Quest Dat Bone

[Meadow]

49th of Winter 516, A.V.

Helena looked at the four Watchmen trying to decide who would be a better fit to go and check Stardown. All of the death within the crater had thrown everyone off. First Morwen and now the strange amount of death. Froile and Sparrow had already been through a lot the last couple of seasons, so the woman looked on to the remaining three, Dnang, Aiyena, and Brutus. Each held their strengths and flaws inside and outside of battle. The woman looked over the list of people that had signed up to go to Stardown and investigate the massive death scene. Taking a deep breath the Watch leader finally decided who would lead them.

“Aiyena, come here,” Helena called and signed importance.

“Yes?” the young woman asked walking over.

“You will lead the team to Stardown and try to figure what exactly happened inside it. Many of our web mages have seen different predator types. Night lions, grass bears, wolves, shyke even Glassbeaks have been spotted. There is no way of knowing how the lay out of the animals is. Stealth will be your greatest ally,” Helena stated to the woman.

Aiyena nodded as she went to the Gates waiting on the group of volunteers to arrive. Once everyone was there the woman made sure everything was packed and ready to go. Turning the young drykas explained the situation to the volunteers. She watched each allowing them time to take in information given. Of course with at least one outsider the details were edited some to protect the Drykas' secrets. Only those who wanted to harm the city, and its people would reveal certain things.

“If you are willing to go through with this trip even if I may end up a failure then let's mount up and ride,” Aiyena stated calmly before mounting up.

Once everyone that was coming was mounting, the group headed out towards the crater. A harsh wind whipped across the plains. It was hot, dry, and the grass crunched beneath the horses. Between the weather and the appearance of prey or lack thereof, the journey would prove to be a long and arduous one. The young Watch member held one hand up in a fist to call for everyone to stop as she listened. Still nothing made a noise but the rustling of the grass that rose up from Semele's skin. There was a sinking creepy feeling that grew as they made their way closer to the crater. Thankfully it was not long after that they arrived, pulling to a stop the dark short haired woman dismounted and turned to the rest.

“I have no idea what all we will find when we enter, but we must stay together. And we must use as much stealth and caution as possible. Scouts have returned saying there are all kinds of predators inside that range from wolves to glass beaks. No matter how far in we are, if it is too dangerous I will pull us out. I don't plan on having anyone die on my watch today,” Aiyena explained watching each face in turn.

[Konrad Venger]

Wish I had a real sodding horse.

Konrad didn't know enough about horses to know if they could read minds, but it seemed to him that Dapple bristled at the sour thought. The pony reared up its head briefly a tick later, shaking its shaggy mane until he patted his neck with a sigh.

"Fine, fine, yer plenty good enough, lad..."

Dapple snuffled and decided not to challenge the veracity of those words. But as Konrad looked down the row of volunteers, he couldn't help but think the same again. He was by far the tallest man of the group, and yet on the pony's back, he was a bloody dwarf. Proper horses, geldings, stallions and Striders all stood proud and tall... and his own mount was more interested in licking ants off its hooves.

But that could change. Today, that could change. Dapple was his because he couldn't afford anything else, just this short but sturdy little sod. Then he'd started hearing the story going around, the rumors and whispers, until they were heralded with authority, and a tacit request.

The Watch had lost men. Down in the crater. They wanted to go down in force and find out why.

So far, so none of Konrad's business... until a "reward" was mentioned. Not coin or gems, not anything with a figure attached, but something of worth, and Konrad could work with that. His avaricious antenna went up and he paid attention. Found out a time and place. Gathered his tools and gear and mount (such as it was), and was present when the female Watchman mosied up to them.

Of course, he looked like a bloody thug compared to the others, but he'd expected that. Almost counted on it: the Watchmen weren't idiots, and a man who looked like he knew how to do serious damage with zero hesitation was always an asset in perilous situations.

He didn't even need to play it up. He just sat there, half-slouched over his pony, just a blanket under his arse, clad in breeches, boots and a sleeveless vest. And his hat, of course. Half-covering his face, apart from the burning gold of his eyes when he looked up... and the hint of the vicious ruin half his face had been made into, many years ago.

