The Foundling [Dathomir]

[Mesh’la]

Sometimes, at night, she could still hear them screaming.

The cool air of a spring night after the rain brought a specific sense memory back, feelings more than dreams as she slept. Small, terrified faces, weapons flashing, and the blood... body parts strewn on a road...

Mesh'la woke with a start, drenched in sweat, her blankets wrapped awkwardly around her. The smell of rain was heavy in the air as she threw herself from her bed and out into the night.

She needed air.

Once outside the rain doused her, pouring over the settlement of the Clan of the Undead Fires, running down the paths and puddling in the rancor pens. Mesh'la stood still, letting the water run down her face as she concentrated on breathing.

Her heart slowed, returning to a normal rhythm as the rain pattered to the ground around her.

[Cariadwen]

It was custom, dating back to the the Undead Fire clan’s earliest days, to post sentries on watch at night. They had not survived - thrived, even - because they took their strength and security as a given. Each night, a coterie of Nightsisters watched the clan borders, their minds and senses seeing far further than their eyes ever could. Cariadwen did not mind watch duty so much. Night time was when the magick of Dathomir felt its strongest. When she breathed in, she could feel the power of the clan, of the world around her. There was nothing to alert her to anything threatening to the clan, nothing to disturb her -

Something pricked at her awareness.

Cariad lifted her head, pushing her hood back, her head tilting a fraction in the direction she had felt.. something.

With a frown, she got her to feet and paced the well-worn path towards the source of the disturbance: Mesh’la. Standing out in the rain, looking like a drowned veshet.

“The dreams again?”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la turned to look at Cariadwen, blinking rain from her eyelashes. She shrugged, wrapping her arms around her body.

”They come and go. Tonight they came.” She looked down at herself and her soaked clothes as if she was seeing them for the first time.

Cariad was one of her closest friends - it was not surprising that she had found her in the night, especially as she had watch duty. Now confronted with the sight she must be, Mesh’la felt a trace of shame.

”...I did not mean to disturb anyone,” she said, wet hair clinging to her face.

[Cariadwen]

“The only person you’re disturbing is yourself,” Cariad said, shaking her head.

Dreams, prophetic or otherwise, were common among the clan. Some of her sisters spent hours upon hours every day pouring over the meaning of their visions, trying to divine some hidden meaning from within. Cariad was not one of them. Leave the soothsaying to the seers, she thought. The fact that she rarely recalled her own dreams as more than amorphous shapes and colours might have had something to do with it.

“Come on. If you’re going to be up and roaming about anyway, you can help me walk the perimeter.”

[Mesh’la]

““But it’s so wet out,” Mesh’la joked feebly, running her hands through her sodden hair. She gave herself a shake like a veeka bird and nodded.

She didn’t say anything else as she followed Cariad, trying to center herself by controlling her breathing. She was twenty-one years old, she shouldn’t be having nightmares like a child.

In the cool night air the dream faded, and by the time they reached the perimeter of the settlement the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Mesh’la looked out into the surrounding wilderness.

Somewhere, out there, she had been discovered as an infant. Taken into the tribe to be raised, she did not know anything about her birth mother, except that she had not been strong enough to keep her. She was either dead, or weak.

The little spark of anger that thought brought helped wash away the last strands of emotion the nightmare had brought forth. Mesh’la breathed deeply, and turned to Cariad as they continued to walk.

”Do you ever want ...more than this?” She gestured at the sleeping clan. As Cariad followed the gesture with her eyes, her brow creasing, Mesh’la shook her head.

”Never mind. Quiet night, other than bedraggled orphans standing in the rain?”

[Cariadwen]

“Quiet night,” Cariad agreed, with a glance back at the settlement. In all of the nights that she had served as sentry, it had only ever been the Undead Fire witches themselves that had caused disturbances. For some, the long night of solitude was the perfect time to ferment old grudges, hours in which to mull over the should-have-been and could-have-been.

“This more you keep talking about… what is it?”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la ran her fingers through her damp hair, teasing out a tangle as she replied.

”I love our clansisters - and brothers - and I know my place here. Training, hunting, tending to the animals...” Her voice trailed off and she looked down at the strand of hair between her fingers.

