"Where is Amelia?" asked Lark, having just looked back and not seeing the girl.

Briar turned around but didn't see her either.

"Hmm. How unfortunate. Well, Whisper and Fern will watch out for her, so she should be fine."

"Didn't they fly ahead? Probably to gorge themselves, the little numpties ..."

"How very unfortunate. I shall go and find her before she strays too far. We will meet you at the rainbow fountain as soon as we can. It is near the candy stalls, so Whisper and Fern will surely find their way there before long."

The bird lifted off Briar's shoulder and circled above the crowd, looking for the wayward caretaker. The goblin checked the ties on her pack and pouches were still snug, then moved off into the crowd towards the fountain on her own.

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Amelia wandered. She had initially tried to make her way back towards the entry arch, but quickly realized she had no idea which direction it was. She was taller than many in the surrounding crowds, but there were so many trees, tents, banners, and other obstacles that she couldn't see very far.

Eventually, she found herself in a darker section of the market. The customers seemed furtive, and many had hoods on or otherwise concealed their features. Unlike in other parts of the market, goods weren't on open display, and most of the booths had curtains to shelter shoppers from unwanted attention.

She realized she was drawing a lot of eyes. This obviously wasn't a place for an ignorant young lady to be wandering around. Every idle shopkeeper watched her as she passed, and she was certain she was being followed. She kept looking behind her to see who it was, but never quite caught a good look. She thought it might be several people who were keeping spread out.

She was so preoccupied trying to look in all directions, including behind herself, she didn't realize she was being herded until the lane she was following came to a dead end. Two large, long stalls met at an angle, then ended in a sort of courtyard at their rear. Once she saw that, she turned around. Behind her were her pursuers.

"Hello, dear. You look lost. Why don't you let me and the boys help you find your way? For a small fee, of course!" the one in the lead said. He had a look on his face that he surely thought was endearing. Amelia shuddered.

He was shorter than she was but considerably wider. He looked like a squat human, but taller than any of the dwarves she had danced with. Two short curved horns jutted from his brow, and his clothing looked very rough.

There were several people behind him, although she couldn't see them all clearly. One was tall and muscled, covered in hair that might be his own, or might not, she couldn't tell. One looked like it might be a faun, but its legs were wrapped in cloth, and it had a robe that covered most of its body. Way in the back, at the mouth of the alley, a trio of grungy goblins stood watch.

"No no, I'm fine, but thanks for the offer! I just need to meet my friends!"

"No worry, dear. We'll be your friends. It'll still cost you!" the face was now clearly an unfriendly sneer, and the man pulled a baton from somewhere in his clothes and lightly tapped it against his off hand.

Amelia sorely wished she had that spear. Or even the rapier. Or a big stick. But she did have something! She pulled the bill from her belt and held it before her in both hands and tried her best to look fierce.

"Oh hoh! Watch out, lads, we got us a feisty one! She might prune something if we don't have a care!" the leader laughed. The men behind him laughed as well, their voices a mixture of deep and booming, high-pitched, and everything in between.

There was a flapping and rustling of feathers as a bird landed in front of Amelia, facing the thugs. At first, she thought it was Lark, but its feathers were differently colored, and she felt an ominous looming aura radiating from its tiny songbird body. As she had the night she took the potion, it looked for a split second like a hulking, fanged, and clawed presence lurked in the same space as the bird, as if she was seeing it out of the corner of her eye.

"Beige!" she called, her voice quavering slightly. The bird waved at her with one wing, her left eye firmly watching the ruffians.

The leader dropped his club, and there was the clank and rattle of other dropped weaponry from his followers. He started backing away with both his hands in the air, looking suddenly extremely pale. A dark patch suddenly appeared at the crotch of his dirty trousers and spread down his leg.

"No trouble! No trouble! We were just trying to help! Didn't know the girl was one of yours! Forgive us! We were just joking!" he gabbled as he frantically backpedaled. The bird just watched, eye still firmly fixed on him.

Beige scratched her beak with the talon of one foot.

"No no oh no no! Spare us! Please have mercy!" cried the leader, who turned and ran, pushing aside his minions as he fled the alley. The rest followed quickly after, blending into the crowd in the lane outside.

"Huh. What was all that about?" wondered Amelia.

The bird casually preened herself, while keeping an eye on the alley entrance, in case one of the men suddenly found his courage.

"Sure is good to see you, buddy! I didn't know you were coming, too! Sorry we left you and Blue behind! Is Blue around too?"

Beige shrugged as if to indicate that Blue was around, just possibly not close. Then she started sauntering down the alley.

"I told everybody I needed a sword! I told them!"

Beige nudged an abandoned flail with a foot, looking back at Amelia.

"Uh, that looks really heavy. And clumsy. I'd definitely hurt myself with that. Maybe we can find some pepper spray or something instead."

Amelia followed the bird out into the lane, which was strangely emptier than it had been moments before. She could sense the shopkeepers watching the pair move down the street, but every single stall seemed to have closed at once for some reason.