That and his weapons, of course, which spoke for themselves. Curved kopis, kukri at his back, dagger poking out of his boot, and the shortbow he'd been training with exhaustively. He heard the words "night lion" and "grass bear" and knew he'd need it; he heard "Glassbeaks" and had to chew down the shock that played across his face.

But the woman kept talking, clipped and precise and military, despite the Watch hating being described as such. She was young, but Konrad didn't see much softness or naivete in her features. That reassured him, even when they clip-clopped away from Endrykas and head towards... it.

The crater. The graveyard, more like. Konrad had been near it before, training or hunting, but even he wasn't going into the damn thing by himself. Maybe it was because his new skill with Reimancy had boosted his senses, or perhaps it was just old Sunberth street paranoia, but every time he looked into that white-lined hole in the ground, he had to suppress a shudder.

So much death was in there. All of it collected around a single place, and willingly... no good could come of it. No good, and no profit for himself.

Times change.

Even his thoughts seemed drowned out by the wind. It lashed and howled at them all, scorching fingers clawing at his face, so much so he had to keep his hat on with one hand. Dapple whinnied and whined but he kept the damned animal pointed in the same direction as everyone else. Every step brought them closer, and the wind began to die... and everything began to die.

Animals. Sounds. Grass. Light. Nothing at their feet but the remains of countless beasts, and if Konrad squinted just right he could see bones that were not from animals, scattered around the lip of the crater.

Aiyena spoke again, and Konrad listened carefully. Especially to the last part. Aye, he added in his own mind, face neutral and alert but expressing nothing. I don't plan on dying down there for you, either, love.

[Haena]

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Others

Haena's heart thrummed with a foreboding that matched Alta's hooves as they pressed delicately onto the dry ground with a familiar thud. The dark-eyed woman sat on top of her gently guided the horse forwards, leaning her body back somewhat in an attempt to slow her strider down a little to match the pace of the rest of the group. The blonde herbalist scanned the surrounding landscape warily, but her focus never strayed too far from the party that was walking with much trepidation towards... The Stardown Crater. The name tasted like burnt copper in her mouth as she thought of the stories she had heard of it. That it was filled with death. That bones spilled across the ground in all direction. Caiyha, let it not be so. She had prayed fervently the evening before, and listened tentatively to the scarce, chirruping cries of the insects that graced the grasslands. But what she had learnt from them was close to nothing, and so she had fallen asleep with fitful, flickering dreams of shadows and laughter.

In the morning she had woken and washed wearily, and broken her fast with dried hare. Then she had gathered everything she thought she might need, hastily kissing her children and hugging her step-sister who had come to look after them for the day, just in case. Then she had set off, without a backwards glance, towards the Wind-Knotted Gates. With one yvas bag carrying her shortbow and a few arrows, waterskin, a length of rope and a lantern, Haena remembered her mother's weather-worn face and the most important lesson she had taught her. Be prepared. Memories of Harriet flashed through her mind for a brief moment, but the striking heat of a gust of wind flew across the land and brought the young woman back to the present with a jolt.

___

The woman couldn't help but feel scared as the party arrived at the lip of the crater. Aiyena's mention of glassbeaks made her stomach clench with fear, as well as the countless other worries of the season and this particular pit of nightmare that surely lay before them. She breathed deep through her nose, and looked around at the group that was accompanying Aiyena. Her eyes alighted on Waisana, recognising the pretty blonde-haired woman. She smiled tightly towards her, but turned her attention back to the leader as she began to speak.

Stealth and caution. Glassbeaks and wolves. Danger. Death. Haena noted the words, each one of them laden with meaning to the woman. But she realised with a start that the others in their group must surely associate their own memories with each description, each warning. Yes, they would not die today. Countless days ago half of her family had perished under the fury of the glassbeaks, but the golden-haired woman refused to give her children yet more pain. Steeling herself, Haena whispered a prayer to Caiyha, and raised her brown eyes to the horizon, filled with determination. Firmly and reassuringly, she stroked Alta's mane. Whatever would happen, they would either go down together or not at all. "We'll be okay, girl."

