Thousands of liters of water crashed into a large pool in front of Emily as the waterfall partially covering the exit came into view.

They had been traveling through these caves for more than an hour, so when Emily spotted the morning sky beyond she urged Alex on.

The journey to the surface was not far especially on the back of a Rime wolf, but with the cave's narrow conditions, they were forced to maintain a certain pace.

That all changed when they exited out into the snowy world of trees and soil. As they passed out into the open air, Emily noted a line of runes on the threshold of the cave. When she looked back a grey wall of stone greeted her, indistinguishable from the rest of the riverside.

As they progressed more people stepped out of the solid-looking stone as tiny ripples spread on the surface.

Selia and Ashe were the next to follow them out on a single wolf. Ashe was looking back at the opening with interest but Selia didn’t give her long before they were running up to the front of the pack. She seemed to hold a position of power in the Wandering fangs. Not as much as the subleaders, but Kael seemed to weigh her opinion pretty highly.

Gerade and Kael headed up the point of the collum to meet Marth and Atticus, but as the other half of their convoy amassed in the large clearing, Emily noticed a man she’d never seen before approaching them. He stood out because while he had a humanoid form his skin was in stark contrast to anything Emily had ever seen. Dark-aged bark covered his skin like that of an ancient redwood. Its features were detailed but it was missing all forms of hair on its body. Instead, near the tops of its head a small canopy of brown leaves nestled there.

The being pulled his wolf next to them and nodded in their direction.

“Well met Alexander, I’ve gone over a couple of methods you spoke of and have to say I’m inspired,” he said in a low bass.

An unfamiliar smile crept onto Alex's face that Emily would almost term ‘Genuine’.

“I’m glad you found them useful, Svent. Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. Oh, this is my traveling companion Emily. Emily this is Svent he’s an Armamentsmith and helps to maintain the company's items.”

Emily nodded in—what she was now terming—the man's direction.

“Emily? Ah, so you’re the one the boss had me do a rush order on? Wait a second.”

The plant man began to rummage in one of the packs on his Rime wolf as he pulled out what looked like a metal talisman with a cord of twine through it.

“Now I’m not as good as an Enchanter, but I’m fairly certain that this will at least fool most people. Just make sure to hide it on your person or it won’t matter how good I am.”

Emily reached out and took the offered item. It resembled a stamped coin with a strange-looking rune beveled into the surface.

Svent pointed at it proudly as he spoke.

“Its ability to cloak your title will last about three months and I want it back if you leave before then”

Emily nodded as she looped it over her head and tucked it under her clothes. Kael had spoken about getting her this item in passing but she never thought he’d get it to her so fast.

Unable to help her curiosity Emily reassessed the man in front of her.

“I apologize if this is rude but what are you?”

Svent’s facial features seemed no less expressive than a human's as he tilted his head in confusion.

“I know my species isn’t the most avid adventures, but regardless, I thought most knew of tree folks. Do they not have my kind where you are from?”

Emily shook her head.

“Well, it's not rude at all, my species has evolved from the wilds where green source is plentiful.”

Oh, interesting. But you’re a smith, right? Doesn't that make it hard to be around the tools of your trade being made of wood and all?”

Alex turned in the saddle and shot her a questioning glare.

“That is a slightly more rude question, but I’ll answer it seeing as you’re a friend of Alexander. Yes, I do struggle, but no more than humans if I soak myself beforehand. I chose to walk this path, and I won’t regret it even if it burns me to charcoal.”

Emily was taken aback at the conviction of Svent’s words, so much so that she felt a sense of respect for the man.

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“Hmm well that’s admirable, apologies if I caused any offense”

Svent nodded in her direction waved at them both and moved his mount onwards. Heading over to another group of people while searching his pack for his next delivery.

Emily looked around to Alex's scowl.

“You just went to meet him yesterday. How in the world are you suddenly besties? Do you have a skill for it or something?”

Alex snorted.

“Just because I know how to talk to people doesn’t mean it’s some special skill.”

“Oh please you’re almost as bad as I am, if not more,” Emily said rolling her eyes.

She wasn’t certain but she thought she felt Alex’s back showing the telltale signs of silent laughter.

A call went up from the head of the convoy as Kael called for a forward match. At around the same time, Atticus went down the line whistling, when he saw them on Mist he made a ‘come here’ motion.

Alex pulled them from the middle of the pack and headed over to him.

When they got there they saw a group of seven and with Emily and Alex that brought their numbers up to nine.

Vivan and Fetu were both here, as well as a woman who shot Emily an award smile which Emily returned before turning her focus on Atticus.

