The day had gotten on considerably before the weary troupe finally made it back to the others, so much so that it was well after dark by the time the two groups were finally reunited.
Some awkward initial words were exchanged, with Carric profusely apologizing to his companions for abandoning them, but after everyone had said their piece, there was a general sense of contentment about them all.
The small clearing had become a small camp in the time since Thia and Rory had gone, as Carric had wasted no time starting a fire and making preparations for a rugged dinner as soon as they were satisfied with their lodgings for the night.
Lyra opposed this decision vehemently at first, needing no source of sustenance so crude, as she deemed it, but it was clear that the famished traveler would not be dissuaded. Still, she would not yield on the topic of firewood, as the sight of burning wood of any kind horrified her. She insisted that Carric use dried peat moss instead, which she agreed to procure for him after some argument.
The smell of the fire was a bit musty, but it burned just as well. By the time the others returned late in the night from their excursion, the camp had a rather homely feel about it.
The mood was friendly, and the fire crackled happily throughout the meal as the travelers shared stories of their exploits and the various conditions that had brought each of them to this unlikely meeting.
Thia explained to the others that the sudden winter had been hard on the forest and that, with the help of the other denizens that dwelt there, she had been hard at work protecting the wood's borders with all means at her disposal, both magical and conventional.
She revealed to them that she had dwelt in the forest for centuries after her wood elf tribe had scattered in the events that followed the orc invasion that laid much of the surrounding lands to waste some six hundred years earlier. She was the last of her tribe as far as she knew, and upon speaking the words out loud, a somber look passed over her still-perfect elven features. It was clearly not something that she thought of often, and she still held feelings that were perhaps rekindled after lying long dormant.
With her tale retold, the others consoled her, Rory most of all. It was then that they told the others of their own plight, of how they had been forced to chase after their lost daughter and how the chase filled them with a dread that they could seldom shake off since it had begun some days earlier.
As if realizing the desperation of the situation all over again, Rory got up and began nervously pacing about.
It was Thia's turn to respond. The distant ache of her long-lost tribe having kindled fresh flames at the mention of these much more immediate tidings, and she declared that it was a sign that she had been sent there to aid in the rescue of Rory’s daughter and would not rest until she had seen the task to its end.
Lyra was less moved by the plights of the mortals around her, but she held unspoken respect for Thia and felt that it was only natural that she accompanied her on this mission.
The rest of the group was less eager, but knowing full well that they owed these three a debt for their hospitality, they agreed to help too, though with the understanding that the group would probably go their separate ways after the errand.
For the time being, though, everyone’s minds were made up. They would continue on the trail of the bandits and rescue Rory’s daughter, and whatever happened after that didn’t matter much.
So it was that an alliance between the folk of the forest and the outsiders was forged, and they immediately began drawing up plans for their next moves. The casters prepared spells of tracking and clairvoyance, the holy warrior prayed to their god, and the fighters honed their blades for the road ahead.
Their newfound enthusiasm did not last long, however, as the realities of a long and weary day began to weigh on them, and they realized they were all quite tired. After working out a watch schedule for the rest of the night, they all eventually fell into a sound and comfortable slumber.
It would be the last night that such a restful sleep would be had, for little did they know that the road ahead would eventually grow much more turbulent and restless than anything they could have imagined, as the fly is seldom aware of its peril as it floats unexpectedly towards the spider's web. As it happened, there was more than one spider awaiting them.