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[Waisana]

The majority of the Drykas had opted to get as much distance between themselves and Stardown Crater as possible, the death that imbued the place being seen as a clear ill omen. Waisana, on the other hand, had volunteered to go into it. Help had been needed, specifically involving the retrieval of certain animal bones, and the teen had leapt at the chance. This was something she could do and there was enough danger surrounding the endeavour to draw her to it. It was hard to believe that only a season before, she had been such a quiet, mild-mannered girl but her time amongst the Zith had changed her, made her crave experiences and emotions that she hadn't before.

When she arrived at the Wind-Knotted Gates at the appointed time, she saw faces that she knew but she simply gazed through them, not even acknowledging Haena as she fixed her eyes upon the woman from the Watch who would lead them. The blonde assessed her to see what sort of leader they would have and was grimly satisfied with what she saw. This woman was young but older than the doctor, an maturity in her gaze that Waisana recognised and felt kinship with. This one had the necessary nerve for this task, not that she'd been expecting less, but it was good to have her expectations confirmed.

Once the group of volunteers were assembled, the woman outlined the mission ahead of them, not making any effort to hide the danger of the task that they had undertaken. The mention of night lions, grass bears and Glassbeaks sent her pulse racing, her body welcoming the brief flare of her adrenaline levels. As soon as they came face to face with danger, her blood would sing with the hormone and she would feel more fulfilled than she had been during the interval since her rescue. Fear ran through her as well, the feeling familiar and welcome, a companion that had left her feeling rather bereft once she'd returned from the clutches of the beastly creatures. Her hand reached up to feel the longbow she had packed in her yvas bag, the wood providing some comfort that she could face what lay ahead. She had considered investing in a shortbow, given that her current weapon was not suited to horseback but had decided against it at the final moment; better to use a weapon she was accustomed to in unfavorable conditions than use an unfamiliar weapon that took more strength to wield and with which she hadn't practised.

If their leader thought that her explanation might send some of her volunteers scuttling back to the safety of their pavilions then she had ill-judged the group before her. These were determined to undertake this task and had had no illusions about how dangerous this was likely to be. Waisana certainly had no intentions of turning tail. Instead, when the time came, she scrambled eagerly onto Drusine's back, urging the Strider into a walk and then a trot with a tap of her heels and then a firm pressure on the horse's flanks. Once, she reached a speed that matched the rest of the group, she eased the pressure and leaned gently forward as they set off across the plains, heading for their grim destination.

*****

The death clinging to the place was apparent before they reached it. Carrion birds still lingered around the site, diving down to pick scraps from the bones but most of them merely circled overhead, oddly hazy in the shimmering heat. The air of the place seemed wrong and she couldn't be sure but there might have been a rancid odour on the edge of her sense of smell, her nostrils twitching and wrinkling. Her mount froze as they drew nearer, ears twitching back and forth, and the blonde had to coax her into motion again. The horse didn't seem as surefooted as before, her hooves seemingly to drag and catch on every little thing as if she was reluctant to proceed.

By the time they came to a halt, the doctor felt ready to fall from the yvas, her body weary from the journey and the heat of the day. She was more exhausted than was normal for the distance they'd covered and for the first time, she felt dread about what lay ahead of the party. The Watch woman's words provided a modicum of comfort and the Drykas girl nodded along dumbly, impatience flickering across her features as she waited for them to get on with it. She had had enough preamble and simply wanted to do what they had had come to do rather than delaying any longer.

[Ashka Windrunner]

The day had arrived faster than she expected. Standing still near the Wind-Knotted Gates, she recalled in her head the news from the previous days. Approaching Stardown Crater had been eagerly awaited for by a lot of Endrykas ; after a difficult first half of Winter, arriving on familiar grounds, a sacred place of celebration and worship, was the occasion to strengthen bonds between the Clans and forget for a bit about the harsh season.

But the gods wouldn't have it that way.

A crater full of bones.
From what had been reported by scouts, the holy place was now filled with devastation and death. One more hardship to face in this rough winter, the informations had brought a tear to her mother's eyes and darkened the family's spirit.