”I know there’s more out there.” Mesh’la lifted her eyes to Cariad’s, then up to the clouds above, where the stars were on a clear night. “Or even just to be able to explore the lands of the cataclysm here. I suppose I... I just want to be let off the leash for a while.”

She smiled faintly, still subtly trying to do something with her tangled hair. Bed head straight into the rain had left it in a state.

[Cariadwen]

“You know, no one will hunt you down, if you just… wander off in search of adventure” Cariad said, gesturing vaguely off to the wilderness beyond the clan’s lands. It wasn’t unheard of, for the clan to venture a good distance from their home. That was how they had found Mesh’la, after all. Then again, it wasn’t altogether common. They had their land, and everything beyond was… well, beyond.

“Though I don’t know how you’re going to get up there,” she added, with a glance at the stars, smirking as she spoke. "Maybe if we pray hard enough to the spirits, they'll have a starship crash on clan grounds.”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la grinned at that thought. On the other hand, they had left their homeworld before... her smile faded, and she looked out toward the boundaries of the clan.

”You’d miss me if I left for too long,” she teased, looking back at her friend. “It is an interesting thought, though. Maybe I should go and explore.”

[Cariadwen]

Cariad watched as her friend stared longingly out into the night. It didn’t matter that the evening was quiet, that there was almost nothing to see. Caried knew that Mesh’la would be picturing all of the possibilities of what could be out there, rather than what was.

When Mesh’la looked back at her with a smile, her smirk softened. “Just.. at least do it on a night when I’m not on watch. That way, I might be able to come with you.”

Then, her cheeks dimpling with a grin, she added, “If you get lost or eaten, they’ll only send me out to find you anyway.”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la matched Cariad’s grin, and the rest of the watch passed without incident.

When they were walking back into the settlement, passing the rancor pens and their giant occupants, Mesh’la suddenly stopped and grabbed Cariad’s wrist, turning her to face her.

”Will you come with me? Just for a week or two.” She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. “It was practically your idea in the first place. I will tell Ja’anio - I know where we hunt and we could go the other way. Gather information and bring it back. Maybe even find the caldera from the Devastation, although that is probably too far a journey. Or -“

Mesh’la paused, taking a breath, and realized that she was babbling. Her cheeks flushed, and she dropped her friend’s hand, looking down.

A rancor overshadowed them, walking past slowly along the edge of the pen. A male on the other side of the paddock was putting out breakfast for the beasts.

”You can say no if you want, it’s fine.”

Please don’t say no.

[Cariadwen]

The dawn had a way of shining the light of clarity on the mysteries of the night before. What seemed unknowable in the darkness could be made plain by the light of day. Rather than putting to bed the idea of leaving the clan grounds, however, it was as if the first rays of the morning had set light to Mesh’la’s curiosity once again. She was… serious. The look on her face said as much. There was a convinction in her expression that Cariad didn't think she'd ever seen before.

One of the smaller rancors nudged Cariadwen’s shoulder with it’s big snout. She was so caught off guard by Mesh’la’s request, so lost in thought, that the beast knocked her forward a half-step, toward Mesh'la. The spirits are not being especially subtle this morning.

Pursing her lips in an unsuccessful attempt to fight off a smile at that thought, Cariad exhaled slowly then reached for her friend’s hand.

“A week or two.” She squeezed Mesh’la’s fingers. “If Ja’anio says yes.”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la beamed, clutching Cariad’s hand.

”I’m sure she will. I feel it.” She drew her friend in for a quick hug, unable to stop grinning. She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

”I will seek the spirits help in choosing a path. And I will ask Ja’anio.” Mesh’la did a little shimmy on the path, too excited at the thought of the trip to contain herself. “It will be like when we went on our first hunting trip when we were kids, except we’ll know what we’re doing and won’t panic when someone pokes us awake in the middle of the night.”

[Cariadwen]

“I won’t panic. I’m not convinced about you,” Cariad said with an amused smirk at her friends little dance of anticipation.

Mesh’la’s excitement ought to have been infectious, but Cariadwen knew she had to keep her expectations in check. There was no guarantee that the trip would be allowed, after all, however much an eager little part of her hoped it would. The tribe encouraged a certain amount of exploration, and hunting parties were hardly rare, though they were typically formed of more than just two witches.

Realising that Mesh’la was still looking to her expectantly, Cariad waved her off.

