"Quiet paths make me nervous," he said with a grin, glancing sidelong at Ash, "Either the beasts are waiting to eat us all at once, or Yvren's glare scared them into hiding."

It was Kalrek who broke the quiet first, laughter bubbling out as he swung his warded staff against his shoulder.

Yvren's eyes narrowed at the jab, his scarred face tightening with clear annoyance.

"Enough, Kalrek," he snapped, his voice edged with command, "Shut your mouth and keep your focus—this path doesn't forgive fools."

But his retort seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Veyra chuckled, brushing her fingers across the fletching of her arrow, "Better humor than silence, Kalrek. At least it keeps the air from freezing."

Kalrek laughed louder at that, puffing his chest, "Exactly! When we're knee-deep in mandibles, you'll thank me for the jokes. Fear doesn't like laughter—it chokes on it."

Yvren, walking with measured steps and eyes scanning the path, gave a sharp look. His tone was clipped, the voice of a seasoned leader, "Your noise won't shield you when the ground opens. Stay alert. Every breath wasted on chatter is a breath you may not have later."

Kalrek only grinned wider, "Aye, Captain of the Hunters. But if we're swallowed whole, at least we'll go down laughing."

Tholn, a pace ahead, shook his head with a faint smile tugging at his lips, clearly enjoying the banter even if he wouldn't admit it, "In the whole of the Murkfen Kin forces, only you two ever dare to joke around with Yvren—and somehow survive it."

Kalrek shot Tholn a grin, "What can I say? Someone has to keep the old wolf growling. If Yvren ever stopped scowling, the world itself might come undone."

Ash, meanwhile, kept to himself, quietly observing the exchange without joining in. When he finally spoke, his voice was low but steady, "Joking or silence, it won't matter if we can't hold together when it comes."

A brief silence followed, heavier than before, yet warmer too. Even Yvren inclined his head faintly, conceding the point, while Kalrek grinned as if victory lay in keeping the air light.

It had been a few hours since Elyrra had agreed to Ash's request. They had gone back to the Council Area where Elyrra assembled the scouting party, which would consist of Ash, Tholn, and the assessor and head of the hunter party- Veyra the keen-eyed huntress, and Kalrek the ward-carver. Their task had been laid bare, simple in word but heavy in meaning: investigate the beetle nest and return with knowledge, or not at all.

The elders and Yvren had initially been confused and shocked at the news, even more at the fact that Ash had practically increased the difficulty of his trial on his own. Some were concerned, some were confused, and those that were skeptical of Ash could not help but think to themselves that this was the perfect trial for Ash to prove himself.

After the mission had been set, the party met outside the hall and this was where Ash had his initial introductions with the others. Veyra had smiled with sharp curiosity, eager to prove herself. Kalrek had joked even then, boasting that if the beasts didn't fall to his wards, they'd die laughing at his charm. And Yvren, measured and unsmiling, had spoken with the authority of a leader, his words a reminder that recklessness would not be tolerated.

As they left the Hollow, the journey revealed more than paths. Veyra recounted songs sung during hunts, describing how Kin children were taught to mimic birdcalls before they could even walk. Kalrek filled the silence with stories, half true and half exaggerated, of past hunts and mistakes narrowly survived, his humor a balm against the weight of the mission. And Yvren, between sharp instructions and curt warnings, taught Ash how to read the soil: where moss thickened to cover danger, where fungus tilted to reveal the pull of hidden drafts.

Through it all, the forest seemed to listen—colors fading, roots arching, fungi glowing pale like lanterns feeding on fear.

Kalrek's jokes kept coming, each more outlandish than the last.

"I once scared a beast so badly it tripped over its own tail just to escape me," he boasted with a grin, "And another time, I laughed so loud an entire group of Shade Rabbits turned and fled. Who needs wards when you've got charm like mine?"

Tholn smirked, shaking his head, "The reason you laughed wasn't even funny… You saw a tree that looked like the trunk had buttcheeks."

Kalrek barked a laugh and shot back, "Hey, when nature gifts you comedy like that, you don't waste it. That tree had more personality than half the Kin I've met."

Veyra rolled her eyes and the corner of her mouth twitched, "You exaggerate every tale, Kalrek. One day you'll trip over your own tongue."