But time was not at despairing anymore. Some of the Watch patrols had disappeared in the area while trying to find the cause of the tragedy, and now the Drykas people wanted answers. This need for an explanation and a strong desire to help the community had pushed Ashka to volunteer when she heard another patrol was forming, whose mission would lead them inside the crater. She understood the risks were high ; when venturing into a space of desolation like this one would prove to be, what else could she expect ?

Still, curiosity had won over her fear. She had to find out what happened out there, what turned Stardown into a cemetery.

So, when the day arrived, she got herself ready quickly, packed her waterskin and some food rations in a yvas bag, a torch, a knife and some rope in the other, and her shortbow and full quiver on her back. With Lako, they rode to the center of the Tent City at a steady trot, impatient to start today's exploration.

There, Ashka found the other volunteers that would undertake the perilous journey with her. She had seen the two women before, around the pearly white tents of the Opal clan. But the man... All she knew about him was from rumors and whispers. She recognised him at his broad-rimmed hat, but, most importantly, at the scars ruining half his face. They said he was one of Jonas' walahks, one of the ones he brought back with him from his exile. They said he had cut many throats in his past and could command fire... The grey gaze lingered slightly on the disfigured man, in a mix of curiosity and unease, before turning to the Watchwoman who just arrived. She will have time later to assess his personality and skills with the expedition coming up.

Aiyena stood before them, straight and calm, and explained the situation with her composed, neutral voice. She made it clear to everyone present that the outcome of the expedition was not certain, with danger certainly awaiting for them amongst the bones. Ashka became tense as the warrior spoke, but she remained silent, keeping her ears open and attention focused.

They all mounted a moment later and the redhead urged Lako to a steady canter, pressing her legs around his sides and leaning forwards, following their new leader.
As they approached the crater and slowed down, she realised there was not a sound in the surrounding grasslands, apart from the regular thudding of their mounts' hooves on the dry soil. The air was heavy and oppressing, and an awkward feeling of apprehension and anxiety started creeping over the small group. Lako was getting nervous as well, ears twitching around, and the Drykas had to calm him down with constant strokes and reassuring words.

When Aiyena signed the order, the newly formed patrol stopped and dismounted. Her voice rose again, clear and loud in the quiet plains. A voice that spoke of unknown dangers, the need for stealth and caution, and many predators, even Glassbeaks. A shiver ran through Ash's back at their mention ; the Windrunners and countless others had lost loved ones to the ferocious creatures, and they were at the heart of many frightening stories. Ash nodded approvingly at the Watchwoman's last sentence, a hand still stroking Lako's neck absently. No one would go down today. With everyone's combined skills, they will not let it.

[Meadow]

“We will lead the horses closer on foot, before going inside. I don't want them too far in case we have to have a quick get away,” Aiyena said looking at the group.

Taking the yvas in her hand, the woman was glad that her smaller stature already made it easy for her to blend in and hard to spot. She only hopped that her larger teammates would be able to hide and stalk just as easily. Stopping only about a three or four chimes run from the lip of the crater, she turned and motioned for the rest to get their weapons on them and make sure the horses understand to stay put. Taking point once more the woman knelt at about ten feet from the opening. Staying close to the ground she hyper extended her neck to peak above the rim and see what lay ahead. Nothing was stirring but the wind that blew the smell of death into her face. Crinkling her nose the young woman motioned for everyone to stay low and close.

Slowly slinking over into the crater, the young drykas moved farther in making sure all her team was accounted for. Not taking anything to chance the girl slowly placed each foot making sure to watch for any dry patches of the grass or foreign sticks. Calling everyone to a halt 5 chimes down the woman examined a carcass that was on the ground. One of many that had the same kind of scratches and appeared to be teeth marks in it. Running her finger tips over the marks, she noted how smooth they were. As if a trained carver had taken the bone and decided to draw into it. Looking forward once more a rustling got her attention something was moving up ahead of them against the wind. Aiyena was not one of the best hunters by any means, but she was able to tell that the moving open spot in the grass was a fairly good size even from a distance. Thankfully the wind was blowing towards them keeping their scent from entering the crater, and the creature was moving away from them. Bowing her head the young Watch member sent out a silent prayer for Zulrav to keep his winds from giving them away.