“You.. go get Ja’anio’s blessing and I’ll.. put together some packs with supplies.”

[Mesh’la]

"Yes, of course, okay!" Mesh'la's eyes gleamed with delight and she forgot to say goodbye to her friend as she turned and darted off down the path.

Ja’anio was a tiny Nightsister, barely five feet tall on a good day, and she oversaw the hunting education of the younger witches. She had some ability with the Force, but the sheer weight of her personality was enough to keep everyone in line around her. When Mesh'la presented her idea of an exploratory trip, Ja'anio raised an eyebrow.

"Just two witches? What if you encounter -"

"We are more than strong enough to take care of ourselves," Mesh'la interrupted, before she could help herself. "And with just the two of us, stealthy enough not to be noticed."

Ja'anio narrowed her eyes, but a grin slowly took over her face. "Fine. If you get eaten, you get eaten. I'm sure you'll make a tasty snack for a rancor, even if there isn't much meat on you. Cariadwen had better come back, though, she pays better attention when I'm talking to her." She shook her head at Mesh'la's grin.

"Go on now, go! Before I change my mind. Get your duties done for the day and I'll assign someone else to it tomorrow. If you're not back in a few weeks we'll just assume you're dead." Jaa'nio winked as she waved the young witch away.

"Thank you!" Mesh'la backed up and walked away as quickly as she dared. She still had things she was expected to do around camp, and after a quick stop to tell Cariad the good news she was off to do her work.

They decided to leave early the next morning, and Mesh'la spent a restless night in her bed. Not because of dreams this time, but the anticipation of getting out and away from what she'd known her whole life. Maybe she'd just keep going, walk all the way around the planet just to see what was there.

Despite not getting enough sleep, she was bright-eyed at dawn when she met up with Cariad, greeting her with a hug and a grin. "I can't believe they're letting you go with me. I'm sure Ja'anio is just glad to be rid of me for a few weeks."

[Cariadwen]

“I can’t believe it either. You’re sure she knows what we’re about?” Cariad asked, eyeing Mesh’la with a suspicious that was only half serious. Not waiting for a reply, she shouldered one pack and tossed the other, underarm, to Mesh’la.

As they walked down a path that would lead them out of the clan grounds, they passed sisters and brothers already engaged in their normal morning routines. Only a few heads turned their way, studying them for a curious moment before they went back to their work. It was unlikely that any of them knew where the two young witches were going or why.

“So, do you know where we’re going?”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh'la pointed out in the direction they were headed, and then shook her head and grinned.

"The caldera from the eruption is somewhere to the northeast, so I figured we'd head that way eventually. But to leave the valley we have to go west in order to find a path north. At least, that's what the sisters I talked to yesterday all said."

She breathed in the cool morning air with a satisfied look on her face, adjusting her pack. "I've only hunted nearby." Mesh'la looked sideways at Cariad. "I notice you only asked if I knew where I was going."

[Cariadwen]

“That's because I’m following you.”

It was only a short way further to the edges of the clan’s occupied territory, to the perimeter that Cariadwen had wandered so many times while on watch. Beyond that, the clan lands extended further out into hunting grounds and untamed forests, though it was rare for any sisters or brother to be found out in those parts of their domain without good reason.

Crossing that invisible line, Cariad exhaled, wondering not for the first time whether she had good reason to be going anywhere. The clan would survive without the two of them, she reminded herself. Surely, no one would begrudge them the time away, especially if they came back with something that would benefit the clan.

“If you could discover anything out here,” Cariad said, looking ahead to the forest, “what would it be?”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh'la paused at the border as well, without the slightest urge to look back toward the Undead Fires Clan.

"I don't know," she lied, but her cheeks flushed gently and she looked down at her hands. "Something new?" She did look back then, over her shoulder at where smoke was curling lazily into the air from someone's cookfire, an almost guilty expression on her face.

"Maybe I just want to get away and spend time with you," Mesh'la said, trying to change the subject with a flippant answer. On closer consideration, however, perhaps it was all intertwined? The color rose in her cheeks again, for a new reason, and she started forward, inwardly cursing for wearing her emotions on her face so plainly.

[Cariadwen]

Mouth curved up a touch at one corner, Cariad watched Mesh'la walk on for a moment before following on after her.