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They wended their way back to more wholesome areas of the market. Amelia was surprised when the bird got her attention, then made a 'quiet' motion and gestured towards herself, before taking wing and vanishing into the evening sky.

"Where are you going? What's wrong?"

"Amelia! There you are" screeched the goblin, moments before glomping onto Amelia's leg. They almost fell over, but Amelia squatted down and hugged the gardener.

"Hi! Miss me?"

"We were concerned you might find the donut stall and die a most sugary death, Caretaker." said Lark as the bird landed next to them. "Where have you been? And how did you come here?" the bird gestured towards the fountain nearby. Its multicolored water jets shot up ten feet into the air, before splashing down in the stone-lined pool at its base.

Amelia remembered Beige's gestures and guessed that she didn't want the others to know she was here. Strange, but none of Amelia's business.

"Uh, I was just shopping. Look what I got!" she held up a bulging sack in one hand. "I got a perfume sprayer that really stings if you get it on your face. I thought it would be safer than a weapon. Just in case ... well, just in case, if I need to defend myself, you know?"

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Lark could tell that Amelia was hiding something but was just happy the girl was well. "It smells like you purchased some snacks, as well. Did you save any trade goods for our mission, perchance?"

"Actually, I got really good deals! All this for just a few of the [untranslatable] berries and a jar of jam! Oh, and a tin of beans. I got a cloak!" she gestured with the bag again, then turned around so they could see the rolled material strapped next to her blanket.

"I see. Remarkable. It seems the hucksters and conmen had you to fear, not the other way around, as I had thought."

The girl giggled. It had been amazing. One glance at the songbird accompanying her, and every merchant had fallen over themselves with politeness. She suspected there might be more to Beige than met the eye.

"Have you seen Whisper or Fern? I hope they didn't get lost or anything."

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"Stuffed! Stuffed! Sick! Sick!"

Whisper agreed with the sprite. She was a pale purple and felt like exploding.

It had been worth it, though. The pair had tried to sample everything on sweet lane, but they hadn't gone through even a fraction of the fare before they had to admit defeat. Fern had paid using enchanted leaves, but the shopkeepers didn't seem to mind. They were probably planning on passing them along to customers anyways, but who knew?

"Friends? Friends?" piped the sprite, holding her distended belly.

Whisper bobbled agreement, and the pair peeled themselves from the top of the barrel they had been sprawled on and floated off to find the others.

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"We need to speak to someone who lives in the goblin quarter. Unfortunately, you would find it uncomfortable, if not impossible, to make your way in that area. It is built for smaller frames than yours. So please stay here where we can find you. We should be back before many hours, and possibly Fern and Whisper will finish eating everything in the market eventually and find you."

"Okay, I'll stay here. It's nice to sit. I've done a lot of walking today!" said Amelia. She was currently sitting on an upturned crate at a table. They were still near the rainbow fountain, and there was a section of tables and seats of varying sizes for clientele who patronized the food stalls there.

"If for some reason you wander off, remember the rainbow fountain. You should be able to get directions from anyone if you need them."

"Thanks! But stop fussing, I'll be fine. Go do what you need to do!"

Lark settled her feathers, then hopped onto Briar's pack. It was too crowded to fly easily, especially if you were trying to stay together with someone who was stuck on the ground.

"We will return as soon as we can. Hopefully with news on how to help Alder."

"Good luck! Now go!" Amelia shooed the pair off.

She was a little nervous to lose them again after getting lost earlier, but that had turned out okay. With thanks to Beige, of course. At least now she had a landmark to aim for if she needed it, so that was reassuring.

While she waited, she sorted through her purchases. She hadn't meant to do so much shopping, but it was kind of impossible not to in a place like this. She had showed each thing to Beige to get her approval before buying. Which was a good thing, had she known it, since several of the stalls would otherwise have been less than honest in their dealings. But under the bird's watchful eye--and steely glare--she hadn't been ripped off.

The cloak was a very fetching bright blue and had a pretty hood that could be detached. The material was soft and warm, but very tough, and she had been assured that it was water-resistant. It wouldn't replace her favorite hoodie, but that article of clothing was starting to look pretty ragged, especially after the trip here. It would be good to have something else to keep her warm and dry when she was out and about.

There were several packets of snacks, of course. Some mixed nuts, a few pastries, and several candies in individual waxed paper twists. She forced herself to save them so she could share when everyone was back together later.

Her favorite stall--aside from the ones that sold things to eat, of course--was a cramped little booth packed with jewelry. She had been shocked to find the proprietress was the lady she almost poked with the spear. The women seemed to hold no ill will, though, once Amelia offered to buy from her.

She had found a dainty necklace perfect for Lark, made of a black brocade with silver wire trim. It would look wonderful against the bird's tan and white plumage. She found an anklet for Briar -- it had bangles shaped like leaves and pretty silver bells on it. There was a minuscule tiara that would be perfect for Fern. Whisper was the one that proved impossible to shop for. Her body wasn't shaped for jewelry. So Amelia stocked up on some toffee from another stall, which the wisp would probably like better, anyways.