Raising her head the young woman started forward once more keeping a close eye on the grasses around them for any unnatural movement. The stench of death and decay only got stronger as the woman covered her mouth some while looking around. There was a small path through the bodies ahead that appeared safe, but it would only allow them to move in a single file line. The girl took her time at the edge of the grass to try and find a safer way than straight ahead. Motioning for the group and stay low and well hidden, she slinked along the ground wincing at the sound of her foot falls. Moving a little faster, she climbed on top of some rocks looking out ahead seeing how many cave entrances there was and how many predators could be seen moving. The only one was the nightlion that had been making its way through the grass. Keeping a close eye on the big cat, she lowered herself to the point of nearly laying flat on the rock. The animal went towards a cave planning on entering until a pack of wolves ran out snarling and snapping at it. The woman made her way back to the group to fill them in on what was seen.

“The only path that I can see unblocked is straight down the middle, but all the predators have taken up the caves. There is no way to tell from out here what is housed within. We need to make use of the boulder piles to stay off the main ground. I know there are nightlions and wolves ahead for sure, but have not seen any glassbeaks yet. If they are spotted we will back track and make a plan from there,” Aiyena stated looking to the group for any questions or comments.

[Konrad Venger]

Konrad had heard once that Caiyha abhorred a vacuum; he'd had to find out what that A-word meant, but once he did, he thought it sounded about right. There was never just nothing, no matter what it looked like... and even when there was, it wouldn't stay like that for long.

Kind of like back home, he thought as the ragged patrol paused and their leader edged forward into the dark, scouting ahead. Scour away the gangs and the crews, but there's too much in the rackets for nothing to replace them. Give it time, and they'll come back-

The thought was interrupted by living proof of it, flitting out there in the shadows. Konrad wouldn't say for sure if it was living proof; gods alone knew what was out there. Looking around at the carcasses, he could observe that some of them had been taken down, but not... gnawed. Not eaten. He'd frowned once or twice at gouges in bone that were too... well, he didn't know. He wasn't a hunter.

But he'd spent plenty of time on the road or in the Sea of Grass to know what carcasses slain by predators looked like. Some of these bore that look. Most did not, and that made him nervous.

The Drykas girl - another A-word, I think - came back and told them the plan. Konrad listened stoically and couldn't see any holes in it, aside from the ones in the ground. They reminded him of broken doorways in the alleys back home: dark, deep, perfect places to launch ambushes from. And they'd have to be walking in front of quite a few of them, all apparently loaded with fanged, furry creatures who were very hungry.

Stay in the middle, he told himself as the group began to move out, skulking low with their weapons in hand. Keep one of them between you and the holes at all times. If it goes to shyke, you don't need to be fast: just faster than them.

That said, he did naught but make a quick, lazy hand sign: "understood", as far as he could remember. His Pavi wouldn't be fluid for seasons, but it was good enough to convey a single petching word.

It was hardly a sentiment worth of bardic tales, and that didn't trouble Konrad a jot. Couldn't spend a reward if he was dead, and why else would he be out there? So he kept to his own plan-within-a-plan, shortbow with an arrow notched in his hands, eyes swiveling and glaring at every cave hole they came to. He wished his stout little pony was with him, if only because it could get him out faster... or serve as a useful sacrifice to whatever would be chasing them.

The thought faded, as the ground behind them did. Closer they got, deeper, farther, until the crater was yawning darkly before them, and then swallowed them up completely.

Don't Make Me Repeat Myself.

[Waisana]

It was an effort to swing her stiff leg over on the yvas but she managed it. Sliding down Drusine's flank she dismounted, staggering on the landing as her numbed limbs became reacquainted with her weight. She used the Strider to support her while life returned to her legs. Once she had feeling again, she grasped the yvas and moved to stand by the horse's neck, guiding her mount as they neared the crater on foot. All too soon, she reached the threshold of the place of death and Waisana had to leave her companion behind. She pressed her forehead to the animal's broad nose and murmured affectionately before she commanded Drusine to remain where she was.