“I know the real reason behind all of this… you’d do anything to get out of having to muck out the rancors.”

Mesh’la glanced back over her shoulder and Cariad’s smile grew bigger, her stride growing longer as she moved to catch up.

“Don’t worry. I'm sure there's something more exciting than more rancor out here," she said, catching Mesh’la’s hand in her own. “We’ll find it.”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh'la squeezed Cariad's hand, looking over with a smile. She was relieved that Cariad was with her. Whatever they found, she would not be alone to face it.

They traveled in companionable silence for several more minutes, Mesh'la wrestling with how to tell Cariadwen why she was really out here. She deserved to know the truth. It wasn't likely it would change anything, but it was still difficult to bring up.

"I ...I asked where it was they found me." Mesh'la clutched at her friend's hand like it was a lifeline. "When I was a baby. In case ...in case she's still out there."

She'd stopped walking, and looked down at their hands entwined together. "She abandoned me, but I keep wondering. I don't know if I can ever stop wondering about her."

[Cariadwen]

As they came to a stop, Cariad’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

It was no secret that Mesh’la had not been born into the clan, as Cariad and many others had. That wasn’t unusual in itself. There had been plenty of their sisters and brothers who had come from other clans, merging their communities into the ever-growing Undead Fires. Where they differed, of course, was that they usually came as part of a group, with mothers and children together. Cariad remembered, as a child, hearing an elder hiss that one of her clan sisters was not to question Mesh’la any more about her family and why they had not remained with her on Dathomir, that the clan was her family now.

There was only one her that Mesh’la could be talking about: her mother. When Mesh’la glanced down, Cariad watched her expression.

“Is that where you want to go? To where you were found?”

[Mesh’la]

"Yes."

Mesh'la bit her lip, and then looked up. "I don't expect I'll find her, and I don't need her anymore.

"I already have family." She tightened her grip on Cariad's hand, feeling a flush of happiness when their eyes met. "I just ... I have to see for myself."

[Cariadwen]

“That’s where we’ll go, then.”

Suddenly, all of Mesh’la’s earlier levity and eagerness to get out beyond the boundaries of the clan territory made so much more sense. If there had been any doubt in Cariad’s mind that it was the right thing to do, it was cast aside when Mesh’la’s hold on her hand tightened. Cariad could feel how much this meant to her, could even see it in her face.

“Do you.. know how far it is from here?”

[Mesh’la]

"Two days on foot, one by rancor."

Mesh'la's uncertainly melted away and she was smiling again, tugging Cariad forward by her hand. "They say it was a miracle I was even found. It is outside of the usual hunting grounds for the clan."

She turned to face Cariad, so suddenly the other woman bumped right into her. "They said the Fanged God led them to me."

[Cariadwen]

A mention of the Fanged God was enough to evoke a strong response from any of the Nightsisters. Since before Cariad had even been born, the clan elders had depended upon the wisdom and guidance of Dathomir's spirits to ensure the safety and prosperity of the clan. According to the stories they shared, the Fanged God had taken a particular interest in the Undead Fires, decades ago, so much so that the elders claimed they were favoured above all other witch clans by the spirit. Cariadwen had never personally seen the Fanged God, or been addressed by him the way that some of the older witches had, but she knew enough about the power of the magic around them to know that it was better to pay credence to the spirits than to doubt them.

"Of course he did... but I think we would have found you, regardless," she said, smiling, unable to picture the clan - or her own life, for that matter - without Mesh'la as part of it. "You were meant to be part of our family."

[Mesh’la]

"Obviously!"

Mesh'la released her friend's hand in order to scramble on top of some fallen trees. "Anyway, that's two days from now. For now I heard there was a lake, or a pond, or something like that along our path. So, if you want to do some swimming I think it's a couple hours that way."

She pointed, and jumped down from the logs, sweeping her hair up into a ponytail as she walked onward.

