Geinwortelparadijs: Riddles from the mountains chapter 3: Starting the journey
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When the last person stepped on the bridge the king seems to say something to the servant which then walks over to a corner of the pond to the right of the bridge and then holds his fingers slightly against the water and then does a short quick drumming with the fingertips on the surface. It's followed by some movement in the pond upstream that is heading towards the man till a fish comes with it's head out of the water under the mans hand.
Meanwhile Vladimir kneels on the bridge, puts his head between his knees and his hands over his head and prays to Ti-mezel.
Then the servant and the fish look at eachother and the man whispers something to the animal after which it starts swimming to the party at the bridge.
As the king says "Good luck on your journey" you see that it's a big eel.
When the eel comes close to the bridge it comes a bit out of the water again looks at the group and then everything fades away into total blackness and just as suddenly it becomes green again and you get surrounded by a sweet flowery sent and the sounds of some things running away and birds stopping in the mids of their song and taking of.
Then you see that you are on a small open space in a forest. To the east you still see the last of a group of antelope's running away creating a bit of a path in the under bush.
The glade is surrounded by tall trees. The falling down of one of them seems to have created the glade. On it's upturned roots grow some plants, on the upper edge some bright flowers with purple inside that turns into red at the edges and you suspect that is the source of the sweet smell hanging in the air.
Then Vladimir gets up and starts throwing up. Lepus doesn't look much better and looks about dejectedly.
Meinozsé brings one hand to her head, shakes it a bit and then looks around where she is.
After a while Vladimir whipes his mouth and says: "Hmmm... never liked traveling by Zappaling. Those eels always get me Zappalingsickness! Brrrghh I feel really bad..." He takes something out of his doctor's bag and eats it.
Miss Kyliries looks around disorriented and seems to try to get an idea of where she is but shrugs as she looks back to the others
"Well, that was certainly an experience, wouldn't you say? The king certainly has some strange fish in his pond. But does anyone have a clue to where we might be? I daresay I've never seen this place before. Maybe we should have asked where we would arrive. Of course, I didn't even know we were going to be summoned."
Muttering in an aggrieved tone Lepus agrees with miss Kyliries "He could have told us that would happen." And Fhianna, smoothing her tail mutters her agreement as well.
Meinozé, seemingly already recoverd "It sure is a nice forest here. Wonder in what direction Mimes is, atleast I asume that's where we have been send as that's where the reports came from." and she turns to the other tolv "Miss Kyliries, do you happen to know what direction we should go? or do we just have to take the direction that walks with the least obstacles"
Vladimir becomes vivid in moments from eating his medicine
"So that's better! What are you saying? You mean none of you have ever travelled this way? And you don't even know these animals? Luckely the king has trained ones, the worst thing is if you come across one if your just walking a long a stream our pool and don't want to be transported!" He looks around and asks: "Does anyone know where we are? Where shall we go? Miss Stensalil? Or the Bladesinger? Who will lead the way?"
Miss Kyliries takes in the reactions of the others
"Well, I guess that creature got us somewhere unfamiliar to all of us. I don't recognize anything here. I remember seeing on a map that Mimes has a forest to the south, so it might be that this is that forest. I suggest we move north then."
She checks the position of the sun and is glad it's still early or the sun would be to right above them. Seeing the path the antelopes made going almost in the right direction she leads the way now and then cutting a way through some undergrowth. Soon a second hill is being scaled and water can be heard behind it.
At the top a little clearling opens up with a creek running through and forming a pond in the middle. Both banks are coverd with all kinds of herbs and in the darker edge of the clearing grow mushrooms. When they get closer, suddenly a soft and very femine voice seems to be coming from the water:
"So you are the once who scared the antilope so much that they trampled our herbs"
Everybody looks around and sees the plants have indeed been damaged and some fish swimming in the pond, but nobody that goes with the voice.
"Not on purpose, if it was us," replies Fhianna followed by Vladimir on an offended tone "I did nothing to any antilope! So why would they be scared? Where are you, show yourself, I find it easier to speak with someone I can see! Are you in the water? Are you a nimf? I really love seeing nimfs, they give me so much inspiration!" Vladimir tries to revive the herbs, he lifts them up and asks to stay erect.
