Chapter Two: In An Elven Way

Taking a moment to wipe sweat and ash off her face, Lopiena watches Sigurd and Ashwyn taking the kids and pup out of the other room. Two kids with Sig, three with Ash...plus the four that have been traveling with them makes nine...without being able to see their faces, she’s not sure if the little girl who ran into her at the start of this whole adventure is with them. Raking up more flaming webs and shoving them into Zane's bonfire, she approaches Ishal and Zane. "Thanks for all your help, it's almost breathable in here again. I'll keep extinguishing what I can, but can someone ask the kids if their whole group is together again? It was dark when I saw them so I didn't get an accurate count, but I'm pretty sure there were more. Thanks." Turning back to the fires, she continues breaking them into smaller pieces to extinguish.

Ashwyn chuckled at Sigurd's joke. She watched the fox with his pup as Sigurd spoke. Though she couldn't understand words like Sigurd could, he had gotten the sense of great wisdom. When Sigurd questioned her, she looked up at him.

"Hm? Yes, I'm fine." she looked at his face for a moment. "I get the feeling you aren't asking about the fight we just had..."

Zane and Ishal finished gathering the flames and finally thr fires seemed to slow. Zane walked to the larger group of children and knelt before them. "Are there any more of you? Do we need to find more? And is everyone alright?"

The children looked at Zane. "No. This was everyone."

Zane smiled and stood. "Good! We've found them all!"

"Yes and no, we'll talk about it more once we get these kids safe" Sigurd smiled "It's not urgent" He took a step into the room and looked around, The flames were dying down thanks to Lopiena and Zane, the smoke was clearing but the smell of burning carapace and fur, not only from himself, but the fox as well.

"Great job Lopiena, keep it up" he said with a smile. He was impressed with their young druid, inexperienced but still very capable. She was really beginning to prove herself to everyone. Sigurd wandered around the room and stomped out embers with his bare, callused feet.

Ashwyn frowned a bit as Sigurd walked away. She was curious now about what he was talking about. But he said it wasn't urgent so she would try to focus on their situation.

Looking around at the lessening fires she relaxed some. "Well, at least we won't get smoked out." She sighed. She looked at the stairs and then then open hallway.

She turned to the fox and touched it's back carefully. "Which way is it to get out of here?" She turned to Sigurd. "Maybe you could ask him which way we should go?"

Hearing Zane say that all the kids are found at last, Lopiena smiles happily. "Oh good! Maybe we can finally get out of here, then!" Attacking the flames with even greater enthusiasm, Lo blushes and grins at Sigurd's compliment. High praise from someone so strong... "Thanks, Sigurd. Um. Thanks for getting those kids out of that other room, all the smoke seems to be going that way." Blushing again, she turns away and scans the room. Hallway, stairs...the stairs might lead to outside, at least hopefully! Destination in mind, she starts clearing the way toward the stairs.

Sigurd nodded to Ashwyn and quickly shifted into his full wolf form. He approached the Fox and it's pup and nodded to it. "All of the children are safe it seems. Now if you would, how do we get out of this god forsaken place..."

He watched Lopiena head for the stairs "Now would be a good time to know what's beyond those steps..."

The fox was just finishing cleaning up his pup when Sigurd had shifted and asked him where they should go. The fox looked up at him, keeping his pup protectively between his legs.

"Those stairs," he pointed his nose at them. "lead back up to the elven city. An older part of the city. The door is long forgotten by them and may require great strength to get through." He spoke in a weak and tired voice.

He looked over at Ashwyn's concerned face, then looked at the frightened forms of the children, then over to Lopiena, Zane and Ishal who were all looking at the staircase.

"You're companions are noble and brave." He turned back to Sigurd. "I thank you for your assistance with my pup." He bowed his head low to Sigurd. "But I wonder.... if I could ask a great favor..."

