When all four had halted at the crossroads that opened into a plan, Elsie got out her map to study it. After staring at it for a minute or two, she pointed to a spot on the map where she believed they should be on there. "It looks like we should head north from here," she told the others.

"Let's go north then." Faye took a few steps ahead before and looking down each of the three paths again.

"Yeah, I say go north too." Aelric retorted, "That is if Elsie could actually tell which way that is."

"That way," Elsie huffed and pointed to the middle path. 

"If it's difficult, you might want to hand the map over to someone who can read it."

She didn't verbally respond to his taunts, only glared as she rolled up the map and slid it over her shoulder into her backpack. Ailbe looked in the northern direction that Elsie had pointed. "Who's leading?", she subtly sliced through the tension.  

"Me!", Aelric stated as he started north. Begrudgingly, the others followed, Ailbe taking up the rear. 

As they headed north, their path cut through the waist-high grasses. Although their visibility was good, each member of the Eastern group was feeling uneasy, thinking about and watching for anyone or anything that may be stalking them on either side. 

But it was the grass on Faye's left that suddenly moved. Seeing nothing at first, she was en garde. It was only by squinting she could see two thin wooden tubes within the long grass, pointing straight at the group. Too small and camouflaged for the other three to notice immediately. 

"Guys," Faye whispered loudly. "Watch out."

Too late; in both verbal warning and lack of direction to watch out for. The thin wooden tubes were blowpipes, which each sent two darts in the group's direction. Luckily, none of the darts hit any of the four adventurers, missing limbs by mere centimetres. 

Although the dart missed everyone, Elsie, who was in front of Faye, lost her composure. "How dare someone sneak up on us and ruin a perfectly good walk through this plain. We're not disturbing them."

"How do you know we didn't?", Ailbe asked as she cautiously drew her longsword. But rage was clouding Elsie's judgement and she didn't hear Ailbe as she drew her sword, about to chase after them. No one's reaction was fast enough to stop her. So instead, held out their blades in front of them and charged.

Elsie quickly caught up to where the blowpipes were, to find those who held them. In the grasp of very small hands, standing to a full height of about two and a half feet, were two Pygmies coated head-to-tow in the dirt. It blended with their skin so much that she wasn't sure where the dirt ended and their skin began. Was their skin even visible at all? 

Both Pygmies had been hunched slightly, though, with Elsie's sudden charge, they revealed their quick agility and were able to weave between her legs in a second. The pair wore grass skirts and a loose piece of stretched cloth over their chests, both of which were caked in mud. As they stopped running in circles like dogs who were chasing their own tails, the rest of the group was able to get a look at the pair. In such close proximity, Elsie had even noticed that each one had a bone through its nose. 

She hadn't enough time to digest the imagery as the Pygmies drew their daggers and the first one, the closer one, attacked her. To counter the attack, she aimed her blade at his head but he was too fast; she only managed to whack him in the back with the flat of her sword, causing him to tumble. Ailbe was right behind Elsie and went in for the attack after seeing the stumble. However, she was unaware of the second Pygmy concentrating on her, running circles around her legs and feet, and it caused her to topple forward. The one bit of hope was that before her head hit the ground, her blade cut the second Pygmy, who had stopped suddenly to her right. 

This left Aelric to get on top before the second Pygmy could retaliate. It hit the ground that hard and was left dazed, which was enough time for Aelric to plunge his blade into its chest before it could get away. The body of the second Pygmy lay lifeless under him. Its clothing had fallen flat over its body and something protruded out from under it. 

Curiosity got the better of him and so Aelric carefully reached his hand down inside the Pygmy's shirt to pull out a small leather bag. It was hung around the dead Pygmy's neck and he ripped it off to look inside. It had three Gold Pieces. "Thanks for the payment," Aelric told the dead Pygmy, grinning with satisfaction. 

Realising that her help was needed with the first Pygmy, Faye joined Elsie. Slicing and stabbing the air with their blades, trying to get it as it ran a larger circle around the three of them. The creature was quick, Elsie had to give it that, though she had years of training with her friends back home. Not giving up, Elsie got the final blow and the Pygmy stopped. Stopped circling, stopped moving, stopped breathing. The first Pygmy was dead too. 

Not only had her final blow killed the Pygmy but also she split open its cloth to reveal its chest and a leather bag around its neck. While Elsie bent over to search the poor creature's body, Faye wiped the sweat off her brow and sheathed her swords. Elsie pulled off the leather bag and found that it also had three Gold Pieces inside.

When Aelric looked over and saw that the other Pygmy had been taken care of, he got up and walked back to Ailbe, offering her his hand. "You okay?"

Ailbe just sighed and didn't accept his hand. Instead, pulling herself up and back to her feet. "Fine. Just sick of being the target to the creatures we face."

"Maybe you just need to be more aware of your surroundings," he suggested rather smugly, turning in the northern way they had been heading. He walked ahead without them, tossing the leather bag in the air.

"Oh, be quiet," Ailbe demanded, then muttered under her breath as he left. "We all know your skills are no match for mine."

"Just ignore the halfwit, Ailbe," Faye told her. "And, Elsie, nice strike. That was fast and precise. I'm Impressed."

"Thanks, Faye," Else replied gratefully as she stood and pocketed the coins. "We should go. Don't want him finding the rest of the hammer without us."  

All agreeing, they followed Aelric north. 

As the path proceeded northwards, the sun was setting, the grass became shorter, and the ground started to rise gently. The three girls quickened their pace to keep up with Aelric. Except, for that was what he wanted, what he had planned for when he had walked off ahead of them. As they caught, he slowed down, falling behind them into his usual back position. 

Ahead of the group, the sound of flowing water. A river or stream was sure to be ahead of them. And soon they would prove their assumptions correct as they reached the bank of the gently flowing river. Faye, who flanked Elsie's right side, saw a path leading to a rickety old bridge, leading North across the river. The only other way she saw to cross the river was to swim, holding their backpacks above their heads to keep them dry. Which option was best, she didn't know. 

"Anyone for the old bridge that could snap after a single step?", Aelric asked rhetorically, looking over at the others to see each of them simultaneously take off their packs. "Good." He did the same.

This time, Faye lead the way as they carefully slipped into the water, holding their packs above their heads. She started to make her way across, with Ailbe following closely behind. Elsie was next and Aelric was at the back. When all four were in the river, Faye had reached the middle and her legs felt vulnerable. Elsie's too, she half expected to be bitten at any moment by some unseen river creature. 

“Guys, uh, what are the chances of something attacking us right now?”, Elsie asked warily.

“None if you keep going. It’s getting dark, let’s be quick and set up camp over on the bank,” Aelric encouraged.

Elsie sighed but kept silent and alert. But nothing did happen nor did anything attack them, and they managed to cross safely. Now standing on the opposite river back at the foot of some hills; wet. Darkness was coming quickly as night set in. 

They decided to camp behind some rocks to the left of the path, as Aelric had advised. Having yet another spit-roasted rabbit, thanks to Faye’s hunting, they settled down to sleep as the fire died down beneath the full moon.