A startled Lepus looks around, fear showing on his face "Two minutes out and things are going wrong. Why me?" he grumbles.
"But please, show yourself. If your looks match your voice, it'd be a shame if I couldn't see you." asks Fhianna clearly not so affected as Lepus
A deep sigh comes from the pound and the biggest of the fishes swims to the edge of the pond a couple of meters from the group and jumps out of the water, but in midair it starts to change shape into a very tall woman that seems to be even more gorgeous then everybody's imaginations of how a beautifull lady would look like.
Meinozsé swallows and is silenced by the sudden appearance of the nimph.
Seeing the reaction on her the nimph picks up a green silky dress that seems to have been there unnoticed all the time.She puts it on and it is a very precise fit, and slightly transparant.But maybe the extra time to get used to her presence does more to let everybody unfreeze
"Does this help you more to talk? Now you come walking in on their trail right behind them and suggest you didn't scare them? Beside some Fey hardly ever anybody comes here so if two of these things happen at the same time it has to be linked. Now please tell me what happend and what your doing here"
Even though she sounds stern when asking she also seems sweet and nice and not even remotly agressive.
Fhianna eyes the nymph intently as she speaks, smiling before she replies. "Trust me, whatever we did wasn't intentional. There's a river that dried out, we were supposed to go see, and we got Zappaled here. Apparently. Not what I had in mind, but " She smiles again. "If there's anything I can do to make this up to you ..."
Vladimir, using the pause in Fhianna's pickup line "I am Fey, I don't scare antilope! Unless they try to step on me,but who wouldn't? Not that that would ever happen to you!" He has his head tilted backwards to be able to look up to her. "You're very tall, you're even big as a fish!"
The nimph looks some time at Vladimir almost as if she tried to look straight through him. Then she just looks at the group.
"A river dried up! What river?" There is clearly some worry in her voice.
"That's an interesting tale, being send by a zap-paling, you don't see that every day. I think the guild will find that interresting news as somebody owning a zap-paling can surely offer some kind of compensation. Who send you?"
She pauzes for a moment and then as if suddenly remembering she missed something that warranted a response.
"You thought I was a big fish? guess it has something to do with your size. Now what's your name you odd looking faery?"
"My name is Vladimir, and what's yours dear lady?"
"My name is Bidadari" she answhere's quitly, but her stance becomes a bit impatient.
Tyranael now finally recovered from the sudden appearance of the voice and the nymph it belongs to steps forward.
"We've been sent by the King on this mission, who also owns the zap-paling. Apparently the river that flows through Mimes has stopped flowing. Supposedly, there will be a water shortage now. We were sent to investigate just how it is possible that the river has stopped. We were zapped here by the zap-paling and that seems to have scared the antilopes away. We just followed the trail they left because it was easier than hacking through the woods. So it's hardly our fault they got scared by our presence. Anyway, would you by chance know anything about the disappearing water? Being a water creature, you must have some affinity with the water."
Vladimirs face lights up "What kind of guild are you talking about? Are you running some herb business here? That's rather interesting! Is it just you here or are the other fish...? Ow By the way, that lady is a bladesinger.. I haven't figured out everyones name just yet, I would introduce them if I had."
Taking Vladimirs que Meinozsé makes a slight bow
"I'm Miss Stensalil"
And she takes the letter from the king and shows it to Bidadari
"This is our letter of assignment"
Fhianna limits herself to a short "Fhianna" while keeping her eyes on Bidadari and Lepus mutters "My name is Lepus." but that could be so soft that it is missed.
"Oh, excuse my incredible impoliteness, I should have introduced myself properly. I am Tyranael Kyliries, of the Kyliries noble
family. It is excellent to meet you Bidadari," with that she makes a curtsie towards the nymph.
Bidadari accepts the letter
"Ah, the king obviously with all the paperwork"
she wistles softly between the teeth
"Well, Master Krustar will deal with the paperwork further further, and he will most likely show you their buisness as they are very proud of it, and can always use a bigger clientele"
The concern returns to her voice again.
