The Dorcha mutt woke first to the gentle sound of the adventurers snoring away - deep in sleep. It was nice that they felt so safe that they could do that. Curiosity got the better of Aeryn, and she walked quietly over to their camp, creeping over each of the sleeping bodies - getting a good look at them in their slumber. She wondered what kinds of dreams such creatures had. What nightmares they might journey through each night. She was curious at what each of them had tucked away in their packs. It would be so easy to let her hands wander and pilfer from them - but she knew that they had nothing of worth to her. At least, not yet. 

Her footsteps soft on the earth, she stalked across their camp - getting rather close to a few faces, breathing in their aura - their scents.

"This is why we don't have friends...." she thought to herself as she eventually reached the serene looking rogue who had quite literately, swept her off her feet the day before. A few hours of rest had softened her - and she felt less on edge. Her wounds had done some healing, her face less swollen and bloodied at least. In her own tongue she whispered softly to him - [i]"thank you"[/i]. The language of the dark elves making more sense to her. Perhaps in his sleep he might have heard it. 

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She had done her investigations, and made her way over to the running water of the steam, to clean her face and to drink. She was reminded as the cold splash hit her skin, that they had been eluding to some kind of quest. In the quiet and stillness of morning, she had time to ponder it. It made sense really, when else would such an eclectic bunch of people meet together and be traveling through here of all places. 

Maybe they would find use for a self-proclaimed Master Thief on their travels. It's not like she had anything better to be doing. She knelt at the stream for a while longer, running her fingers through the knots in her silver hair as she unfurled the messed braids, scooping out dirt from the day before, dipping her head into the water, and then back out again, over and over until the water ran clear and she could braid her hair tightly against her scalp, without sand catching under her nails, or scratching at her skin.

She heard the others start to wake up in the camp finally, as they talked amongst themselves and clattered pots around for breakfast she rose from the stream and made her way into the camp, she cleared her throat, realising she had not yet introduced herself;

"Umm... Good morning, I forgot to yesterday introduce myself. My name is Aeryn." She did not have a great handle over the common grammar and sentence structure, but she was oblivious to it being incorrect - perhaps the party before her might pick up on it though. She bowed her head, and made her way to the clearing of the mushrooms - allowing them to pack away their things and chat to each other and get ready for the journey out of the tunnels. 

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Aeryn led them through the tunnels - she could sense the rogue close by, as well as the older Elven gentleman. There was a soft calm to the elf that she couldn't distinguish from his party-mates. He seemed to be very moderate in personality - and his calm demeanor almost slipped over to Aeryn. He seemed very unlike other people she had met - from the offset she felt at ease by his presence. It was nice to not have to be skittish or worried.

She led the party away from the stream and for a while, it would seem to the party that they were only getting deeper in, as opposed to out. The ground was a lush thick moss, spotted with dew and luminous fungi which caused the tunnel to have what some might find to be an eery glow - but to Aeryn it was peaceful and homely. The only sound was footsteps, the occasional snuffling exhale from the Elk, and the chatter  of the group. The Dorcha stayed quiet as she led them further into darkness - and began to really worry that some of them might start to wonder if she was up to something treacherous. 

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, pointing her eyes to the ceiling of the tunnel, reaching her left hand out to prompt those behind her to stop. She turned her head, a finger in front of her lips as she made a gentle "shhhh...", before pointing her other finger upwards to show everyone that the up on the ceiling was a few little leather cocoons. As they all drew quieter, the sound of the 'cocoons' became more apparent, there were snuffling sounds, and the occasional squeak. 

"Moss Bats..." she whispered to Calanon. "They're going to help us find out way out... You'll see..." a smile crept upon her face and her eyes widened as she got ready to clap. She knew that the sound would startle them, and have them rush to the exit. Anyone who had any doubt about where Aeryn was taking them, wouldn't for much longer. She was sure to cup her palms to make the clap ring louder. As soon as the sound hit, the bats woke from their sleep and began to squawk. They burst from their positions and rushed forwards in the direction that Aeryn had been walking. Their sounds helping to guide them out, they led the way. 

Truth be told, Aeryn wasn't one hundred percent sure of which exit she had led them too, she knew there was a village out there but there was a few different sides she could wind up on. She watched as the bats charged forwards, and so she followed a little quicker than the pace she had been taking. The ground stopped being a thick and slippery moss, and became rock again, and there started to be a slight incline. "Almost there... Feel a breeze, around the rock."

The path grew narrower; luckily not too much so that they could not get the larger part members through - or the elk for the matter, but what had been a straight pat now became a series of twists and cracks in rock face. "There... there is a village here. This is the shortest path to Durriuchii... We are... on the Western side... I think". As she broke out of the tunnel and stepped away from the last crack to sunlight, she squinted her own eyes. They were not used to sunlight like this, it always took her longer to adjust and she opted to let them adjust while everyone got out. They would see a small village ahead of them, at the top of a hill they were now standing at the bottom of. 


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