"Better my tongue than Yvren's temper," Kalrek quipped back, winking as the others chuckled despite themselves.

Yvren shot him a glare sharp enough to cut stone, but said nothing, focusing instead on the path.

Ash walked in silence, absorbing the rhythm of their banter, the way it carried them forward. He said nothing at first, but the warmth of it worked its way into him, steadying his thoughts.

Veyra finally broke the lull, glancing at him, "You've been quiet, Ash. What really drives you into danger when most would turn back? It can't be that you feel that you need to do this to fulfil the prophecy… Elder Trollen said you showed skepticism towards it."

Ash hesitated, his steps slowing. Kalrek tilted his head, curious for once, and Tholn glanced back without a word. Even Yvren's eyes shifted briefly in his direction, waiting.

"I…" Ash began, halting, his voice rough, "The children back in the Glade. I promised them they'd be safe. I told them no beast tide would ever reach them again."

The others fell quiet. The vow hung in the air, heavy and unshakable.

"And then since I already have a trial that involved me heading to the outskirts of your territory, why not just have it adjusted towards there? I would be like killing two birds with one stone so it just made sense to me," Ash added, portraying his thoughts to the rest.

"Yeah… we all heard about the Beast Tide that almost wiped out Glowfen Glade…" Veyra's usual smirk faded into something softer, almost solemn, "... It must mean a lot to the kids for you to make that vow. That's a heavy promise."

Kalrek, unusually quiet for a heartbeat, nodded with something like respect, "I knew I'd like you despite whatever Elder Ghranak said. Then let's make sure you can keep it."

Time passed as they pushed deeper, the forest's rhythm changing around them. Hours bled into one another beneath the endless canopy, each step carrying them farther from the Hollow and closer to the unseen heart of danger. The light dimmed, fungi burned with a sicklier glow, and every root seemed to whisper of what lay ahead.

Time passed as they pushed deeper, the forest's rhythm shifting with every mile. Hours blurred beneath the endless canopy, their path winding through root-bridges and mossy ridges as the light grew thinner. The fungi glowed with a sicklier pallor, as if the land itself warned them to turn back, and the roots whispered louder, like voices pressed close to the skin. The air thickened with damp, the trees leaned at angles that felt unnatural, and the colors dulled from vibrant greens into muted greys as they neared the edge of the Glade.

Through it all, Kalrek's jokes refused to cease—boasts of beasts scared off by his laughter, or claims that even the shadows fled from his charm. His banter carried them forward, a thread of levity in a landscape that grew heavier with each step.

As they walked, Kalrek suddenly grinned and broke the quiet.

"Knock knock," he said, his tone mischievous.

At this point, even Veyra groaned, she cried out, "Spirits save us. Who?"

"Leaf," Kalrek replied, eyes sparkling.

"Leaf who?" Tholn played along, smirking.

"Leaf this forest before it eats us alive! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kalrek burst into laughter at his own joke, the sound echoing oddly against the crooked roots.

Even Ash cracked the faintest of smiles, already finding himself used to Kalrek's ridiculous humor. Yet as quickly as it came, his expression shifted and was suddenly replaced with seriousness.

Meanwhile, Yvren's glare could have split stone as steam seemed to spurt from the sides of his head as he seemed to have reached his limit.

"Enough," Yvren snapped, "The Hollow is not a tavern."

Kalrek groaned dramatically, "You're such a vibe killer, Yvren."

He looked back at the others with a grin, "Speaking of killing vibes, I need the bathroom. Don't wait up."

Without another word, he trotted off to the side of the path, muttering something about how even heroes had to pee.

As Kalrek disappeared to the side to relieve himself, the others turned their heads toward one another almost in unison.

"You all felt it, right?" Veyra whispered, her hand tightening on her bow.

Tholn's eyes narrowed, "The soil shifted. Something's moving beneath us."

Yvren commented, his mind immediately turning this situation onto their side, "Looks like we already have a decoy to catch them off guard."

Ash exhaled sharply through his nose, his face a mask of embarrassment.

"I cannot believe the first one to stumble into the beetles among us will be that numbskull," he muttered as he facepawed.

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