Sigurd looked to the stairs, and to the door that they hadn't opened, surely it lead back to the hall of corpses, no need to explore further they had gotten what they came for. When the Fox asked for a favor Sigurd nodded "Anything" He was curious what favor an old beast like this would need.

The fox reached down and nosed his pup forward towards Sigurd and Ashwyn. "Take my pup with you?"

Ashwyn, though she couldn't understand the words they spoke, she saw a flash from the fox as she touched it. A flash of worry, concern, and pleading. She looked down at the young fox and their eyes met. The pup was similar in coloring to his father but much smaller. He was about the size of a regular fox, though Ashwyn knew he'd grow. As they stared into one anothers eyes she felt a deep connection form between them. It was like she knew everything it was thinking...feeling... the sensation was profound.

Sigurd stared at the fox, then the pup, then back to the fox. It had been hard to understand from their first meeting and through the battles they fought but he understood now. Walking forward to the fox he was inches away from being nose to nose "Of course..." he said solemnly "Rest easy, when the time comes to you, know your pup will be well taken care of..." Sigurd stepped ever more forward and pressed his neck against the foxes giving as much of a respectful hug as a wolf could to a fox before stepping back and bowing his head.

"Thank you, for everything."

The fox returned the hug as best be could and bowed his head again. "Thank you. He deserves more of a life than I can give him. And with my mate dead now..." He shook his head. He watched as Ashwyn and the pup seemed to be bonding. "I believe your mate will care for him. I sense she has a kind heart." He turned to him. "I hope you will not be offended. I assume she will carry your pups one day as well. I do not want to impose."

Sigurd nodded "She will care for him as if she was her own I'm sure." When the Fox mentioned having his own pups... well, if wolves could blush... "I'm sure that's the plan.. if it's not meant to be, we'll at least have fun trying" he laughed. As he turned to rejoin the others he paused and looked back to the old fox. "Do... Do you want someone with you... when it's time?" he asked "No one should have to go alone.."

The fox shook its large head. "I will not be alone. I will go to the place where my mate rests. I want my pup to remember me as I am now."

Ashwyn now had the pup in her arms. The pup was sad and she had a feeling she knew why. She frowned and held the pup to her.

The fox turned to look at Ashwyn and the young fox. He moved over and nuzzled the pup affectionately.

Ashwyn carefully touched his large head and pressed her forehead to his. "Thank you for all of your help." She said to him and smiled sadly.

The fox bowed to her and then turned to Sigurd once more before it slowly walked down a long hallway.

Sigurd watched the Fox disappear down the hall. He couldn't imagine what the fox was feeling... pride? sadness? comfort? too many emotions were swimming in his head. He did the only thing he thought was appropriate and gave one long haunting howl. His people would do this during burials, they said that the sound would carry the spirit of their loved ones to the heavens. The fox hadn't passed yet but the sentiment was fitting.

"Take care, old man..."

Shifting back into his human form Sigurd looked to Ashwyn and nodded. He patted the young fox's head and made for the stairs "Come on. These lead back up to an older part of the city. If we're lucky we can get some rest before we meet with this high druid...." It was subtle but Sigurd was fighting back a tear.

Ashwyn watched the fox disappear and felt a wave of sadness. When Sigurd shifted back to his human form she moved close to him with the pup. It was young but more than old enough to be on its own. It was sad and nuzzling against Ashwyn's body as she held it. Ashwyn, in turn, leaned sadly against Sigurd's chest as they walked sadly to the stairs.

Zane had still been occupied with the fires so he didn't see most of the exchange with the fox except to see it walking off. He frowned, unsure of what had transpired, but hearing Sigurd's words about the stairs he nodded. "Oh, wonderful." He turned to the children and gathered them together. "Come now, children. We're almost out of here. Stay together now." He gathered them into the group and they all walked towards the stairs.

Ishal reached it first and and pushed against the trap door. "It feels like someone is blocking it." She said and then began pushing with all her strength. [STR check 24] The door slowly moved until Ishal could push through.

