Hurried on and encouraged by Nala and Froad, you head for the hiding spot. You can sit there safely without being noticed, even Tralkor: the fey have groomed their surroundings to suit their nosy and shy nature.

After a few minutes of silence you hear some dark booming voices in the distance, followed by some rustling in the bushes some sixty feet away from you. A big bugbear clad in leather armor steps out of the bushes. He peers around intently while sweeping the area with a drawn longbow. He takes ten seconds for his inspection and then turns around and starts speaking in Orc.

"There is no point in this if you don't shut up, Borf. Anyone here will have heard us way before I start scouting." What must be the strongest and tallest orc you have seen so far in your life steps out of the bushes and joins the bugbear. "BWAhaa, hehe...take it easy. There is noone here. I am afraid of nobody anyway." If his shaven and scarred skull is not his most impressive feature, the gigantic axe on his back must be. The orc starts taking off his chain shirt. ""Let's go swim! Or do you need to check the demimeter there as well? Bwaha!" The orcs rushes to the water as the bugbear turns around to face the bushes again. "Perimeter...." He continues to mutter some soundless words with a hopeless expression on his face, adressing the two last figures coming out of the bushes. The small robed goblin has her attention fully focused on a scroll she is holding, but the orc, clad in a nicely ornamented full plate, that follows the goblin shows some understanding. He makes a calming gesture and sais: "Let him. The man is excited to see water and this place seems peaceful enough, huh?" The orc smiles at the miffed bugbear and the three of them proceed to sit next to the water.

As the orc swims around and produces some weird exclamations of joy and encouragement for the others to join him, the goblin sits quietly and keeps reading her scroll. When offered a drink from a watersack she waves it away absentmindedly, not even looking up. The orc and bugbear sit together and have a small conversation about how they have been travelling for three weeks now and how the last part of their travels through this relatively flat and barren land has been quite swift. The bugbear also repeatedly makes the point that they should be more cautious and allow for better and more scouting. The orc in general replies that he should have more faith and that they enjoy protection from 'above'. During a short period of silence the bugbear looks around lazily as he suddenly sits up. "We are being watched." He starts drawing his bow as suddenly the goblin speaks up: "It is the Fey. Don't worry, they are harmless." The female sounds very certain, but does not take the effort of looking up to confirm her theory. The bugbear is now focused on the ground surrounding them. "People were here. Orcs...females? Hmmm...and ogres, I think." "It is a trading route, my friend. Many an orc and ogre will be frequenting this place, no?" It seems the bugbear is satisfied, as he puts back his bow and continues to lazy about. "Yeah...let's camp here."

"WOO HOO!" The orc splashes some water on his companions on the shore before he leaves the water and yields some annoyed comments. "So. We camping here, huh? That's good. I approve of this. When I retire, I am going to build me one of these. Oasis, huh? Haha!....Two oasises even!" Apparently his companions are used to the nonsense the orc produces: he does not get much response.

"So...Yana. We are almost there and we are far away from cities and people, right?"

"Hmmm...."

So...you get to tell me what we're doing, no?"

"Hmmm....."

"I mean, is it far to the south...towards the end of the world? The world does end somewhere, no?"

"Hmmm...."

"Hmmpf."

"Tell him, Yana. Otherwise I will. With my head for detail, you might want to do it yourself, no?"

"Yes!"

*sigh* "Do you remember the big machine...that brings wood to the city?"

"Yes"

"Do you know why it moves...out of itself?"

"Yes...magic"

"No, magic can not do that. Well, it can, but that would be too expensive."

"No, it is magic, I am sure"

"God kill me...please"

"Hey!"

"Sorry, but come on!"

"Guys, I am speaking. Okay, Dorf, it is magic"

"Yes"

"Buuut...it is special magic. It requires a special stone to function. A gem"

"Yes, a magical gem"

"No, not a magical gem"

"Then, what's so special about it?"

"Well, it is green. It is also very big. Almost as big as your head"

"As big as YOUR head?"

"Uh, yeah. And it is warm to the touch. Hold it for too long, and you will burn your hands"

"Okay"

"So, the gem for the second machine was found a while ago. They are very rare, we may never find a third"

"Ohhh....lucky finder"

"Yes, but it was stolen"

"No!"

"Yes"

"By who?"

"Dark elves"

"No way? Dark elves??"

"Yes"

"Yana?"

"Yes?"

"What is a dark elf?"

"Dark elves are evil creatures that live deep underground"

"Evil? Isn't it dark there?"

"Yes, they can see in the dark"

"No way!"

"Yes....if my information is correct, there was a time when your kind could do so as well"

"Wow. So....where are we going?"

"Endar..."

"Right. Borf, we walk for maybe two weeks to the south and find maybe ten more oases"

"Oasises. Ten is more than one."

"Yes. The landscape will turn to jungles. Very funny forests. We should be able to see two volcanoes...mountains....very large hills. We then go to the right one. At the foot of the big hill is a mine. That is where the gem got stolen. The drakefolk that live there have made carvings in the trees that lead us to the entrance of the dark elf lair. From there on, we are on our own"

"Oh....Yana?"

"Hmmm..."

"The world does end somewhere, no?"


The conversations continue, but this was obviously the most interesting part. The party intends to sleep here and travel on the next morning. If you want to, you can let them pass without them noticing you. If you want, you can confront and/or disturb them. If so, now is the time.