These two mini-chapters introduce yet another character, and puts some direction in the journey.
Back at the camp, Erith and Denii were setting a destination goal while T'shebak washed himself.
"See that black spot. Here?" Denii asked Erith, pointing up at a point of darkness in the mountains. "I say we set for there."
"Sure," Erith agreed. "What d'you suppose it is? I think it's a big boulder."
"Nah, it's too dark. I say it's a house."
They were both right. The point they had chosen was a cave. Shpardith's cave. And Shpardith was one dragon who did not like visitors.
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At the castle, people were panicking. Almost. Erith was only the youngest of Ravitiiv-eik's many daughters. Of course, she was supposed to set out to seek her fortune, but so soon? She hadn't even taken lessons on how to sit down properly, and her eating habits certainly left something to be desired. Why, she couldn't even remember which fork to use! Everyone agreed that a search party should be sent out, but no one wanted to take the trouble to rescue minor royalty, especially when the wizard problems had gotten so big. The only person who could be spared was the cook. The king and queen wanted to give the assistant cook a chance because they were tired of salads.
"I don't see why an old rickety chair like myself has to go find that young upstart," said T'shidinaia the cook, wiping her hands on her apron. She threw some herbs into a bag and set off northwards. Only logical, she thought, with the desert and the lake in all the other directions… and I don't think she would have taken the road. She was annoyingly unfond of people.
