Zalia, her team and Juniper all sat around the low table now holding a few plates of various treats and cups of tea. Juniper had refused to allow them to help, quickly and efficiently moving through her kitchen and setting everything down within minutes,

"What did you want to tell us?" Zalia asked finally, as the woman settled.

Zalia saw as Juniper slumped, the energy leaving her body,

"They conscripted my poor boy," Juniper got out before a sob wracked her body and she began crying.

Zalia didn't know how to react but she didn't need to as Ember moved across to the woman and put her arms around Juniper. For her part, Juniper seemed to recover quite quickly, possibly due to some magic Ember had used. Zalia did know that healing magic had a calming effect on the mind and began focusing her aura on the woman too,

"The kingdom conscripted him?" Zalia asked.

"Y..yes, apparently the king has decided to begin forced conscription to swell their numbers and put down the rebellion in force," Juniper answered, wiping her eyes.

“Damn,” Zalia whispered.

“That would explain why there seemed to be less people in town in Ostoss. I wonder if they will recruit from Endelbyrn too,” she thought.

“How long ago,” she asked Juniper.

“Only three days past, recruiters that had come up from the south. They took Halden from down the road too,” the old woman answered.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure Darren will be fine, he is strong and young,” Zalia said, trying her best to be comforting.

She wasn't sure of that, to be honest. It seemed like most of the people who had been fighting in the one battle she had seen all had classes to do with combat. Darren most likely had some kind of workman class with a specialisation to do with farming. She just hoped the army was smart enough to keep the newly conscripted people as backup rather than using them as some form of fodder.

“Shit,” Zen said.

It seemed like it was something on everyone's mind. Indis didn't seem too well off either, the news probably meaning something to her too. Zalia knew both Zen and Indis knew people that might have been conscripted, even she knew people with Darren and possibly others from further towns. It was likely that people like Tristan would be conscripted too. The thought sickened her, Tristan had done enough fighting in his life and was just trying to live peacefully as a baker but the fact he was relatively young, in shape and experienced meant he would be one of the first they took when they got to Ostoss. Others such as Gurden the blacksmith in Ostoss, Taron the enchanter in Alston or Eyla the guard also in Alston could be taken as well. That was the few people Zalia knew but after only a few weeks in the kingdom there were still some. Each of the others would know hundreds of people that could be conscripted and although Ember hid her emotions well and hadn’t ever talked about any family or friends she must certainly have some.

They spoke for some time, mostly avoiding the topic of Darren and the army as the topic settled in the back of everyone’s minds. Zalia pulled aside Juniper later into the day to talk to her one to one,

“I wanted to thank you, for what you did for me,” Zalia told her.

“And what did I do for you?” Juniper asked.

“You gave me the bow of Zayes, your husband, because you knew that our shade friend would recognise it and help me,” Zalia said.

This elicited a real smile from Juniper, one she didn't have to put on.

“Oh it's good that he did, I do miss the overdramatic shade. What does he go by these days?” Juniper asked.

“The Hidden, but I just call him Hidey,” Zalia replied.

This got Juniper to let out a chuckle,

“Oh my, the Hidden. He certainly hasn't changed much,” Juniper said.

“Do you know his actual name?” Zalia asked.

“Oh yes, I most certainly do,” Juniper said, some joy brought back to her posture.

“What is it?” Zalia asked eagerly.

“That is not for me to tell, my dear,” Juniper said.

“Oh what the, not you too. It can't possibly be this big of a secret,” Zalia said, exasperated.

“Of course it isn’t, but I would not want to ruin my dear friends games,” Juniper replied almost innocently, the smirk ruining her attempt.

Zalia narrowed her eyes at the woman,

“That wouldn't be becoming of you to do, not at all,” Zalia said, clipping each word.

The woman gave Zalia a wide smile before it dropped again, thoughts of Darren resurfacing.

“I’m truly sorry, I would help if I could,” Zalia said.

“I know you would, I just hope this whole thing comes to a close soon. Such terrible business war is,” Juniper said somberly.

Zalia nodded in agreement.

“That it is,” Zalia affirmed.

⪼ ⪢ ℋ 𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℋ ⪡ ⪻

They had spent the rest of the day at the farm, sleeping the night there as much as to have a good night's rest within a building as to keep Juniper company for some time. It wasn't right to leave an old woman, even a Bronze ranked one, alone and take her son from her. With Juniper’s permission, Zalia took some more of the herb she called Enrage herb from the garden. She couldn't use it for anything but if she found any similar creatures to the ones she had hunted down previously it could come in handy. The next morning they had left early, heading straight north. As much as Zalia wanted to check in on Eyla and the rest of Alston, it was a tiny bit south of where the farm was and they were trying to get into the north. It was bad enough that she had detoured so much eastwards rather then just going straight north from Endelbyrn but seeing Glemp again was part of the purpose of going there, for her at least.