"But your mission is the river in Mimes? that's very bad, my niece lives in the Owetter, but her brother will take care of her, he lives in the mountains there. But I have no idea what has caused that, maybe something fell into the river where it goes through a narrow pass and it blocking it, or it has just changed it course, maybe even underground. I can suggest things, but without going out to look I can't know it either."
"Yes Vladimir I'm not alone, there's Krustar and his guild here, a lot of fish and those two are two kids that I'm taking care of. That's also why I can't go look at the Owetter and just hope everything is alright."
Then something is heared rustling in the grass
"Ah, that sounds like Krustar"
And soon a blueish point is visible quickly followed by the rest of the kabouter. His cheeks and especially his stump nose glowing red.
"Been tasting the new batch Krustar?"
The kabouter adressed as Krustar stops when he comes out of the tall grass
"Of course I have tried it, you can't sell something you don't want to drink yourself!!"
He takes a look at the group
"So and who are you?"
Bidadari gives him a smile "They are the people who scared the antellopes, but it's not their fault, it's that king in Snoefa that send them and his zap paling seems to need some more practice."
"Tyranael Kyliries of the Kyliries noble family," she says to Krustar, making another curtsie.
Bidadari turns to group again."He was trying to send you to Mimes right?"
She kneels down and holds her hand out for Krustar to step on and brings him to her shoulder.
"Now, shall we go to the willow Krustar? To show them what they damaged and then fix a letter to send to Snoefa stad with the next shipment?"
Krustar smiles
"Yes to the willow!! In a single file please, and follow the same path as Bidadari, we don't want you to ruin some house as well."
Bidadari leads them over something that could have been mistaken for a rabbit path to a huge willow tree at the edge of the creek a bit upstream. The tree has some blackend openings at the bottom, and when paying more attention a circular staircase can be seen along the outside of the willow all the way to the top leading into another hollow.
"Please put me on the tapping platform Bidadari"
She brings him to a little platform in the stairs about one meter above the ground. On the outerside of the platfrom is a tap
"Welcome to our brewing willow, here we distill our herbs into our special cordial. If you want to try it, then hold a shot glass under the tap here and I'll give you a drop to try. It's good stuff I asure you, a bit spicy"
And his face gleams a bit, mostly with pride.
Tyranael looks at the scene impressedly. The little people were so resourceful in doing things. If only their recoursefulness could be diverted to something...less alcoholic.
"Although I'm sure your drinks are excellent, I have to politely refuse," she started, "and maybe you should drink a bit less from this stuff too, reckoning by the redness of your face," she added before she could stop herself. Unfazed she continues on though.
"If you want a letter sent to the king, maybe you could give it to me and I will make sure that it arrives at the royal palace in safety. After we finish this mission we have to report back there anyway, so it shouldn't be too much trouble."
Krustar looks a bit wondering why nobody seems to respond to him except Tyranael who's words clearly conceal critism making his face quickly run more red till he looks almost purple.
"Bidadari!! Could you please leave us alone? Maybe they can think clearer without your presence as right now they seem either dumbfounded or crazy!!"
"Nice meeting you Bidadari, hope to see you again" as Meinozsé nods to Bidadari
She smiles a bit at Krustar, gives a nod and walks back the way you came.
"The redness of my face has nothing to do with our product!! but thank you for at least answhering my question."
And he glares at the two furry members that seem to have had only eye for Bidadari
"But you won't have to bring that letter, how could I be sure it ever arrives and you aren't holding it back because you fear he might make you pay for the damages? Or that you just die horribly before you ever get the change to deliver? But soon our transporter will come by to bring this batch to Snoefa stad and he can be accompanied by a representative of our clan that carries the letter and deal with it."
By this time his original colour has returnd and he looks at the others again
"If none of you want to try a sample then I gues we should make the letter"
He waits a moment to see if still nobody accepts his proposal.
Vladimir, been walking up the stairs towards him arrives.at the platform to start a conversation on tiny people volume
"Hey! I would like to try some of that! Does it have any healing purposes that you know of? By the way, I had her answer your question because she's the one acting liek she's in charge, and, between you and me, I think she has a problem with very small people, she's been acting like that towards me since the first time she laid eyes on me, and now she is insulting you!"
