--- Adventure 1 ---

"I just don't understand why she had to come now... ahh... couldn't she wait untill we would *really* need her?"

The discussion between Rissa and Angy was only for themselves.

"Say... aren't you a bard?" Ias asked the druid.

"I am also a Bard indeed, though perhaps more by a game of chance." An expression of sadness passed over her features as she looked at Ias. "A pity... I would have loved to hear a new tale... It's been a while since I last did and you seem more of an artist than anything else. Besides, I don't think you'd like to hear the long boring songs of green and growth that the trees of my forest are so fond of", she continued, smiling.

Thorn huffed and muttered something to himself, but refrained from saying anything else. If there was any measure of the arrogance of High Elves, Sihaya must be it. He wasn't about to give her a chance to snap at him again.

"This isn't going to be a happy meal", he muttered to no one in particular. "That misfortune was more than mutual..."

He then said quietly, half turning to the Barbarian "You and I gotta share stories some day..."

He leaned back, determined not to say anything more for the evening. Taking a thin silky string with several small beads from his belt, he started playing with it in a complicated way, making beads go from one end to another without touching other beads of bits of the string, while he twisted it more and more complex ways. "Hmmph. Reasonable! When did I ever claim to be reasonable?!"

"Neither do I Rissa , neither do I.... But I think Thorn called her , but it would be weird , these two can't stand eachother , or so it seems."

She looked at the meat again , it was almost ready.

Drogo was quite aware of the tension in air. While he had always maintained a respectful distance to Ias, he was now quite happy to sit next to him, as he seemed the most unaffected by the newcomer. He was stealing furtive glances at the Druid, trying hard not to stare at her prominent scar. At the same time, he was on the look-out with the two other girls, as he literally visualised the untold sparks flying in the air between them. One thing he was glad about though, and that was Thorn being reduced to silence. Well, to mutterings, but since he didn't hear what he was saying, he was quite content with that too. Duro'than was in his view another island of calmness. He had caught him exchanging a meaningful glance with the rogue, but he hadn't taken any sides. Well, Drogo was determined not to get caught in the middle either.

These worrisome thoughts were however soon forgotten as the smell of the roasted meat filled his nostrils, well spiced and soaked in wine. He was at the point of drooling, realising that the day of march had taken its toll and that he was very hungry. He would've loved to listen to one of Ias' stories to go with this copious dinner. However, the horse didn't seem too willing, which was a pity. Then again he couldn't have asked him to tell stories while he was getting ready to enjoy his meal...

"The steak is ready folks." said Angy loudly.

She looked around... Thorn was clearly in a big discomfort. She saw him muttering things angrily.

The druid was as relaxed as she can be. Drogo was , in one way or another , nervous too. Duro'than was calm and silent. But even though , she could feel pressure in the air...and it wasn't too good for them. The group wasn't so united before the druid's arrival.... now it was worse.

*Curses... why did she have to come right now? She could have waited a few days....*

Amazing how certain events could bring Rissa nearer to Angy than ever. *Never say never... never asume... never say it can;t beworse* were the thoughts that filled Rissa's mind. After angy grabbed the stakes, Rissa took care of sharing them amongst the weird *fellowship*.

"Happy dinner, or... whatever" she said still upset. Everybody stopped talking and a weird silence settled. The fire cracks and Thorn's music could only be heard.

"Aaah... trees... yes..." began Ias after swallowing a generous portion of it's share of meat. "I don't know... are dark stories better than your, for dinner, hm? I don't feel like sharing any moments of my life just now... however... I may remember a story from this old collection of papper" and he smilled, while poiting towards his black tome, resting in snow, near his scythe.

"Though it seems everybody I met so far in my travells gets a shiver everytime I remember it... so, you decide wheter it's or it isn't time for some drama... And speaking about trees... let's say magical ones... since we are near quite a misterious and dark forest here... what sort of unusual plants we may encounter? 'Cause I know certain trees... that won't shut up... and other trees... that wouldn't root forever in one place... And I also met such trees... that were refused the right to die and... remain dead..."

He hurried to finish his meat, since he had the feeling that he won't get to much time to shut up.

The steak was good. This meal was better than the first one.

While she was eating , she looked at Thorn again. She stayed like that for a few seconds than whispered to Rissa :

"Ok , enough... I'll be right back...I just have to do something..."

Then she sat down between Thorn and Drogo. She said in a hushed tone to the elf :

"You asked her to come , I suppose. Why ?"

Thorn looked up from his string of beads and raised her his brow in surprise. He paused to think for a few moments then said. "Because it increases our chances of getting out of that wood alive and in full... errrrmmm... membership. And in a way, because I guess I... I owe it to her." He pointed to the blades on his back. "Her brother's". He shrugged, then sighed. "And because I hoped she wouldn't be like this." he added in a whisper. "And neither that you'd react like an upset kitten." he winked at Angy and chuckled.

He then reached out to take a piece of stake, though, truth be told, his appetite was quite gone.

She blushed easily .

"I see.... well , if you say she's strong ..I guess it's ok. "

She muttered something , then said again:

"So you know eachother for a long time , right? How did you meet her? If I'm not too nosy."

Rissa soon joined the conversation, however, she found a place clear of snow and pretty dry near the barbarian's legs. "I believe Ias is - however - right... We might need to know what the woods has prepared for us".

"I don't mind being lost in space in wood" Ias continued "but it would be a problem if we'd got lost with time... So, how are the ideeas so far greeted?"