[Cariadwen]

It didn't matter much that the path they were walking was one Cariadwen hadn't taken before. Though the Nightsisters kept close to their clan grounds, each of the witches had a connection to Dathomir that could guide their steps anywhere they went and calling them inevitably home. Vaulting up and over the fallen tree trunks, Cariad felt the pull of Dathomir's power, of the Force, as she strode on after Mesh'la. The feeling wasn't strong enough to rely on entirely, but whenever they came to a point where their path might split, where either trail could lead them onward, it was Dathomir that kept them moving. Sure enough, the path to the lake revealed itself through the sound of running water, a thin stream winding it's way like a shimmering cord through the trees. When she caught sight of the surface of the lake through a gap ahead, Cariad's pace quickened - though she forced herself to look down at every other step, to make sure she wasn't about to trip over a tangle of roots or vines.

"I don't suppose you know whether there's anything living in this lake."

[Mesh’la]

"I heard it was salty - some damage from the Devastation caused the water to go bad. So, it should be empty."

Mesh'la walked up to the edge and peered into the water, which was surprisingly clear. There were no fish, or other things, in sight.

"Yes, it looks fine. Unless you're scared." She looked over her shoulder at Cariad, who made a face as she joined her at the shore. Mesh'la was already pulling off her footwear and dumped her pack a safe distance from the water. "It'll feel good after that hot hike."

She shimmied out of her pants and then grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head, dropping her clothes on the pack. Walking back to the lake, Mesh'la picked her way around the edge, using the Force to sound out how deep the water was. Once she'd climbed up a bit and found a depth she liked, she leapt off the edge straight into the cold water.

[Cariadwen]

While Mesh’la jumped in without hesitation, Cariad crouched at the edge of the pool. She reached down and trailed her fingertips across the waters surface, testing the temperature. It was chilly, but a glance up at the sight of Mesh’la, emerging from her dive, was enough to convince Cariad to start pulling off her boots and shedding her clothes. Gooseflesh rose on her bare, pale skin. With a stone in place to hold down her bundle of belongings, Cariad slipped down into the lake and after a moment of treading water, she pushed off toward the centre and Mesh’la.

“I cannot believe… how cold it is in here,” she said through a grin.

[Mesh’la]

"It is not that bad," gasped Mesh'la, teeth chattering as she stretched out and swam toward the center of the pool. "I think I'm getting used to it already."

[Cariadwen]

When she was as far from any edge of the lake as she could be, Cariadwen slowed and again began to tread water. Apart from the ripples radiating around the two of them, the lake was still. The entire clearing was quiet, in a way that Dathomir - with its abundance of hardy fauna and flora - rarely was.

“I’ve heard stories.. that spirits sometimes live in lakes like these. Down at the very bottom,” she added, glancing down into the waters depths then up at Mesh’la with both eyebrows raised.

[Mesh’la]

Mesh'la grinned, her teeth gritted against the cold. "Only one way to find out."

She took a deep breath and dove underwater, splashing Cariad with her kicking feet as she swam deeper. After a few moments she stopped her physical movement, concentrating with the Force and locating the bottom of the pool.

It was deeper than she'd thought initially, possibly an old lava tube that had been flooded from an aquifer. Mesh'la felt for the floor with her mind, and then pulled on it. Rather than moving an object toward her, she let the pull yank her body through the water to the bottom. Bubbles streamed from her nose and then stopped as she looked around, holding her last breath in her lungs.

[Cariadwen]

Under the surface, the lake wasn’t quite crystal clear. A trail of bubbles lead the way after Mesh’la, down into the darker waters below. Cariadwen dove after her, kicking hard to keep up. There was a familiar ripple in the Force and moments later a rush of bubbles blocked Cariad’s vision as Mesh’la surged deeper into the lake. A few more hard kicks and Mesh’la was within arms reach. Cariad floated just behind her, trying to see what had caught her friends attention.

[Mesh’la]

She pirouetted slowly underwater, one toe touching the ground, until she was facing Cariadwen. Mesh’la let her eyes drift across the other woman’s form as she continued her turn, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her own body. Her held breath trickled out and then escaped in a rush of bubbles, but she stayed at the bottom for as long as she could, swimming a little to make sure no creatures were sharing the space.

The cold knifed through her and her empty lungs burned as Mesh’la finally pushed off the bottom and stroked for the surface of the water. The air was somehow even colder than the water as she gasped for breath, waiting for Cariad to surface.

[Cariadwen]

A moment later, Cariad broke the surface opposite Mesh’la with a splash. The banks of the lake seemed as still and quiet as they had left them, only the ripples spreading outward from the two of them disturbing the water's surface. Cariad smiled as she pushed wet hair from her face. Studying her friend's expression, her smile became a little less certain.