He looks around waiting as he holds a mug under a tap
"Nice brewery you got here, I had not seen a drunken willow for a long time! Would you mind sizing that document down a bit before I sign it?"
"Oh forgot to introduce myself again, I'm not used to people not knowing me I guess" *smiles in a funny joking way* "I'm Vladimir, I'm here to prevent them from dying horribly."
Lepus's paranoia picking up on the word dying and shudders
"Do we have to dwell on the dying bit?"
Tyranael, as confident as Lepus's fear
"Oh, there are much worse things than dying that I won't dwell on right now. But I, apparently along with the little one, will make sure we don't die. Otherwise I could always pray to Hesoldé to reincarnate you into something nice."
The cunicul gets a bit anoyed
"I know there are worse things. There is no situation so bad that it can't get a lot, lot worse."
Vladimir drinks the sip he got and gets a bit of the reddisch glow as well as he tasts the spicy but sweet herby aroma consisting of verious familiar and unfamiliar flavours harmoniously drinking down the throat with a soft burning leaving a tingling sweetness reminding of flowers.
"Oh stop whining about dying! I'm sure I can safe you if you try to die. Try some of that excellent drink! You'll feel better, I wouldn't mind to try another drop, myself!"
Krustar looks at Fhianna for this sudden buisness oppurtunity
"Well, maybe we can sell you a little bit and have enough to match our contract, but only if you have good money to pay with, half a litre is what I can miss I think and that will be, hmmm"
He ponders a bit while scratching his chin with one hand
"I think 5 silver will be a reasonable price"
"We will not die. That's the end of that." Tyranael sais, throwing an annoyed glance at the Cunicul. Then she turnes to Vladimir.
"And I wouldn't partake too much of the drink if I were you, little one. I don't think being inebriated would be advantageous to your ability to 'save our lives'. We should all take care to remain in excellent condition. We do not yet know what might happen on our journey ahead."
In spite of her words though, she eyes the brewing willow wistfully, quite obviously to the rest of the group if they care to watch, curious how the drink the willow produced might taste. She had never tasted anything like this before anyway. After a moment she catches herself staring at the tap and lets her eyes wander over the group.
Meinozsé looks a bit worried when the purple seems to stay in Krustars face a bit to long but relaxes again when he returns to a normal colour.
"Yes please I would like to sample some"
Fhianna gives the little man an easy smile, and also takes a drink. After a moment, she gives him a broad grin, and almost purrs when she speaks. "I don't suppose I could possibly persuade you to part with more of this? This stuff is incredible."
While Meinozsé looks for something to drink from in her back Krustar pours Vladimirs glass full. She finds it and holds in under the tap recieving a swig of the brew as well.
She smells it making her eye's gleam a bit.
"Dying? I thought the kings lands where reasonably safe so why would we die?"
She looks hopefull at Tyranael when she states so firmly that none will die
She nips then on her drink and when she swallows she flushes a bit
"That's a very nice drink Krustar"
Lepus shuts up and takes a sample of the drink, which he downs rather quickly.
Judging from the splutter that follows, a little too quickly. "This is good stuff!" he says, the first non-whinge that he has uttered since they set out.
As only Tyranael is still stalling Krustar opens something on the tree forming a desklike surface and takes a pen and paper out of some coat pocket and starts to write. When he is done he turns back to the group
"So, now all you have to do is sign this"
And he flaps with the paper and it grows bigger till it's a normal sized piece of paper and you see the following text:
---
Dear king
today your zap paling send some people under your orders to our forest causing a stampede that damaged the plants of our company. We estemate the damage will cause us to be unable to make one batch and thus cause a damage of 20 Titanium.
We want to be compensated for the damage.I do advise to get a better training for your zap paling to avoid such these things.
Yours sincerly
Krustar
Grandmaster of nilfcreek's brewers guild of clan Redface
*an autograph that looks like it has been done with a stamp because it's perfectly square and looks like a very elaborate line partern in which you can recognize his name when looking good*
Witnesses:
*some white space obviously for everybody to put his name and autograph*
---
"Well, please sign this"
Lepus grabs his quill and swiftly signs the document.