Just as she shoved all her loot back into the sack, she caught sight of the glowing wisp and sprite as they flopped down onto the table. Fern's stomach was bulged almost obscenely, and the sprite looked pale. Whisper looked rather wobbly and moved slowly.

"Hey! Good to see you guys! Want some candy?" Amelia offered a lemon jelly with a mischievous grin. Whisper flashed in warning, then melted into a miserable little puddle on the table. Fern held her hand to her mouth and made retching noises.

"Wow! That is a first! This place really is magical!" proclaimed the girl.

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"That was informative, though not the answers I was hoping for." said Lark.

She and Briar were heading back to the café, having left the goblin warren. They had spent several hours in a bookstall that Briar was familiar with, browsing for any clues to the shadowy menace that had trapped Alder. The stall owner hadn't been much help but had guided them to other booksellers once they determined he didn't have what they needed. They had almost despaired of finding help when at last they struck gold.

It was a book of old legends, itself practically falling apart, but one of the hand-drawn illustrations depicted a wreath of shadowy tentacles exactly like the one entwining Alder. They had purchased it on the spot, then found an empty nook to read through it. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than they currently had to go on.

They were both very pleased to find not just Amelia, but their two other wayward companions at the café table. Fern and Whisper had recovered slightly from their overindulgence but were still refusing the candy Amelia was tormenting them with.

"We found something. A story that matches."

"So you know how to save Alder? Yay!"

"I would that that were true, Caretaker. We have found clues and a possible cause, but that is a long way from a solution. But we have hints on a path forward, which is more than we had this morning."

"Great! What do we do now?"

"We should leave and find a place to camp for the night. It is late if you had not noticed."

Briar yawned hugely as if to emphasize the point, and Amelia stifled a sympathy yawn. Fern and Whisper were already curled up on the table sleeping.

Amelia scooped up the two and tucked them in the kangaroo pocket of her hoodie. There were muffled protests, but they both seemed okay with their new location.

"Are we camping in the market?"

"No, that isn't allowed. Unless you pay for a stall or other accommodations. We will find a place in the woods outside."

"Cool! More adventure! Let's go!"

Despite the late hour, the market was still as crowded as ever, and it took some time to make their way back to the archway they had entered from. On the way, Lark informed Amelia that there were many other entrances, but that particular one was the closest to home, and it was good to take the familiar route. She was well aware of how easy it was to get lost in this place, so found no reason to disagree.

Once past the arch formed by the pair of trees, the woods beyond felt unnaturally silent, although they had just become accustomed to the din of the busy marketplace. Like any forest, it had its share of noise. Chirping insects, wild things moving about in the brush, the swaying of trees and leaves in the breeze.

They found a suitable spot to sleep a little way down the road from the arch. Several spots had been cleared for that purpose by someone, and there were even woven shelters of living tree boughs and bushes to keep them dry and shaded. Stone fire rings had cut wood piled next to them, and they could hear the tinkle of the stream nearby.

There were numerous sites, but only one of them was occupied when the party arrived. Two dwarves and a goblin sat on the ground next to a crackling fire, and a large boar lay just at the edge of the firelight, next to a slightly smaller wolf.

Those with hands waved as Amelia and her group arrived at one of the empty sites. Briar and Amelia dropped their heavy packs inside a shelter, then they walked closer to the group at the fire.

"Ahoy-oy! Come get warm! There's ale and bacon!" rumbled one of the dwarves, who rose as they approached.

"Have you no sensitivity? I'm right here, you know!" said the boar, its voice deep and snuffly. It didn't seem angry, though, more like it was teasing its companion.

"I meant you, you knothead! We're going to fry you up! Bacon for days! Num num!" replied the dwarf, poking the boar's bristle-covered belly with his finger.

"Try it, stubby. Try it." The boar rolled over onto his other side, unimpressed by the threat.

"Hah! One day! But for now, we have real bacon, not tough gristle like you would be, you old trotter!" the dwarf said, snagging an iron frying pan from where it was sizzling in the coals.

"I'm Amelia! This is Lark and that's Briar" she said once the jesting had died down. She pointed to each in turn, then pointed to the lumps in her hoodie, just about navel height. "In here are Whisper and Fern. No, I didn't eat them, they're just sleeping off a binge and are a bit indisposed."

"Hah! We've all been there! Right boys?" guffawed the other dwarf, and the group joined in.

"I'm Tuuka, the one with the bacon is Tyni. The goblin is Picker, the wolf is called Domas, and the big lump of lard is Reginald. Grab a seat! I'm afraid we don't have spare mugs, but we can share if you don't mind drinking after these filthy buggers!"

"Oh, we don't mind! But I have mugs--be right back!" Amelia ran and grabbed her bag, then hurried back. This was much more lively than she thought their camp would be! Hurray!