Rick's response was quick and to the point- as expected on the boy by now.
However, Edmondo had a plan in his mind with the creation of the campsite.

If they were to get lost, this campfire would act as a way for them to find their bearings.
With that said, though, there was definitely risks associated with it, but the cultists being suspicious would only let them work faster.

"We'll make camp across the bridge and abandon this campsite. We'll take the spare stuff and set up a second, smaller site on the inside of what I imagine is their territory."
Edmondo figured it was probably nerves that kept Rick's mouth shut, but he could also just struggle with talking.

He doused the fire soon after they'd eaten, stretching himself and speaking again.

"They'll find this campsite but I doubt they'll think much of it. If they're busy looking on this side, they won't look on their side. If they think the people here are random, they likely won't bother them. They've taken only Mages so far, so I doubt they' arouse suspicion by taking normal hikers."
He hoisted a bunch of his stuff off of the ground and took off towards, and then across, the stone bridge that divided the normal forest and the unnatural forest.

With that out of the way, their chat finished, and the long night ahead.
Edmondo was asleep early after glancing at something he pulled from his pocket and held in his hand as he slept.

It was a quiet night, a simple night.

[hr]

And Rick would've woken up with the sun barely above the horizon, with several things to note.

Firstly, Edmondo and his sleeping bag were gone, with only a scrap of paper left behind on the ground where he'd been. Secondly, there was no sign of the smaller site that he'd made for them ever having existed. In fact, it was nothing but Rick in the little clearing, no sign of anything or anyone else. There were no footprints on the forest floor, nothing for him to find Edmondo by.

All that was left was to look around, probably. Perhaps the bridge?

It was Rick's time to shine, it seemed.