“Did you see any lake spirits down there?”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la shook her head, her hair pooling around her shoulders. “No,” she managed, spots of color on her cheeks, perhaps from the cold. “Just you.”

She kicked her legs just enough to stay afloat, unsure what it was she was feeling. Cariad seemed to sense a change, her smile faltering, and Mesh’la reached out to touch her friend’s arm to reassure her. Of what, she wasn’t sure.

“It’s cold, we sh-should get out,” she chattered, her fingers sliding down Cariad’s forearm to grasp her hand and give her a tug in the direction of where they’d left their clothes.

[Cariadwen]

A little shiver went through Cariad when Mesh’la’s touch trailed down her wrist - caused by the cold air, perhaps, the heat of their hike now entirely washed awake by the chill of the water.

She let herself be pulled back towards the shore, though a part of her felt almost reluctant to leave the lake. As chilly as it was, Cariad didn’t want to disturb the quiet around them. It was so calm and peaceful, and it was rare to have the opportunity to swim and just... enjoy someone else’s company.

By the time they were almost at the lake’s edge, with their clothes in sight, she had silently convinced herself getting out was the smart thing to do, if only because she could practically hear Mesh’la’s teeth chattering at arm's length.

She gave her friend’s hand a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

[Mesh’la]

“Fine!” Mesh’la said brightly, pulling herself up and out of the water, her skin prickled with gooseflesh. “Just need to warm up, I think.”

The young Nightsister found a wide rock in the sun at the water’s edge and perched on it, easing her chilled flesh against the hot stone.

She had never felt any shame in being naked, it simply wasn’t the way of the Witches. And she had certainly seen her Sisters without their clothes before. Yet, as she watched Cariadwen climb out of the lake, Mesh’la felt a new appreciation for the way the sun shone off of her wet skin.

Their eyes met and she fought the urge to look away, instead patting the rock beside her. “Come, we should dry off before we continue.”

[Cariadwen]

Standing over the lake's edge, Cariad gathered her hair into her hands and squeezed water from it. She looked back at Mesh’la and smiled as the other witch gave a broad patch of exposed stone an inviting pat. Sunlight painted the rocks' surface; it was almost hot to the touch. Cariad sat and, realising how pleasant a spot Mesh’la had found, she reclined, propping herself up on her elbows. She closed her eyes, her face tipped up towards the sky, and basked cat-like in the warmth.

“If this is as exciting as this trip gets, I won’t complain.”

[Mesh’la]

“They say if you’re not hunting something, then you’re the one being hunted.” Mesh’la shifted and turned over, sunning her backside as she leaned on her elbows and looked into the jungle. Already the heat of the day was warming her pleasantly, the water drying off her skin.

”But, I don't sense anything nearby," she added.

[Cariadwen]

“If we are being hunted, then our hunter has had plenty of opportunity to catch us unawares.”

Cariad’s eyes fluttered open, a knowing smile curving her lips. When she looked over to Mesh’la, her gaze drifted down the curve of her bare back.

“They’ll.. probably get us in our sleep. When we accidentally make camp tonight on top of a giant spider's nest.”

[Mesh’la]

Mesh’la shuddered, twisting to make a face at Cariad. “Can you imagine? Not noticing an entire nest of giant spiders? I better be in charge of finding a place to camp if you’re going to be so careless!”

She grinned, pushing up to her feet and giving Cariad a friendly shove off-balance as she moved to get up as well. “I suppose we can’t just lay around all afternoon. Those spiders aren’t going to find themselves!”

[Cariadwen]

Cariad’s smile became a grin as she reached out for her bundle of clothing. In a matter of minutes, the two young witches were dressed once again and ready to continue their expedition into the unknown. Cariad shouldered her pack and took a moment to glance around the edge of the pool.

“Do you remember which direction we entered this clearing from?” she asked, feigning forgetfulness.

[Mesh’la]

Ready to give a glib answer Mesh’la opened her mouth, then closed it again and took a look around. Just to be sure. "I walked over those rocks," she pointed. "So definitely that way. But we have to continue west to find the path north around the caldera."

She narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Which you know already of course. You are far better at directions than I am."