Contagion of Madness

F O U R

(track: "Jack Sparrow" by Hans Zimmer)

He doesn't even hesitate, the Breton simply walks out into the open. "Shelden, Felas! I wanted to thank you again for your hospitality!" Jorin proclaims as he walks to the side of them opposite to his companions. "I don't have much, but I wanted to show my gratitude by offering to buy you both a drink, what do you say?"

Felas raises an eyebrow and looks at his friend, their argument cut short.

Shelden smiles with surprise. "Wow! Absolutely!" he replies. "Can this one stick around? I'm almost liking him better than you," he tells Felas.

"Well at least I smell better," he remarks quietly.

"Please, let me treat you both, you've both been a great boon since I arrived," Jorin says as he gestures toward the inn with a smile, glancing toward Shae and Jayred and offering a subtle nod in their direction. "Come!" he adds.

"Don't mind if I do!" Shelden says happily and they follow his lead towards The Wastrel's Purse.

"Wow, you two are the cutest. You should get married," Felas comments.

Shae and Jayred exchange a look from where they are and they wait until all of their backs are turned before she sprints with quiet steps across the street and over to the building opposite them to hide behind it, Jayred following with clunky and clumsy steps not so quiet...

"What was that?" Felas asks with confusion when he looks over his shoulder, of course seeing nothing now.

Jorin looks in the direction the elf does. "I didn't hear anything." He shrugs before continuing to lead them. "So I was thinking Felas, you're definitely right about learning minor healing spells, I think it could be quite beneficial to have one on hand, I've never been one for magic and—" The rest of his voice is stifled when he enters The Wastrel's Purse with them.

Once they are gone, Shae punches the Nord in the shoulder. "What in oblivion was that?!" she says in a whisper. "Have you never walked before?!"

"I am not a sneaky person—"

"You don't say?" she adds with attitude before looking around. "Where are we going?"

"This way," he gestures with his head before running towards the north side of the walls that surround the Fringe.

She is about to follow but looks at the building that the others went into, hoping Jorin will know where they went. With frustration, she hisses at Jayred to stop. She catches up with him and pulls out an arrow from his quiver. Running back to where they just were, she lays the arrow down in the mud pointed in the direction they're heading. She then turns and quickly jogs after Jayred as they continue towards the garden.

(track: "Psychological Recovery" by Hans Zimmer)

The two of them run through the muddy grounds and dodge puddles and pools of dirty water, going between massive roots and leaving the town behind. The swamp is less crowded in this area so it's not as confusing or as filled with apparent danger as the swamp is on the east side. She spots some wildlife but they're small frogs and some very strange looking lizards that duck into the water when she passes by. Fireflies dot the lower air around them as well as those wisps. It's hard for her not to get distracted by those things sometimes, her natural wanderlust taking over like it does so often. But she tries to stay focused.

And it's not long before they get to the huge stone wall and a sectioned off area with a rusted gold gate, skeletons of giants visible through the bars mixed with the dirt and tall grass.