Fear and apprehension intensified now, the call for weapons only serving to set her heart galloping with such vigour that she was sure she would bruise from the inside out. She had to suppress the urge to laugh, the sound sure to have been manic as she tottered on the edge of the adrenaline and panic that she so craved. She knew that with it would come the strange exhilaration that bordered on euphoria and as she neared her goal, her hold on proper decorum was slipping. The doctor couldn't keep a smile from her lips, the wild dance within her blue eyes showing that this was no mere mirth. A restlessness went through her so that she ended up in constant movement, her body experiencing little shudders while her hands roamed over her hair, her clothing, the strap of her pack, the bow. The quiver of arrows was taken from the yvas bag and affixed on her left hip so that the projectiles were within easy reach, her fingers dancing over the fletching and causing the shafts to click softly against one another. As the group set off again, she was quick to remove a knife from her pack and slip it into the quiver just in case. She didn't have any experience using it as a weapon but she had an idea where to aim its sharp edge to cause harm if it was necessary.

The blonde followed their leader's example and crouched low, doing her best to creep softly after her. She tried to place her feet as softly as possible with each tread. Moving on her toes made her position feel precarious and so she switched to placing her soles down from heel to toe to avoid losing her balance and tumbling over. Additionally, she did her best to follow in the footsteps of those in front of her, theorising that if they avoided stepping on anything noisy then she could avoid them too by copying.

When they halted first, the Opal clan girl didn't know why until they started moving again, only managing to give the carcass a cursory glance before passing it. The bones were marked and they looked like clean marks to her although it was difficult to tell given her distance from them and her fleeting looks. Still, it gave her the impression that the former animal had been dispatched with a man-made tool rather than claws or teeth. They soon stopped again but this time Aiyena went head to scout, leaving the group behind to huddle together quietly.

The doctor had dealt with many ailments in her time and had encountered many awful odours that the body could exude. She'd had the task of disposing of heaps of bloodied bandages when the stench of putrefaction was truly unbearable but the smell of their surroundings was still getting to her. The amount of death around them was difficult to fathom, the numerous bodies littering the location all rotting and decaying beneath Syna's warm gaze. It brought an unpleasant taste up her throat, something she strongly suspected was bile, and her stomach churned. The teen took slow, deep breaths, willing herself to breathe in the reek in the hopes that she'd become accustomed to it.

When Aiyena returned and spoke of predators, the adrenaline sang happily through her again as it rose in answer to her fear. However, she still managed to wonder how even the carnivorous beasts had remained in the presence of such death. They were carnivores, yes, but not carrion eaters as far as she knew. Surely, the smell should repel them, make them skittish and unwilling to reside here. But perhaps they were uneasy after all and they would have to deal with a bunch of man-eaters on edge. Beyond those thoughts, Waisana could think of nothing else of note and certainly nothing worth sharing with the group. There was no point speculating on why the beasts were there when all that was important was that they already were there.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, signing rigidly and briefly, Understood. No questions, before displaying her willingness to proceed. Provided that there was no dispute, she would follow Aiyena as they set off along their chosen path, doing her best to mimic those ahead so that she wouldn't put a foot wrong and bring beastly wrath down upon them.

[Ashka Windrunner]

They kept walking, silent and grave, leading their mounts closer to the crater filled with bones. Arriving at the edge, Aiyena ordered them to leave the horses there, far enough to be safe from the predators and other unknown nightmares possibly roaming the area, but not too much should they need a swift escape. Ashka comforted her anxious stallion, a hand risen to caress his forehead, her cheek against his in a familiar and warm contact.
Stay, quiet. Wait.
Even though he knew she'll come back for him, the Strider snorted disapprovingly. He did not wish to leave his Drykas venture into this place of death and desolation.
"Wait for my call," she asked him. She then fetched the knife and rope from the bags and tied them around her waist, keeping the quiver on her back and the bow at hand.
Turning away from Lako, she followed the group towards the crater, and then inside. She was careful of her steps, silently trailing their leader by avoiding to walk on dry twigs and putting her feet down gently. She also made sure to lower herself down while walking, in an attempt to stay out of sight from potential threats.