As they travelled, Zalia explained everything she knew about the north and what type of creatures they would find there. She told her team about the Ironfur Rabbits, Six legged bears, the ice magic wielding wolf-like creature she had encountered and then she went on to explain who Glemp was and where they were heading. It was about four days travel by her reckoning and the others had plenty of questions, all of which she answered, about the various topics she brought up. About halfway through the second day, they entered the snow once more. Zalia avoided the area that she knew the warcamp of Alara to be, assuming it was still there. As soon as they entered the snow, Zalia began harvesting Snow-leaf and her special poison berries, some worry leaving her as she had a good stock of the vital plants once more. She also found plenty of the Bronze ranked Frozen Heart, explaining to the others what it did, where to find it and how to use it. It would be a good tool for anyone to keep on them in Zalia’s opinion. She wanted to get more Flame-root as well, the fiery magic it provided being an excellent tool to keep in her arsenal. Before long, she had the others hunting their very own Ironfur rabbits as well. This was an exceptionally easier task for the three as this was a target that did not flee but one that threw itself at them with violent abandon. While most of the rabbits sat at Iron or bronze, Zalia did know that they could be found in Silver rank as well. On their way to the mountain they didn't encounter any of the six legged bears, though tracks were seen. Zalia had a theory that the creatures usually dwelled further north, where the team would soon be travelling after seeing Glemp. During the travel she also started adding the poison resistance training to her daily routine, unable to convince the others to do the same however

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On the fourth day, they finally arrived at the mountain which had been visible for a long time before arriving. She went to the place she knew the doors to be and knocked as hard as she could. They waited for a few moments,

“Are you sure you found the right indistinguishable mountain face?” Zen asked.

“Shut up Zen,” Zalia and Ember said simultaneously.

A rumble sounded through the rock face as a split appeared and the doors ground open, swinging inside the mountain and two short creatures stood looking at the group of four. The two creatures eyes began glowing the deep red Zalia remembered oh so well,

“Wait! Wait! I’m a friend of Glemp, Glemp,” Zalia said quickly.

One of the Born of Heat and Stone stopped, jabbing the other with its hand to get it to stop too. A quick conversation in the language of the creatures then followed, quick and short filled with clicks and guttural sounds the language was quite hard to even get a sense of. The first creature, the one that had understood what Zalia was saying a little, slapped the other in the back of the head before gesturing for them to enter. That was a language that was apparently a universal sign for calling someone an idiot. They entered the large cave tunnel, the others holding onto each other's hands as they couldn't see in the darkness, the darkness that Zalia was fine with. She led them by the hand down the tunnel until they could see again by the warm light filtering into the space from the large opening up ahead. The others began taking off some of the thick layers they had put on for the journey up to this point as the room heated from the lava Zalia knew to be up ahead. She entered the large spiralling town of the small peoples that had first welcomed Zalia in this world. Haphazard homes were built up the twisting and often dangerous stairs and tunnels built into the side of the large cylindrical space within. Still remembering the way, Zalia led her group on the twisting path that led to Glemp's home. She entered the space, seeing the small creature hunched over one of its workbenches working on some no doubt meticulous alchemical study. She knocked on the wall with a dull sound, Glemp loudly speaking in his language before Zalia spoke,

“Hey Glemp, I’m back,” she said.

The small creature turned to her, its large eyes widening even further as it took in Zalia.

“Wait, just wait, yes, yes. Important discoveries, yes,” Glemp said, before turning right back to its work.

Zalia rolled her eyes, turning back to the others as they entered.

“What was that language you spoke with it?” Indis asked.

“What language?” Zalia asked back.

“What do you mean what language, the one you just used. Couldn't understand it,” Indis said, walking into the room past Zalia.

“What?” Zalia thought.

She turned around looking at Indis still,

“I only spoke the same way I do with you,” she said.

“Yeah definitely not, only a couple words were the same,” Indis said back.

Zalia looked over at Ember, who just shrugged,

“Couldn't understand it either,” Ember said.

“What the hell,” Zalia thought.

“It sounds exactly the same to me,” Zalia said in confusion.

She heard a small hissing before a tiny pop sound came from where Glemp was,

“No! No, no no, damn it, fire and stone, no,” Glemp yelled.

“What are you doing?” she asked Glemp.

“You are speaking that language again,” Indis pointed out.