Finished with clearing the way to the stairs, Lopiena turns at Sigurd's howl. It sounds so sad, and haunting...shivering, she looks at Ashwyn and Sigurd, noticing that Ashwyn is holding the pup, Sigurd seems upset, and the large fox is gone.
"Is...is everything ok? What happened?" Suddenly worried, she looks around for the large fox. "Does the fox need healing? It didn't seem to want it earlier, I didn't want to force anything..." Looking at their expressions, comprehension dawns on her face. "Oh...oh I'm so sorry..."  Swallowing hard, she turns at Sigurd's words. "Of course...we should go..." Turning away, she watches as Ishal and Zane get the kids and open the door.

Ishal gathered the children together and faced the others. "I will take these children to the council and begin to find their families. Thank you all for your assistance. It has been an honor serving alongside you." She crossed an arm across her chest and bowed at the waist in respect. She turned with the children and walked towards one of the buildings, the opposite direction of the one where their rooms were.

Zane breathed deeply of the fresh air and he sighed. "My goodness.....so wonderful to be out of that horrid place." He said happily.

Still sad about the fox, Ashwyn was still very glad to feel the fresh air on her face. Even the pup waggled its tail at the feeling of the air. It felt good to have the leaves and life around her again. She looked down at the pup for a moment and suddenly a name came to her. She wasn't sure if it was something she thought up herself or if the fox had fed it to her, but it just seemed appropriate.

"Pip? Is that you're name?"

The fox yipped and wiggled its tail causing Ashwyn to smile.

"Well, alright then. Pip it is." She nuzzled the young fox.

Climbing the stairs into the clean air of the forest, Lopiena takes a deep breath and immediately starts coughing. The smoke still lingers in the air, and near the entryway is where it's thickest...walking away from the group a few paces, she kneels on the soft earth and inhales the moist, clean air for a few moments until the coughing subsides. Rising in time to see Ishal take the kids, she bows respectfully in return at her retreating form. "I hope they're going to be ok..."
Watching Ashwyn with the wiggling pup, she can't help but smile in spite of everything. So sad about the large fox, though. Walking over to Sigurd and Ashwyn, she gently places a hand on Sigurd's arm...once burned, now whole again. "Are you ok? I mean really?"

Sigurd closed his eyes and enjoyed the smell of the fresh air, no decay, no burning corpses and no moldy walls. Just clean fresh air. The scent of life filled his nose as he started picking up different elves, foods, woods and flowers. They hadn't been gone that long but his nose needed a break.

His mind wandered back to the Noble Fox, he hadn't even asked his name... and now he's just wandered off to die... Sigurd shook the feeling of despair off, it's that the fox wanted and he had to respect it. It was different than the way his people chose to go. Some would choose combat, a mercy killing really or to be surrounded by their loved ones. He couldn't fathom being alone in a place like that  just waiting for it to end...

When Lopiena touched his arm it snapped him back to reality. He hadn't even noticed that his arm had recovered, the tightness of the burned flesh gone he moved his arm freely as if checking to see it still worked. "I'm fine. Life is funny somtimes..." he said softly to Lopiena, looking at the pup.

Ashwyn nodded to Sigurd's words. She leaned against him sadly, holding the pup close.

Zane sighed. "Well....it must be close to morning but we should be able to get a few hours of sleep at least. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use it."

Ashwyn nodded. "We should go back to our room for a while. It will be morning soon anyway."

"Rest...that sounds really nice..." Lopiena nods. Exhaustion hitting like a wall, she stumbles after the others. Fighting through it, she focuses on the growing forest. Life inspires more life, and feeling the cool earth under her bare feet helps restore enough energy to at least keep pace...but she follows the group blindly, completely lost without enough energy to puzzle about where they’re going or how they're going to get there.