The stench assaulted her senses, making her wrinkle her nose in disgust. The closer they would get, the stronger it would be, and it was a challenge for her to keep her composure with all those corpses rotting around and this rancid smell in the air. A shiver ran over her skin as her chest contracted in a spasm.
Focus. You have a mission, and letting the group down is no option.
Aiyena seemed to be incommodated by the stink, but the tall stranger didn't give a sign of discomfort. Was he used to that sort of smell ? How could one get used to it ? She breathed slowly, fighting the urging nausea in her stomach.

After walking down the crater, they reached one of the numerous carcasses laying inside. The redhead only got a brief glimpse of it and of the scratches printed on its bones. She did not have the time to examinate them, but the close view of the remains sent a wave of unease and nervousness through her body. There was something... unnatural about it, something disturbing enough for her to quicken her pace and catch up with the others, already further away.

As she reached them, Aiyena signed for them to hide and wait, so Ashka crouched between high grass stalks and stayed still, waiting for the Watchwoman to come back. With her eyes peaking above the grass, she searched the horizon. Far in the distance, a rustle in the grasses indicated of a beast making its way through. What specie did the animal belong to, Ashka could not tell, but judging by the stirring it created, it was certainly a large one. Perhaps one of the predators, or monsters, responsible for this carnage ? Another shiver rushed through her spine and with it the adrenaline, filling her veins. She was scared, for sure, but alert, her senses sharpened by the hormone.

Aiyena came back promptly and exposed the situation to her group.
The prospect of walking right in the middle of the death-filled crater did not appeal much to Ashka, but the mention of wolves and nightlions having taken over the caves made it the least dangerous option. Aiyena's plan seemed good enough in her opinion; not that she had any experience in tactics and leadership, but she was glad to hear that they would head back if they happened to meet any glassbeak. These creatures were for sure the ones she was the most scared of.

Silently, she answered her expectancy with an understood, agreed, hand sign, and streched her body before walking forward, following the Watchwoman further, deeper into the dark and desolated place that was Stardown.

[Meadow]

Once everyone was in agreement the girl turned and took point once more. She had diffused many fights among her people and even fights of outsiders. But this took a whole new level of stress that the woman was not used to. The only hope that she held close was that her team would not scramble if something went wrong. Taking a quick glance at everyone, the girl found that she recognized the two women, but the outsider was a stranger for her. A distant roar caused her to stop and motion for the rest to do the same. Her heart hammered in the woman's chest as soon the cry quieted down. Closing her eyes, the girl forced her nerves to calm down, though they did not completely go away. Inching forward, she gently touched a carcass trying to get a better feel for the what they would be facing. Shivering the girl jerked her hand back as something just said nothing about this trip was normal.

“Stay low and watch for any indications to what is going on,” Aiyena whispered barely audible to herself.

A few small rocks rolled down the side of the crater as creatures moved around them. Jerking her head up the girl felt the tingle that went down her spine. It was not the thought of a predator eying them that creeped her out. Not knowing what animal was stalking them is what made her nervous and creeped out. The only thing that stressed her out more was that they were still going in literally blind. Not understanding was the worst feeling that the Drykas woman could think of. It would cause mistakes and lead to someone getting hurt or even dying. She did not want to lose anyone on her first big squad mission. They began moving once more as the woman felt it was safe enough to keep going. That feeling could change at any point as they go along in this journey. If she had been with a team of the Watch perhaps that would be different, but that was not the case.

The woman jerked to a stop when the grass suddenly stopped growing. Whatever impacted the animals had also caused damage to the vegetation. Motioning for them to stay hidden within the swaying course grass, Aiyena was the first to move into the open. Looking around at the strange dark ash on the ground, she was extremely nervous knowing now that something even bigger than was originally thought was going on. Kneeling down, the woman got some of the substance on her fingers. A soft even slightly squishy feeling confused her to her very core. Looking up ahead, she tried to spot any kind of animal tracks knowing that the lions were ahead of them.