As the others slept I got a chance to roam around as I wanted, some of the voices wanted me to stay at the camp and attempt to make friends but I decided against it since I didn’t want to wake them up. Perhaps I could’ve gotten some information on the mission but then again I was not too keen of socializing with any of these snarky bastards. Instead I went on a stroll around the area, scouting out the environment around the lake. Even though it was late the sky was clear and the moon almost full which allowed me to see very well. But even considering this I noticed that our camp was very well camouflaged and could only be spotted from the lakeside which seemed unreachable without a boat, adding on the fact that there was no campfire or raised voices we were practically untraceable.
I began my search by exploring the lake which looked almost surreal with the moonlight reflecting off the surface like a silvery web across the ripples. I tried to view out across the lake to the other side but the water was too bright and the shores too shady. The lake itself looked serene at first but at closer look it was bursting with life, shoals of tiny bottom feeders frolicking around the reeds, glimmering dragonflies hovering above lily pads and the majestic yet frightening outline of carps deep beneath the surface. I was tempted to bring out my fishing rod and give it a go but I wouldn’t want the elves to catch on to what I doing…but two years was living off bread and vegetables made it seem excruciatingly tempting. I continued my round while still thinking about the lake’s delicious secrets but, perhaps I’ll give it a go later? Hmm…
In the opposite direction there was dense forest, while the trees were comparatively sparse the other vegetation was quite the opposite and created what at first glance appeared to be a solid wall of shrubbery. After a while though I managed to find my way through and began exploring. My meager height helped me out greatly when it came to navigating around the area as I could with little effort duck beneath any low hanging branches. I finally found a more open area once I reached a small creek weaving its way through the forest. This was a true stroke of luck since now it’d be impossible to get lost as I could just follow it back to the lake which it presumably flowed in to. While my trip did not live up to the expectations of the voices concerning adventures I had a felt ecstatic after finding a colony of mushrooms, I managed to identify both eatable and poisonous ones. A happy surprise especially due to the fact that mushrooms wasn’t too common on the elven menu. As I munched down on some delicious fungi the voices also suggested I’d grab a hold of some poisonous ones as well, to which I complied hesitantly making sure I didn’t mix up my stashes. High in spirit I continued onwards for quite a while finding little of interest but contently enjoying the nature around me. Just as I was about to turn back I found some strange tracks on the ground, it was really hard to tell in the dark but even after a closer inspection I was unable to discern their origin.
Just as I’m about to follow them into unknown territory I hear movement not too far away. I panic and drop to the ground. I cover my mouth and lie completely still….listening, listening intently. The sound of splashing…hmm…but the lake’s too far away…
I remain still for another urist before I begin crawling towards the source… As I get closer the sound gets more distinguishable and suddenly accompanied by what could be a canal or a waterfall. Between the leaves of my concealment I spot an outcropping cliff with a waterfall flowing over the side. As I silently brush away a few branches I get a look of a small pond at the base of the fall where a lady is currently bathing.
I realize that perhaps I should notify the others…she could be an enemy. And even though I had been walking for quite a while we were still relatively close to the camp if one would count out the rough terrain. The voices weren’t as conclusive and decided that we shouldn’t make any rash decisions. While the voices were planning out our next move I found myself disgusted by the foamy stuff…the…the soap. Seemed terribly unnatural and as we all know soap belongs in a hospital and should only be used in extreme emergencies. And even then it’s questionable. But I was awoken from my pondering upon the subject of soap as the voices spotted something in the distance, a good 30 urists from the pond. (Undeliberate pond puns are the best puns). It appeared to be a small collection of bags and clothes and other miscellaneous items, probably belonging to the nearby woman. The obvious idea of robbing the shit out of this poor unknowing lady was naturally suggested in our ongoing internal discussion, while I was to no extent encouraging behavior I was on the other hand fairly positive about going through her belongings to finds something that might indicate her intents or identity.
But I kept waiting in hiding for the voices to reach a conclusion. While robbing her might not have any repercussions I was not too keen on the idea from a moral stand point, meanwhile it would still be a no risk potential reward option. To interact with her would be detrimental if the elves somehow caught wind of it as this mission had thus far been executed as a covert undertaking, still the keyword is if. There is also the more sensible option to leave her alone and either notify the party or to keep on exploring.