“Right, listen up, we’re going to move at a good pace as we’re less than a day’s travel from an elven burrow and we’ll need to cross through their territory if we are to get to our destination.” Alexander, I hear you’re decent with detection so I’ll give you a chance you’re left-front, Fetu, you’re right-front. I’ll be the advance.”

Atticus went on to position the rest of the people present around the convoy so that there were no gaps to be caught unawares. Emily did note that the woman –who was still staring at her– asked for the middle position right behind Alex and Emily.

“Apologies Emily, but seeing as you are riding with Alex, you’ll have to go along for the ride unless you can find someone else who is willing to carry you,” Atticus said

Emily shook her head. “Not necessary, I’m all good.”

She wanted a chance to deepen her understanding of Explorer anyway and this gave her the best opportunity to encounter combat.

When Atticus left to head up front, Alex directed Mist toward their section. He had an amused look on his face.

“What’s up?” Emily asked.

Alex grunted.

“He testing us. Normally a fresh scout would cover the backline and work their way up to the front but he put us in the first position immediately. If we fail to spot danger approaching from the side, it could be dangerous for a convoy of this size.”

Emily hummed.

“Well, then we best not give him a reason to doubt us shall we.”

Alex was about to respond when Emily heard a woman's voice call out to her.

“Hey, wait up.”

Emily turned back to see a familiar face following them.

“Just hang on for a second, I just wanted to talk” The woman from the scouting party asked as she brought her wolf up with them. Her black hair was in a short pixy cut with a bow slung over her shoulders and a mole below her left eye.

Alex slowed Mist so that she could fall in line with them

“Listen, I’ve been wanting to speak to you for a while now but I wanted to say ‘Thank you’.”

Emily blinked and looked at Alex as though he might have the answer.

“um, I’m a little lost, what is this for now?”

“For getting rid of Ron.”

Emily's brows shot up.

“You’re not mad about that?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong a lot of us were mad. You don’t kill one of our numbers and get away with it. Even if he did deserve it. Nah the fact you came back alive with those pups earned you more than enough goodwill. Plus enough proof that you had the bite to back up your bark.”

Emily was completely stunned she hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

“Ron was a real piece of work, he bothered the ladies to no end but was smart about it and he never went over the line, the creep. So we couldn't even kill him ourselves.”

Anyway, I wanted to thank you and also warn you there are a couple of people who still resent you for what you did, so just be careful.

“What people like Fetu?”

“Hmm, maybe? But to be honest you probably have more to worry about from team two. They were his friends before he got moved to team four.”

Emily nodded, making sure to store that tidbit of information for exploration.

“Right well, you’re welcome, and if you hear anything lemme know”

The woman shrugged her shoulders and waved before parting ways with them.

Alex had kept his eyes on the road but when she left he turned back to shoot Emily a wary gaze.

“Yes I know, same people, I’ll keep an eye out,” Emily said

Alex maneuvered them into their gap as the convoy took off in a southerly direction. The very opposite direction they had come just days prior.

What Emily didn’t expect was their rapid pace. Once the Rime wolves were let loose, the terrain blurred past at speeds Emily's eye struggled to match.

It was not even remotely comparable to walking. If they had one of these mounts back at Blood Mage’s lodge, they probably could have been home that same night.

Not to mention how satisfying it was to simply leap over the large streams and trenches in the forest floor. Things that would have normally eaten through the daylight hours seem wholly trivial now.

She wanted to take the reins herself but Mist would have none of it, seeing as she didn’t feel like being thrown on the forest floor she let Alex hold the reins, for now.

Threats to the convoy did pop up but were easily taken care of by the individual scouts and when larger packs of Elves banded together, Atticus would call it out and adjust their formation so that either Gerade or Marth could lead a group of riders to deal with the threat. The whole process was like a well-oiled machine, sadly Emily found that while she was near the front she only got the stray life force for the creatures killed closest to her.

If she could get closer to the front she could absorb more of the energy up ahead unfortunately because of these musings Emily noticed her blood approaching too late.

They had been making good time and as far as she could tell, Alex was maneuvering his section of the collum well. But there was a sudden whistling coming from upfront that caught their attention. Something large had collided with the front of the pack and was caught up with Rime wolves there. It was only after she heard the growls of temperamental wolves that Emily felt her presence.

Grabbing hold of Alex's shoulder Emily shouted over the sound of the tearing wind.

“Alex, wait. Cupcake is in danger! Go to the right side.”

Alex looked back at Emily with confusion but it was clear he’d understood her words. She thought she was going to have to jump off to get there in time when Alex suddenly whistled to the woman behind them and yanked on the reins, having Mist leap toward the commotion.

Bursting through the trees they found Atticus and Marth, along with several others circling a snarling Cupcake.

Blood points: 22