It was a about an hour after they’d left the town proper that Char stopped the carriage, leaving Elaina and her party to get out and go the rest of the way on their own. “Thanks for everything, Char!” Elaina said as the woman climbed back up into the driver’s seat.

“No thanks needed, so long as I get paid of course. When you all need to head back, just check in at the stables on the east side of town. Probably won’t be that gets the job unless it’s some freak chance, but it’s already paid for regardless.”

“Okay, I hope it is you though!” Char laughed and Elaina waived as the horses turned back, riding back down the valley.

“Alright,” Tira said, already looking at a map of the area, “we know there are poachers in the area, but not exactly where they’re staying or poaching from.”

“I believe I can assist you, if you take me out,” a voice said from inside Elaina’s satchel

“Oh, right.” Elaina opened her bag, pulling the crystal orb out and holding it up to the map.

“How is Temmie going to help?” Flora asked, peering over Tira’s shoulder.

“I know the relative location of the subcore that was taken by the poachers. Before it was removed, I could sense the general crystal deposit around it. It is on the lower right corner of your map, across that river. They are likely still there, farming crystal shards.”

“Even if they’re not there, checking it out is going to benefit us,” Tira said as she folded up the map and started walking. “We’re supposed to be doing a quick weekend recon mission, so just finding a crystal deposit or its remnants will be great.”

“Wait, I thought we were supposed to be going after the poachers,” Elaina said as she started walking after Tira, still holding the System in her arms.

“I mean that’s great if it happens, but for a three day mission it’s certainly not expected. The forest is big, and our main goal here is actually just a show of force. That’s why we’re hiring carriage to take us out here. We could easily walk, but once the town starts talking about Endrin students going out into the woods, it’ll hopefully pressure the poachers into stopping.”

“Hey, uhm, I’ve been thinking…” Elaina turned, seeing Carline walking a short distance behind the other three. “Is it really okay for us to just go do this? Like, I don’t think we’re really in any danger with our classes and everything, but shouldn’t we have told the school we know about the crystal deposits before we came out here?”

“Well, we can’t really do that without giving up everything,” Flora said. “It’s a little complicated, after all.”

“She’s right for once,” Tira said, still marching forward. “We’ve sort of made our bed with that at this point. If we were going to come clean, it needed to be when Alonse got back”

“But what if we hadn’t gotten this mission? We knew about the poachers before the school did possibly. What if someone else had gotten the mission and went in unprepared?”

Elaina wasn’t really sure what they would’ve done. They couldn’t just come out and say it of course, but Carline had a point. “We would’ve figured something out, I’m sure. If something else like this comes up, we’ll just have to do our best.”

“Okay…”

They walked in silence as the sun began to drift closer and closer to the valley they’d left behind them. It was falling into that same valley when they reached the tree line, Tira taking the map out again to check they were on the right path.

“Can’t Temmie tell us if we’re going the right way?” Elaina asked.

“I can, and we are going the right direction generally speaking, but I do not know about the most efficient way to get there based on terrain. I defer to Miss Strask on that.”

“Well I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m honestly not too good with reading maps. I think we’re heading the right way if we want to cross the river at this ford?”

“Oh oh, let Carly try! She’s always been good at outdoorsy stuff,” Flora said.

Elaina turned, seeing Carline shaking her head and sticking her hands out. “What, no! That’s just cause my dad made me go hunting all the time.”

“But you’re good at reading them anyway, right?” Tira asked, extending the parchment out. “Doesn’t really matter why you are if we get where we’re going.

“Well, okay…” Carline took the map in her hands, looking it over and pointing to one spot. “Temmie, the cave we’re going for is around here?” 

“Correct.”

“Well I don’t know if we need to cross the river exactly then. Just past it there looks like some rocky hills, so going around the bottom here might be the best bet.”

Flora slapped Carline on the back, causing the girl to yelp. “Told ya Carly knows what she’s doing.”

“Good enough for me,” Tira said as stepped behind Carline. “You keep the map, and lead the way.”

“Uhm, alright.” Carline struggled with the map for just a moment before managing to get it into her bag. This way, I guess.”

Elaina thought about offering to lead the way herself, but she stopped herself. There had been the slight hint of a smile on Carline’s face as Tira had told her to keep the map, and thinking about that brought a smile to Elaina’s face as well. She’s got this.

The trip through the woods themselves wasn’t as bad as Elaina had thought it might be. They weren’t as dense as the ones around the school, so even without a proper walking path it wasn’t too much trouble for Carline to navigate them.

“Hey, I’ve been wondering something,” Elaina said as she climbed over a fallen log. “Why are you still wearing your dress, Flora? I get waiting until we were off the road, but isn’t being naked kind of your thing?”

“Oh, it’s less fun being naked when you all are expecting it.” Flora looked over at the log Elaina had just climbed over and thought for a moment before crouching down and leaping up. Jumping over the log was perfectly modest, but as she fell the hem of her dress flew up to her stomach, flowing down with the wind after she landed but giving all three of the others a good look as it fell back into place. “Spontaneity is important in this sort of thing, you know?”

Elaina looked away blushing, only to find Tira had done the same. 

“You know,” Tira said, “you certainly have the spontaneous part down, but don’t forget that I won earlier.”

“Won what?” Elaina asked.

“That time you did,” Flora said, skipping ahead and sticking her tongue out at Tira. “Next time—”

“Quiet,” Carline whispered, ducking down to the ground. “Someone’s close, very close.”