The group must have looked an awful sight, covered in blood, ash, arachnid hemolymph. Sigurd especially he still had dried blood trailing the corners of his mouth and chin, his armor had a slight rainbow hue edged by soot from being licked by his own flames. And even though they walked in the fresh, still damp air they all smelled of death and rot.

Images of falling face first into their wonderfully soft beds much like he did at the in gave him cause to smile. But first a dunk in the spring. The hot water would sooth his muscles and help quicken his trip to unconscious bliss.. that wasn't caused by being nearly beheaded.

Generally when Sigurd was in any sort of dungeon experience he'd have scoured the rooms and taken anything of value that wasn't bolted down, adventuring can get expensive. There had been nights where a silver candle stick had bought him a night in an inn. Thankfully this wasn't the case. As they plodded up the wooden staircase back to their room He pushed the doors open and walked towards the spring. Pulling his release tab on his armor it clattered to the floor leaving Sigurd in his sleeveless tunic top and small clothes.

The closer he got to the spring the less clothing he wore until the moment where his feet touched the edge and he slipped in letting the loudest groan escape his lips as he let the water massage his aching body with its heat. Some folk think that just because the Spell Wolves can heal fast means that any pain inflicted is gone too. Sadly this wasn't the case, His shoulder still stung from the spider bite and every slash,stab and beating he suffered still ached him. Closing his eyes he set himself a short mental timer before he'd get out and crawl into the cloud that was the Elven bed.

Reentering the room Ashwyn sighed, glad to be out of that horridly cramped and stale place. It was unfortunate that their freshly cleaned clothing was now soiled again but it couldn't be helped. She watched as Sigurd immediately went for the spring and she chuckled hearing his groan as he sunk in. She set the fox down on the bed she'd slept in earlier and helped it to curl into her pillow. She pet it soothingly for a moment until it fell asleep. She smiled at it before removing her armor and dropping it to the floor.

When she was down to her small clothes she walked into the spring area. Stripping off the last bit of clothing she too entered the spring. The hot water against her skin made her gasp, but then groan as she sunk neck deep in the steaming water. She dunked her head down under the water and ran her fingers through her hair, forcing out an muck there. When she came up her skin had pinkened from the heat. Surfacing she found a comfortable place near Sigurd to lay back against the rocks.

---

The room was a welcome site for Zane as well. He came in and immediately sat on his bed with a groan. "Ugh.. I'm getting too old for this stuff..." he sighed, removing a shoe and masassing his aching foot.

Moving slowly, so tired she can barely remember how to think or feel, Lopiena climbs the staircase automatically as if her limbs are only going through the motions and the rest of her body is disconnected.  Entering the room in a daze, it takes a moment to remember where she is or what she's doing there...but hearing Sigurd and Ashwyn going into the hot springs serves as a wonderful reminder.  Loosening a few laces and pulling the dress halfway over her head in order to reach the buttons in the back (there are a few small advantages to not having much real estate in the front) Lo strips without much care for anything other than putting the clothes somewhere out of the way and getting in the hot water as soon as possible.  Somehow getting into the springs without slipping or falling, she slowly lowers her body into the water with head down and eyes closed.  After soaking in the relaxing heat for a few minutes, she seems revived enough to be at least comprehensible...

Lopiena opens her eyes and slowly looks around at Sigurd, Ashwyn, and even Zane in the other room.  "Hey. All. Thanks for...everything tonight." Smiling tiredly, she grabs one of the cakes of soap still resting on the sides and starts washing the blackened soot, mud, and grime from her feet, occasionally pausing to clean out scrapes and cuts obtained from the variable terrain.  That done, she finally removes the grimy rag from her hand and starts cleaning out the cut across her palm.  Glancing at Sigurd and Ashwyn, she lowers her voice and indicates the pup in the next room.  "So...Pip...he's yours now?"  Though her eyes are full of unasked questions, it's their business not hers...but that haunting wolf howl still echoes in her mind.  Something significant happened tonight.