“No, very specific amounts, yes. Very precise,” Glemp said looking at Zalia.

“You can't understand that?” Zalia asked Indis.

Indis shook her head and Glemp looked at her in confusion.

“Some kind of translation power?” Zalia thought.

“Oh,” she said.

She spent the next ten minutes trying to introduce Glemp and her team, having to work as a go-between for the two groups. If she had been given some kind of translation power when she had come to this world it would explain some things. It wouldn't have made any sense if the people here were speaking English. It didn't work on Glemp's normal language however, which led her to believe maybe it only worked on languages that were similar enough to her own in structure. It would explain why back in Ostoss the group had been confused when Zalia had tried speaking in a complex manner.

After she had made introductions, she explained to Glemp that they were here for various reasons but mainly to hunt different beasts and find various plants. The creature's eyes shined at her mention of hunting and she remembered when she had first been here there had been something Glemp had wanted her to hunt for them but had never deemed her worthy. She asked Glemp but they still seemed uncertain, so Zalia let it drop for now hoping to maybe prove their level of skill in the coming days.

After they had all finished talking, the others went to find somewhere to sleep, Zalia pointing them to the backroom of Glemp’s workshop.

“Glemp, have you found out anything with that Silver rank herb I gave you back then yet?” Zalia asked.

“Yes, yes, some. Elements of ice, time. Purpose? No,” Glemp said.

“Elements of Ice and time hey, interesting,” Zalia said, musing over Glemp's words.

It didn't seem they had found a purpose yet but knowing the elements, Zalia might be able to use it preemptively in some ritual. If she found more, that was.

“Thanks, I appreciate knowing that much at least. We might hunt some things over the next coming days or weeks, would you be interested in getting some pieces of creatures? Oh! And did you find that large six legged bear I told you about when I left?” Zalia asked in rapid-fire.

“Yes, yes, yes. Would want many things, yes. B.. e.. a.. r was good find, yes. Very good pelt,” Glemp said, struggling to say the word bear.

Now that she thought about the possibility of having a translation power she could almost feel it, hear it. It was a strange sensation to pay attention to, being able to speak a language that by all rights she shouldn’t be able to. She had never learnt another language before either, which added to the strangeness for her.

“Excellent, I’ll let you know when we catch anything impressive then,” Zalia said

She went to sleep right on the floor there, looking at the few messages she had from the days of travelling up to the north,

Congratulations! Teaching has gained three levels reaching Tin 14.

Congratulations! Survivalist and associated skills have reached Iron 4.

Congratulations! Flora identification has reached Iron 2.

Congratulations! Preparation has reached Iron 2.

Congratulations! Harvester has gained two levels reaching Iron 3

Congratulations! Herbalist class has reached Iron 2.

Congratulations! Poison resistance has reached Iron 2.

The next morning, Zalia once more had to wake the others up as they slept in relative but importantly warm comfort. They were all prone to sleeping way too much in Zalia’s opinion, which might just be due to the fact she was bored after waiting for too long. It was most likely the fault of the reduced sleep section of her Survivalist ability, an unforeseen downside to the upgrade that made working on her own rather than in a group an even better prospect.

They went through their morning routine, Glemp apparently still hard at work on their alchemy project. She wasn't sure Glemp actually needed sleep but, who knew. After their morning routine, Zalia took them all out of the mountain and back into the snow. She took a deep breath, appreciating the cool, fresh northern air. The air in the mountain wasn't necessarily toxic but it was definitely stifling with an ashy tinge to it. She led the group to the north, breaking into a run as her team tried to keep up. Before long, she slowed back down again before stopping. She looked to the others,

“Who wants to have a go tracking today?” she asked.

“I’ve got it,” Indis said.

Zalia was surprised, since the woman usually had to be persuaded to take part. Though, it would be exciting for anyone to explore a new land that no human had explored, as far as was known at least.

Zalia spent the next few hours slowly moving further north explaining to them all, mainly Indis, how tracking changed when you were in snowier lands. In some ways it became easier, in others harder but in general it was just some different signs you had to look for to the normal ones in forested terrain. After a few more hours they found what she had been looking for, some tracks of one of the six legged bear creatures, smaller than usual. It was most likely a young adult of the species and Zalia hoped that meant it would be a Bronze ranked one, not silver. They tracked the beast for a half hour before finding it, the four of them crouched in the snow at a distance as they watched the creature foraging for berries from a nearby bush,

“Wait here,” Zalia said to the others.

She was definitely the most stealthy of the group and snuck up, getting just close enough to see that it indeed was a Bronze ranked creature. She made her way back carefully to the group,

“Lets hunt,” she whispered excitedly.