Ediva only rolls her eyes at my comment and chuckles. The others, Barnim and Agnes, laugh too. Griselda in turn just motions me to come over.

"Well, you saved me the trouble of praying for a second lightning strike. Might as well put my energies to another use then. Come here and sit down for a moment, gal."

I do as she bids me and sit down on the trunk of a slightly burnt, knocked over tree. The dwarven cleric places a hand atop my head as I sit down and closes her eyes. She doesn't start to pray right away, like Aila did, when she healed me after the fight with the Kronk mushroom zombie. Instead I feel a skill being used on me. It feels a little like an identification skill, yet at the same time different.

Griselda just shrugs as she sees my arched eyebrow when she is done and opens her eyes again.

"I like knowing what I'm dealing with before I get started, gal. Mushroom zombie disease, huh? How did that happen?"

A diagnosis skill specialized of some kind? Well, I can't argue with that. Quite to the contrary in fact. Using a skill like that is good sense. It doesn't feel all that uncomfortable either. Nothing like the identification skill the guards tend to use. Overall I come to the conclusion that Griselda means well, thus I answer her question without reservations.

"It happened while I was screening our flank with Núira. A mushroom zombie, a dire boar, used some kind of skill or spell, enveloping me in a cloud of spores. I tried to hold my breath and close my eyes, but I guess I was too slow."

Griselda nods, satisfied with my answer.

"Alright. Relax and let me call upon Brig, gal. You should be all fixed up in a moment."

She doesn't place one of her hands on my head, as she begins to pray to her goddess this time around. She doesn't place it over my heart as Aila did back then either. Instead she places both of her hands firmly on my shoulders. And she speaks her prayer with firm conviction.

"Brig, divine ancestor, mother of dwarves! I beg you, cleanse this one's body and soul and ease her suffering."

The prayer itself is quite similar to Aila's though, with small but appropriate differences accounting for my different circumstances. The effect is immediate.

[*Ding!* You have been healed! Mushroom Zombie Disease cured!]

It feels like a heavy weight is lifted off my shoulders and as I take my next breath it comes much easier. Was it that bad already? And I didn't even really notice? That's a scary thought. In the end though it only makes my relief all the greater. I let out that breath again.

"Thank you. This is quite the relief."

The dwarven cleric pats my shoulders once more for emphasis.

"For sure, gal. I can imagine that the prospect of turning into one of those shamblers and spreading the plague anew wasn't pleasant. Come now, we should check on the others too."

Barnim chops off the mushroom giant's head for good measure. Then we leave together. We walk past plenty of small fires as we head in the direction of the camp, but they don't seem to be turning into a bigger blaze.

Ediva takes note of me eyeing the flames critically.

"We don't have to worry too much about being caught by a big forest fire. Too much moisture. Even in the mushroom eaten parts as far as I can tell."

On one hand that is reassuring. Fleeing from a forest fire that in theory can move much faster than I can run doesn't sound like my kind of fun. On the other hand this might be a problem too. I decide to say as much.

"You might have to torch this part of the forest again then. When it hasn't rained for a while and everything is nice and dry. The heat has to reach deep into the ground. The fungal infestation might spread anew otherwise."

Agnes joins the discussion, adding a brief comment of her own at this point.

"Just make sure to pay attention to the wind, Ediva. You don't want the flames to come right for you, driven by a breeze you can't outrun."

Considering the tone of Agnes comment and the sheepish look on Ediva's face this might have been an issue already at least once in the past.

A cheer rises from the others already gathering there, as our group arrives at camp too.

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I do a quick headcount, looking for the few faces I'm familiar with, without skipping any of the others in the process. It seems nothing else went wrong. Not in a way that the others weren't able to deal with at least.

As we come in, so does Núira, who apparently was still doing rounds around the campsite to make sure no mushroom stragglers would sneak up on us. She looks concerned still, even more so as she spots me.

I wave her off before she can say anything.

"Griselda already took care of my problem. Aila can focus on the others. And my plan worked out just fine too. Managed to pull the horde into range of Ediva's fireworks. Didn't even have to use any of my contingency plans."

The scout's shoulders slump a little, it is out of relief though and not for any other reason. The look on her face leaves no doubt about that. She really cares.

That's actually quite touching. I leave Ediva and her party behind for now and head over to give Núira a quick hug.

"It seems you got the warning back in time too. I see no one missing. So I guess all went well?"

She straightens back up and nods.

