Moonshadow, "Let's help our friends. Moonshadow, Defend!"

Seeing Katie dodge and then drive her walking stick into one tree creature while Xaka unleashes a barrage of furry on the other, Kendral aims an arrow at the safest opening to help his friends finish the remaining poor tree souls.

"Funny looking? A moment ago you’d have thrown a life away, yours or mine, just to get a step closer to one of them!" Belvedere says with a wink, adjusting himself and marching back to the others.

"We dispatched two of them a little further in. Ghastly creatures! Pouring honey in the ears of simple farm fellows!"

"Well ... you know ... the fairer species and all that. Looks like I won't be needing this after all," Grimbly says as he shoves his crowbar back into his pack, and joining the others.

"Are you going to be alright, Xaka?"

"Come here with that 'fairer species' nonsense and I'll show you how all right I am!" she says, bleeding from multiple gashes.

Grimbly can't help but chuckle despite Xaka's wounds. "Oh you'll be fine and I'd be happy to come over there and let you show me."

Xaka winks at Grimbly's playfulness. "You've been spending too much time in the company of dryads," she teases.

She will try and cajole the others to make as much distance as they can from the possibly haunted area of the forest.

Lucky for Xaka Grimbly is a good-humored soul when he's not being a rascal, and sometimes even then. He smirks playfully at her and says, "I'm for putting as much distance as possible between us and the grove, and the sooner the better.

"I agree," Katie concurs, examining the damage to her jerkin and wincing slightly as her fingers touch the gouges on her side. Then considering Xaka's state as well as her own, she adds, "I'm not sure if I can brew up any more healing potions in the field, they can be a little fussy, but I might be able to muster up something once we make camp."

"Yes, I believe we’ve had quite enough of trees and tree-adjacent dangers.

Ah, to feel cobblestone underfoot. The smell of bread and wine and perfume…" the man sighs with an exaggerated effort.

"What did you find for your meal?" muses Kendral curiously (especially if his ears were keen enough to detect the sound in the cave). As he speaks he moves toward the dining bird to get a better look.

The sound from the cave

"Perhaps, and this is just a suggestion… perhaps we ought to turn tail and make our way back along the road! Come at this tomorrow, bright eyed and bushy tailed! What say you all?"

The man remarks, trying not to let his voice betray his desperate wish for the others to agree!

"Unless you fancy me a common, market snake charmer!" he says, whipping out his instrument!

"Just when I had gotten used to the idea of a rest. These hills have been murder. Grimbly sighs, his legs all but worn out.

"I suppose you are right, Belvedere. We don't want any serpents in our midst. But we should find a place to camp before long. It's getting too dark to assess our options."

"Snakes. What are noisy snakes going to do. Let us get torches we can keep them away to pass through." Xaka figures that noisy snakes are less deadly than quiet ones.