The group traveled along, jovial and carefree as only they could be, the crisp air blowing quickly over the tall grasses. Sirik was running point, his watchful eyes always looking out for the many dangers of the grasslands. Kraven pulled up the tail of the group, constantly checking around the back of him. Laurel stuck close with Drache as she always seemed to do, as a small copse of trees, leaves fallen appeared ahead. It wasn't terribly unusual, usually indicated a strong water source nearby, likely underground. Sirik, of course, steered them toward it. 

He raised a fist, indicating for them to stop, while he slipped into the copse, checking it out. Once he felt it was safe, a trio of bird whistles rang out, and they knew they could head in. Shortly after Laurel and Drache crossed the threshold, they would both hear a heart wrenching scream, one that went unnoticed by Sirik and Kraven. The scream was scared, in pain, desperate. If either of the women focused on it, they could feel a fire coming from below the copse, a fading flame, weak and dying. 

Laurel seemed particularly affected by it, having dropped to her knees now, scrambling at the ground like a mad woman, muttering, [color=f6989d][b]"Oh no, oh no, oh no, we'll find you, hold on."[/b][/color] Kraven stared at this display with a curious, confused look on his face, while Sirik was listening, but still busy exploring the copse. There were mostly trees about, but near the center were several large boulders, worn from the weather, stacked in a horseshoe. The ground in the middle of the stones seemed slightly depressed compared to the surrounding earth.