A few days meandering down the roads away from the Watering Hole

[Torvallis!]

[Mar 22, 9pm]

Torvallis! stopped and rested on a rock by the road. They hadn't taken anything with them except what they carried in their pouches and sleeves. This road looked promising, there were icy footprints down it, it might actually lead somewhere. There was a light brushing of snow on the rock, but the chill didn't penetrate T!'s robes.

"This one lasted longer than the last one, didn't it Bartholomew?", T! said, turning to the mana perched on their shoulder. "Yes, yes, I agree, if I listen to Cyanide less often, this might become a regular occurrence. Remember that time we burned down a village before we even got there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure it was those two kids, but I'd rather people blame the travelling fire mage, than to outcast defenceless children. It was probably a mistake, not everyone has a Cyanide whispering in their ear."

"No, Cyanide, we're not going to go back to make sure of anything. I don't want them dead. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to hunt us down and kill us, so there wouldn't be a point to making sure anyways"

"Well, even more than her, I'm going to miss the apprentices and work towards a fire circle I had accomplished. Besides, they were doing that whole travelling trade agreements thingie thing, I think, so we might run into her and her handmaiden again anyways!"

"No, no, she'll understand, she's a fire mage too, remember? And she was there with me in the fire! Mmm, that's a memory to warm these bones . . . . C'mon, we can't chat all night, we have to find a good place to rest. Or keep moving through the night to keep warm until the sun comes back up. Be good fire mana and keep me warm, alright?"

[Torvallis!]

[Mar 23, 9pm]

Another cold path between the trees stretched out before Torvallis! A trail of footprints led a few more yards down the road, but after that the snow had filled them in too much to follow.

"I guess setting up camp can't hurt . . . right Bartholomew? Bartholomew? Barthy, now's not a good time to go to sleep! Ugh, you'll freeze to death . . ."

T! stumbled over to the trees, and once there found a place where the snow was taller than them. Not wanting to melt it, and have it turn to ice, they dug a hole straight down into the snow bank. They settled down inside the narrow hole and punched their hood into the snow around the edges of the top of the hole. It would make a rudimentary seal for body heat. Oversized hoods weren't only good for looking properly cult-like!

"Well Cyanide, I guess we'll need to spend tomorrow hunting rats until we catch one. Little bastards. It's like they don't want to get eaten! I hope Bartholomew wakes up tomorrow"

[Torvallis!]

[Mar 25, 11]

Torvallis! was huddled around a small fire in the woods. Bartholomew lay in a small mana-sized hammock near the flame, a tiny, tiny bowl of soup in front of it.

"You're right, Cyanide, fire is always a good idea . . . always . . ."

"Yes, it does look like it might rain. That might be horrible. We should hope it doesn't happen"

"We should pray it doesn't happen"

T! suddenly, frantically, thrust their hand into a pouch, coming out with a fist overbrimming with fire mana.

"Lord Fire, I beseech thee, please guard us from rain and cold, and let the warmth of your love shine upon us through the uncovered moon and the bare warmth of the suns rays! Cast out this crystal water from the lands, and let them dry and bake under your glory!"

[AD]

*the winds blow hard as snow starts to fall*

[Torvallis!]

T! looked down at the mana in their hand.

" . . . we'll take what we can get, right Cyanide? Better than rain . . . "

"Yes, we SHOULD build the fire higher."

"But we have to let it die out first, because we can't leave it while we get more wood"

[Torvallis!]

[march 27, 1pm]

Torvallis! lay shivering in front of a dying fire. The wind & snow had picked up, and were quickly extinguishing the fire, but wind also meant oxygen, and oxygen means burny, so Torvallis! huddled in their robes as the snow bank grew around them.

[AD]

*the snow has now buried the fire pit*

[Torvallis!]

"Cyanide . . . what are the chances . . .a fire can keep glowing . . .underneath snow?"

" . . . Cyanide?"

"Where's Bartholomew? . . .he must be buried . . . in the snow"

[Torvallis!]

"Huh. Everything's white and I can't feel my body."

"Am I in the afterlife?"

"I wonder what it tastes like . . ."

"BLEGH. WHY DOES THE AFTERLIFE TASTE LIKE SNOW?!"

[Torvallis!]

[Apr 6, 4pm]

A rat roasted over a rather large fire next to a lake. Torvallis! was practically hugging the fire with how near they were. A week prior, after all, they had nearly died of cold.

"I hate the snow, Cyanide. I hate it! Good thing it's starting to melt all round . . . but did it have to rain?!" T! said and shouted angrily to the remaining mana on their shoulder.

"Maybe we'll be able to find Bartholomew! He must be somewhere!". Torvallis! held the rat by a roasting hot leg and tore it from the corpse on the spit.

"RATS!" declared T! with a greedy grin. "RATS RATS RAAAAAATTTTTSSS!" as they began to devour the juicy meat.

[Torvallis!]

[Apr 13, 9pm]

"MARCO"

"MARCO"

"MARCO"

Suddenly, Torvallis! looked directly downwards, and dove to the ground. They came back up with a small, furry, tattered bag.

"Bartholomew! You're alive!"

[Torvallis!]

[Apr 18, 2pm]

"RATS RATS RATS RATS RATS RAAAAAAAAAAAAATSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssss"

Torvallis! was situated by the the side of a fire, blood running down their chin from the rat flesh they had just finished eating, while the remainder of the corpse was roasting on a spit.

"RATS RATS RATS, hm? Yes Cyanide, I concur: fire! RATS RATS RATS RATS"

[Torvallis!]

[May 3rd or 4th, personal definition depending, midnight]

" [...] So you see, Bartholomew, as myself And Cyanide Agree, if we continue to follow this trail of footsteps, we will eventually come to some sort of large settlement!"

"No no, it's not just one person, looked at how thoroughly the ground is tramped down! And see: there's some muddy footprints coming in from the side there! This *must* be some sort of a trade road, funny twisting and turning notwithstanding!"

"Look, I don't know why you keep mentioning this '100 acre wood' fable, I've never heard of it and I'm not fond of the idea of discursive sewage!"

[Torvallis!]

[May 21st, 11:30 pm]

Torvallis! looked a sight, having trekked around the woods for months, living off rats and the odd herb they recognized. Their red robe was stained with rat blood that was slowly rotting to a patchy black, and clumsy repairs had been made to the robe with twine.

They were staring intently at two muddy ruts in the ground of the path before them.

"I don't know Cyanide, it's not that likely that someone was skiing here recently. Although true that it's a perfectly cromulent way to travel, look how wide the distance is between the lines! They'd've'd to be doing the splits! And besides, there's no ski pole marks anywhere"

"Oh you're right, concentrated fireballs COULD be used for propulsion, and then a wider stance would provide additional stability. . ."

"Bartholomew, I know you like your theory of a wagon, but there's literally no supporting evidence for that"

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