Tyranael smiled and takes the document from Lepus, reading it over quickly.
"Twenty titanium..." she whistled between her teeth, "that's quite a sum. I am glad I will not have to pay that, although the thought didn't really cross my mind that the King would want me to pay his expenses."
Meinozsé starts coughing, hearing the amount of twenty platinum had made her drink the remainder all at once she becomes completely red and her eye's a bit moist while she coughs very very hard. When that's over:
"2000 silver? That sells very well then I asume"
She takes a handcerchief and dabs a bit of moist out of the corners of her eye's
She then looks at the paper and signs it quickly while Tyranael holds the document to read it one more time after signing and flushed slightly. Turning to the kabouter she passed him the document so that he could change its size for Vladimir and made a quick bow in his direction.
"I suppose I'll have to appologize for my remarks earlier. It would seem that they were a bit impulsive on my account. I did not know that there was such a thing as a Redface clan."
Tyranaels face showed that she had some difficulty continuing, but after a while she concluded with a mumbled "I'm sorry..."
"Appologies accepted Miss Kyliries, but are you sure you don't want to try a drop?"
Says Krustar as he flaps again with the paper and it becomes Vladimir's size and hand's it over with a "Here you go Vladimir" who then signs, and, just because it's cool, puts his seal on it, this time, since the document is a more Vladimir-fit-size, with a perfect ring instead of his stamp-device-thingie.
Meinozs eyes Vladimir ad his seal
"Seals aren't needed are they Krustar?"
"No Miss Stensalil, I think your signature will do"
When Vladimir returns it he flaps again with it till it become small enough to put in a vestpocket and then he put's it away
"Well that's arranged then"
Tyranael rembers their mission "Perhaps if our business is concluded here, we should get underway again. Krustar, could you tell us where we might find Mimes from here? I don't think we have any need to linger here much longer."
"Mimes? that's to the north north east from here as the kabout also points that way, and with your size I think it will take you about a day to walk there. A bit to the east from here is the road along the river, if you walk east for about an hour you will get there, I'll point you the right path to take so you won't damage anything more"
But as everyone else was still trying the drink and didn't seem to be going anywhere fast for a while, Tyranael's resistance gave in to her curiousity regarding the drink. She knew this wasn't a smart thing to do as she got a cup from her backpack. Since her wracking disease when she was smaller, she was more susceptible to disease and poison and in all respects, Tyranael had learned on several occasions, alcohol could be considered a poison.
Nonetheless, she placed the cup underneath the tap in the willow tree and takes it back when a pleased Krustar has filled it.
"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered and she threw the drink down her throat.Almost instantly, her cheeks took on a red hue. Small tears also appeared on the sides of her eyes from the drink's spicyness. Nonetheless, she smiled broadly.
"My, this drink is excellent!" she exclaimed happily, turning to Fhianna, "if you for some reason won't buy it, I certainly will."
She walked a few steps in the direction that Krustar indicated, wobbling slightly, and gazed forwards.
"I think we shouldn't take too long here really. I think we should at least go to the road before dark, otherwise I think there's a chance we'll cause more damage because we can't see where we're walking."
Fhianna grins at Tyranael. "And, if we stay here much longer, you'd get absolutely drunk, and probably taken advantage of."
Grinning naughtily, she turns to Krustar. "How much would, say ... a silver affect the amount you could spare?"
Krustar smiles at the attempted bribe
"I find it a highly unbelievable idea that you carry enough money to be able to pay more then I would get when I fullfill my delivery obligations. If I would sell you more there wouldn't be enough left I think"
he gives a couple of knocks on the willow and listens intently
"No, I really can't do more or you would have to buy the whole lot and some extra to compensate for the bad reputation of not fullfilling contracts. And how would you take that with you on your trip anyways? Carry a keg on your back?"
Fhianna pouts at that. "A pity ... I guess I'll just have to take the half litre you said first, then."
"Well, then hold your canteen under it and i'll fill you up. But first the silver please"
And he smiles very friendly at you
"Any other questions or is that it and shall I point you the way?"