"Well enough at least. Everyone was ready for the few mushroom monsters that didn't follow you. The same is true for our other flank as well, although it took us a little longer to pick off the stragglers there. There were some injuries of course, but nothing too bad."

Even as we talk and watch Griselda gets busy helping Aila with the wounded and especially the infected of which there are a few too. It seems I wasn't the only one caught in a spore cloud. Judging by the reaction of the two clerics there shouldn't be any long term problems though.

I take the chance to take care of my gear. After today's fighting I need to give my sword some serious love after all. I might even have to take it to the smith once we return to Riverrun. For now though I do all I can to clean it and carefully work out the edge rolls, the shiny spots where the edge deformed just a little.

Plenty of the others do the same, spending some time after battle to take care of their gear.

Once I'm done with this I do something else that has been on my mind for a while now. I put away my sword and move closer to one of the fires that has been rekindled to dry my clothes. They probably would dry faster if I were to take them off, but I still don't have any spares and I don't know most of the people around here well enough to just strip down, so I'll have to suffer for a little longer.

I volunteer my bread to the cooks while I'm at it, as it got soaked too. There is no way it won't go bad quickly after this, thus it's best to use it up quickly. It gets crumbled and added to the soup that is already cooking over the fire.

Bread soup might not sound terribly exciting at first, but as I get to watch the cooks add other ingredients, like fresh cut vegetables and some bacon, up close my mouth starts to water anyway.

Sitting and waiting proves too much for me soon though. I have to do something to keep my mind busy. The solution to my dilemma comes to me as I remember a comment made by Núira as we parted ways out there. To unlock the prayer skill and as a result possibly the cleric class I need to carve an idol and build an altar?

Well, I can't get started on an altar here and now, but I can try and get some practice doing wood carving. It'll be a while before I can fashion a figure that is not an insult to Fox after all, so I might as well get started. Any misshapen attempts can go straight in the fire too, while I'm here.

Without any further delay I grab a piece of promising firewood, it doesn't have too many knotholes. A fresh piece of wood might be easier to work though, but I can't be picky right now. Then I get started carving using my utility knife. It's a little large for this purpose, but I manage anyway. Before long my efforts are rewarded with a notification delivered by divine whisper.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Woodworking general skill at Level 1!]

It's not anything grand, but I'm grateful anyway. I don't say anything but nod in silent thanks. Then I refocus on improving the little animal figure I'm working on, now supported by an actual skill.

"A dog?"

The question is posed by the cook.

I laugh out loud once.

"Not quite, but pretty close already. Maybe the next one will be actually recognizable."

I keep working on it a little, improving some of the details and earning another notification in the process.

[*Ding!* Your skill Woodworking has leveled up to level 2!]

It may not sound like much, but this skill is governed by agility. And, as a common skill, it improves the governing attribute on an even level. And my improving agility in turn improves my attack power. Never mind that I'm having an easier time carving this piece of wood with ever so slightly more nimble fingers.

The cook's eyes widen too as he finally recognizes what I'm working on.

"Oh! A fox! That's what you meant with pretty close."

I nod and look at the little figure for a moment before tossing it into the fire together with the wood shavings that have been gathering in my lap and at my feet.

The cook's eyebrow arches a little.

I just shake my head.

"I'll keep them once I have a little more practice and am actually satisfied with them."

That seems good enough for the man.

I grab another piece of wood and get carving right away again. It's a little easier this time around and I manage to avoid some of the mistakes I made the first time around. I don't carve another fox this time though. Instead I try to give the piece of wood the shape of the forest lynx I encountered on my first day out here in the woods. I hope it and it's curious cubs are alright.

I'm soon rewarded with another notification.

[*Ding!* Your skill Woodworking has leveled up to level 3!]

The cook seems to have an easier time recognizing what I carve this time too, which is rewarding as well. This too means that I'm making progress after all!

"Oh a cat … no, those ears … one of the lynx of the woods! Am I right?"

I nod with a smile. This time around I don't cast the figure into the fire. I set it down besides me. Then another thought strikes me and I get started on my third little woodcarving project.

We'll be having soup! Might as well carve myself a spoon! Why haven't I gotten started with one in the first place? That would have been so much easier!

The spoon earns me another partial increase of the [Woodworking] skill. Another reminder that the first few levels are always the easy ones. I finish it just in time to put it to the test too, as the cook starts handing out bowls of soup that is both tasty and hearty.

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