As the group returo Cracked Rock, they got many worried looks as people noticed the ambutory skeleton with them. Many of the inhabitants rushed badoors, but a handful simply stared as they passed through.

  Ohey reached the elder’s residend he opehe door, it was quite clear he hadn’t ever sidered seeing a walking skeleton, as he jumped ba shod fell onto the ground. After helping him get back up, Morris expined a little of what was going on to the man.

  Once Morris had finished a very basic expnation, the litruded on the liween Dawn and Niphru once again, asking them to see if there was anyone illing to open their minds enough for him to speak to so that he could leave them alone. Dawn reyed the request while Niphru once agai the skeleton for reag into their e to each other.

  After a moment of thought, the elder nodded aured for them to follow him as he headed for the door. A short walk ter, he stopped before a smaller home and banged on the door. Not long after, the door opened, and a young peared, fling at the sight of the lich, though not jumping back as the elder had done.

  Seeing her less extreme rea, the elder nodded before speaking, “Since you want to help so much, here is a ce for you. The skeleton here talk with mind magic, but only to people willing to let him in, and as the leader of the vilge, I ’t risk anything like that.”

  Seeing her hesitation, the lich had Dawn rey his assurances, “He says he will only speak to you, and won’t even attempt to look into your mind. Supposedly, he also keep the link light enough that even without training, you could shut him out.”

  It took a few moments of sideration, but the womaually agreed, and the elder asked everyoo follow him back to his home again. Upon arriving, he pulled out chairs for himself and the young woman and gnced between her and the lich.

  A few seds ter, she stated, “This feels really fug weird. It… He, I mean, says that he write, but for now, he thinks it is better to be able to talk somewhat normally.” She took a moment to shift in the chair before turning to Dawn and Niphru to remark, “He said that he will leave you alone now and that he is sorry for having to intrude, whatever that means.”

  Hearing this, the elder nodded before fag the group, inf them, “Morris, I’d like you to stay here for now, but the rest of yroup are free to leave.” While they turo leave, he could be heard asking, “Do you need a seat as well, mister libsp; Ah Morris, sorry for not grabbing a chair for you; I’m kind of all over the pce right now, feel free to get one from the table.”

  By this point, the versation faded as the door closed, and Lisryhem back to their wagons, where they met Brigid again, sitting upon the church’s transport. As they approached, she tossed a mana stoo the far end of the wagon befrabbing another nearby. She looked over at the group and waved her free hand at them before fog ba recharging the crystals.

  Sihe woman clearly saw them and wouldn’t think they were thieves, the group proceeded to their wagon aocked their packs before pulling out their tents to set up nearby. As they were putting them up, a young man approached them, hesitating for a moment before clearing his throat.

  As members of the group turo focus on him, he began stating, “You put those tents up; the elder talked with all of us while you were gone, and there are enough of us with free room that you all sleep in a real house.” While he spoke, a few more people approached.

  Lisryn was the first to respond, immediately asking if her guardians would be allowed to stay with her. The others simply nodded and began taking their tents back down rather than finishing them.

  The man shrugged and remarked, “I don’t see why you’d need a guard, but sure, you stay with me; I’ve got two rooms free in my house.”

  Lisryn shook her head and stated, “My guards prefer to stay close, but thank you for the offer of another room. Sino one else asked, do you all have extra beds, or should we bring our sleeping bags?”

  This resulted in some embarrassed muttering from the group. It turned out that there were only four who had beds, meaning several of them would o sleep on the floor. Eventually, it was decided that Lisryn, Viera, Miana, and Dawn would get beds, while the others would use sleeping bags.

  It did take a bit of iating to manage, however, as three of the four refused to allow an animal on their spare beds, and the st was still flicted about it, while Dawn didn’t want Niphru treated worse than her. Niphru thanked her for her thoughtfulness, as well as the woman who would be their host for allowing him to join Dawn, surprising her, as he hadn’t spoken up while the others had been discussing the arras.

  In hindsight, he probably should have, si seemed they thought he was just an animal, sidering how the others seemed surprised as well. He was tired, though, after his stant stress and being upset over the lich being present in his special link with Dawn. Due to this, he didn’t feel like doing much, and had stayed silent while allowing Dawn to speak for them both.

  After the vilgers got over their surprise, they led their guests to their homes for the evening, Lisryn taking a moment to collect Brigid before following.

  As they prepared to go to bed, Dawn remarked, “It feels o be ba a simple home again. I like the spire and all, but it just isn’t the same.”

  In response, Niphru nodded and replied, “I feel simirly, even if the spire has useful tools like the shower that also helps dry you. Your mother’s house felt more like home.”

  “Exactly,” was all that Dawn said as she got into the loaned bed, Niphru leaping up to curl up beside her.

  The following m, the group met back up at the wagons, finding Morris leaning against one as the lich stood nearby, unmoving. Upon seeing them approach, Mreeted them before speaking, “The talks went well st night, and we will be taking a bunch of writing supplies with us as we bring the lich back to his people before they go set up in the forest. They will be helpihe forest safe, so robably leave and go help somewhere else. What do you think, Lisryn? You are the one who directed us here.”

  After a moment to think, Lisryn replied, “That sounds like a good idea to me. They are pretty scary, especially him in particur,” she gestured towards the lich before tinuing, “so if he is here, I’m sure they deal with nearly anything, and there is still the group of warriors who got here before us.”

  Since she agreed, the group double-checked the wagons before carefully bringing them back dowh to the pins. Following that, they moved them just off the road before walking back to the waiting group of skeletons to join up with Narath again. As he saw them, he noticeably rexed before walking forward to join their group, trading pces with the lich.

  A while ter, they arrived back at the wagons and began heading up the road toward the town of Misty Valley again. Simir to their earlier travels, the group practiced along the way, though Viera spent more time sitting on the wagon and reading her book on light magic rather than actually testing her spells.