Vladimir eyes the bargaining and shrugs "If Fhianna has some of it with her I'll probably discover it's possible healing abilities on the way"
"Healing properties? I don't think so, we never really tried that, you could try to disinfect wounds with it because of the alcohol but I have no idea what the herbs will cause then, probably at least an extra burning. But I'm not so into herbology so I can't tell you if there might be some things in it that come with some medical purposes"
Fhianna looks around at the people discussing her drink. "The only thing we're going to do with this," she says firmly. "Is get drunk."
"Oh really?" Tyra asked in reply to Fhianna, "drunkenness is conductive to nothing, except perhaps for headaches, vomiting and drunken courage. Which in turn are conductive to nothing. I will allow you to buy this stuff, let you drink it. But by Rally, I will not let you get drunk. You'll only jeopardize our mission. Now, just pay the kabouter, take the canteen and let's get on with this." she was starting to get impatient now that the small amount of alcohol that she had drunk had run its course.
Handing the kabouter the money and filling the canteen, Fhianna gives the tolv a little 'Look'. "You? 'Allow' me to do anything? I doubt it. This money was earned by me, spent by me, and what I chose to do with my belongings is ... what I choose to do with it." With a full canteen, she turns fully to Tyranael. "Now, lead on, O' Great and Magnificent leader."
Krustar takes the coins, and without him seeming to actually do something they shrink to his size while he puts them in his money pouch while Vladimir has 'a few' 'quick' questions.
"That resizing routine is really great!! Can you resize yourself? Could you make yourself so tiny you could sit on my shoulder? That would be fun!! Does it work on other people to? I would like to learn that! It would be really helpfull in my work..!! Is there a chance that drink of yours makes me a little hyper? Or is that just enthousiasm? I wonder how our bladesinger wants to keep Fhianna from getting drunk... I hope I don't have to help carry her in case she ties her up!"
"Learning the resizing trick? Well I think it has to come from within, and then there is some skill involved. I don't know much kabouters that can do it better then I can and none that can do it on living things. So unless you have the power somewhere hidden within you I couldn't teach it to you. Your a feary, you should have some power within yourself also, if that's something that you think can be used like this I think you could learn it yourself, otherwise you'll have to find other ways around it"
"Thanks Krustar, I remember doing some accidental resizing when I was younger, but I come from a family of craftsmen that always liked the challenge of making objects to help tiny people do things on a larger people level, I think I simply forgot how it's done!"
Krustar directs his attention back to Fhianna and the rest.
"Thank you very much, nice to do buisness with you. If you ever want more, order it in advance, we work with a conveyor that delivers about anywhere, just have the money ready when he comes as it's pay on delivery"
He picks up on the little fight that had made Lepus watches with a mournful exression as if his worst fears had just been confirmed. But the gloomy cunicul keeps his mouth shut this time.
"Miss Kyliries, if your going to lead, then please extend your hand so I can point you the way out from on your shoulder"
"I do not intend to tie anyone up," Tyranael said, sounding a bit aggravated, "and I'm also not the leader of this party, although I might as well be. I'm just trying to be responsible. And getting drunk while on a potentially dangerous mission is not responsible. Now, let's go."
She lifts Krustar up towards her shoulder.
The moment Krustar is about to sit down on Tyranael's shoulder somethings heard moving a bit behind from the south. When lookig around the grass and plants are moving again like when Krustar came but a lot more, and there are even some plants moving along as well!!
When the movement reaches the edge of the clearing a lot of brightly colourd pointy hats like krustars walk into it carrying all kinds of pieces of plant.
Then Krustar start shouting to them "Ok, put those herbs next to the shed and then get the big keg and put it under the tap to fill it. Then you should go look what can be salvaged where those antellopes and these people had their little stampede!! And don't leave Davos to watch to tap and tell me tonight how it went so I can see if he earned his mug"
As soon as he is ready giving orders he sits down
"Well let's take that path over there towards the creek" and he points in a northeaster direction to another rabitpath in the direction of the creek.
Tyranael looks at the assembling kabouters curiously, following them with her eyes for a moment, watching them carrying leaves as big as themselves. Then she follows Krustar's directions and starts walking along the small path. She's quickly followed by Meinozsé, Lepus with Fhianna very close behind him leaving Vladimir little choice but try to keep up with them. Which he finds very difficult, partly because he is (still a little influenced) at the kabouters thinking: "If I was really big, these guys would look like ants, with the leaves and stuff" and partly because his legs are a lot shorter. Eventually he flies a while to catch up with the others.
When follow the path they soon come across the creek and see some stones in the water and an old treetrunk that has fallen over it
"Well here you can cross, at the other side you can drop me off as there the path starts that will lead you to the road I mentioned. And please use the stones, we use the trunk as bridge and can't guarrantee that it can hold big people, and I need to get back also...."
Tyranael starts to hop over the stones to cross the stream causing Krustar to almost fly's of her shoulder weren't it for him managing to grab her hair just in time
"hey hey!!! watch out!! You have a passenger you know, you don't launch passagers into the water!!!"
If it's the sudden shouting in her ear or just a slippery stone isn't clear but Tyranael seems to slip off the second stone and into the water. When she regains ballance she's in the water till a bit over her knee.
Meinozsé barely manages to avoided hitting Tyranael and joining her in the water also but reaches the shore dry, well, without falling in the water as Tyranael splashed her with her fall.
Lepus crosses without prblems but Fhianna seems to have taken the being close to Lepus a bit to litterraly and ends up splashing just behind him in the water when Lepus landed right on a rock being splashed by Fhianna.
Vladimir on the other hand avoids the stones altogether by graciously flying over, even dodging every drop of water with gracious maneuvres even though he has to laugh a bit about their sudden urge to go swimming. When he is almost acros he topples over in the air to take a bite from the water and makes it a full roll just above water level swallowing the water scooped up this way when having his head above again.
He then lands and digs through his bag for a towel.
"I thought you needed to be dexterious and well on your feet to be a bladesinger!! Now as a thank you gift you made me all wet!! now i have to dry my beard into in style again!! But you're welcome, and I wouldn't say the water is so great you have to dive for it."
Tyranael has a sour look
"If you hadn't distracted me by yelling in my ear I'm sure things would have gone much better." she says bitterly to Krustar. Then she casts a meaningful glance to the rest of the party, daring them to laugh at her. She then starts wringing out her clothes. While being smiled upon by Fhianna who is clearly holding back a comment.
Vladimir is standing there with is towel, but he's to stunned by the sight of Tyranael wringing out her armour to offer the towel to one of his wet partymembers like he planned to.
"Well that's the path I mentioned"
and Krustar points to another small rabit path
"Please put me down here"
Tyranael takes Krustar and sets him down in front of the tree bridge where he starts squeezing the water out of his beard.
"Now please stay behind each other so you don't widen the track."
he already walks back towards the treetrunk and turns a last time:
"Is there anything else that you will need before getting on your way? some fresh water? the creeks water is really nice sweet but cool"
"Ow, it looks like Bidadari's curious kid comes to see you out. He's going to capture a lot of girls hearts in a couple of years just by passing by..."
One of the fish that where with Bidadari swims close by watching.
Tyranael samples a bit of the water herself. Satisfied, she empties her own waterskin and fills it up with the water of the stream.
Meinozsé brightens a bit as Krustar mentions the water and goes to the creek and scoops some up and drinking it out of her hand to taste it.
"Indead it's really cool. Thanks for the tip Krustar"
She takes out her waterskin, empty's it and then holds it down in the stream to fill it with the cool fresh water and put's it back when she is done.
Tyranael rises again, she turns towards Krustar.
"Thank you Krustar, for showing us the way to Mimes, for guiding us through this place and for advising us to taste this water."
Bowing to the kabouter and nodding in the direction of the fish, she turned around and started walking in the direction of the small path, waving a hand.
"Farewell to you Krustar, and to you too, son of Bidadari."
Meinozsé waves a little to the fish that had been watching her "Bye" and goest stand next to Tyranael waiting for her to lead the way.
Vladimir Flies back to take another sip while hoovering and also waves to Bidadari's kid before joining the others where Lepus is fruitlessly searching his backpack.
Fhianna smiles and gives a little wave to the fish, but says nothing, crowding behind the cunicul in an idle attempt to panic him. After all, vosjes are known for their liking of cunicul dinners.