He put his hands up in mock surrender "Apologies, I'll keep my thoughts to myself next time" he chuckled before allowing himself to smile at her statement and hearing the Orc's statement "I grew up Adeluna, and the only deity I ever heard about passing through was a rather small lizard man, always thought it was a start to a weird joke? so perhaps getting information from a new city would make it more likely we would find her temple?" he walked up to Qadim shaking his rather large hand "Thanks for helping us it would be dangerous to go through the forest alone most likely due to how big it is".

After a few minutes of thinking about the problem at hand and a lot of chewing of a weird yet colourful plant he had found he rose a finger "Qadim is right, how can I put this gently 'Very Innocent' for this world, someone might decide to take advantage of that so I think I have a few books about the history of the kingdom, common etiquette, how to eat, drink and…." his rambles continued as he was pulling books and scrolls from his bag not even asking if she could read or if this was the best course of action simply letting the mage's love of reading take over as he started to explain about the basics of the books and the best parts and even suggesting other books that would do great once they are out of the forest before stopping himself with a deep breath and a shy smile "Oh uh sorry, its seems I got a bit carried away" letting out a small chuckle.

Her mouth twisted into a pout for a small moment, but she supposed there was really no point in arguing. They both made an excellent point at how she would be inept at adjusting to society with her current lack of social skills. "Well, I suppose I could use the help," Elowen admitted, tugging at a loose strand of her green hair. She nodded approvingly at Randal's apology, accepting it as a genuine one. If his disbelief came from those around him, she couldn't blame him for his odd remark. Although, she did wish he would stop eating harmless flowers; it was a little off-putting. "So we'll go to Mamlak, yes?" The path Qadim had gestured to went through the forest, a place she'd feel comfortable in but had just spent days trying to get out of. Shame to find out she should've gone the opposite direction.

"I'd love to disagree with you, but you're both correct about my, um, limited knowledge of the rest of the world's customs," Elowen stated, shrugging her shoulders. "Which is why Randal's many books," she stopped to chuckle, "will most definitely come in handy." Even though Serci had wanted her of personal boundaries, the young Dryad saw no harm in lightly patting the boy's shoulder. A content smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "And with Qadim as our guide, the journey will hopefully be a short one."

Qadim sighed as the boy went overboard with the books, going insane with cultures, communities, noble families… everything flowing out of his mouth like a waterfall… and speaking of mouth, the plant he had been chewing had been itching at him the entire time, his brain trying to calculate what it was until it finally clicked. Stepping over to the dryad, he told her, "Hold this for me," handing her his bow without much question before marching down to the mage.

"Hey, boy," he told him, kneeling down quickly to grasp the front of his collar before lifting him off the ground, away from his studies before his other hand grabbed the end of the leaf that stuck out of his mouth. "Say 'Aaahh'," he demanded, his eyes staring directly into the human's, "unless you enjoy kneeling over with uncontrollable bowels for the next three days as your body tries to pass out the toxins you are slowly ingesting." One he did, he let go without making him any closer to the ground before crumbling up what was left like a messy piece of parchment before tossing it into the woods. "To think that weed found a place to grow. I should let her know  before it gets out of control.

"Anyways, a quick hike through these woodlands can take a day and a half if we are quick and navigate correctly. No one gets lost, and we use our breaks wisely, and we should be out the other side by tomorrow's full moon." Stepping back to retrieve his bow, he crossed his arms before asking, "Any questions?"

The young mage looked at the Dryad's hand before placing his ontop of it allowing a small smile to grow before being jerked away by the large forest guide forcing him to spit out the plant but instead of looking nervous Randal muttered through great struggle as his collar was still being held "Could I have the name of the weed?" as he was dropped rubbing his sore neck he looked up to see the floating image of Edgest smirking at him "I could have told you that" as the mage seemed to try and grab at thin air the wraith retreated back avoiding the harsh sun in the shadows of the trees, "Son of a… but thank you for the assitance Qadim, but progress cant be gained without risk".

He stood brushing off some dust on his robe before shaking his head to the Orc's question before walking over to his bag to proceed to put his scrolls and books away and to mention "Elowen when we have the next break I could always help you with the basic books? you know to help speed things along" leaving one book out and handing the rather thin book with the title 'Maps Maps Maps' and the pages filled with diagrams and paragraphs of cities and towns, "It should help you get an understanding of the basic layout and culture of the city we are going to" Edgest appeared beside him once again with a frown, "I do not trust this forest it gives me a bad feeling" with a sigh Randal quickly changed topic and asked Qadim "I have a gut feeling theres danger ahead, perhaps we should be on the lookout?" before putting a hand on Elowen's arm.

As soon as the bow was put in her hands, she felt the weight of it pull her twiggy arms down. "What?" she asked confusedly, before her eyes widened in shock upon seeing Qadim lift Randal into the sir. Elowen felt sure that a fight was about to break out, but she had no idea what to do. A sigh of relief escaped her when she realized that the elf orc was only trying to help. Although she wanted to help Randal pick up his things, the bow was too heavy for her to move, at least with her tiny amount of strength. "Perhaps unnecessary risk would best be avoided," she offered, looking softly at the two of them. "Thank goodness Qadim was here to keep you from, well, dying." Her expression changed to one of gratefulness, and Wen nodded at the forest guide.

Relieved when the bow was removed from her grip, the Dryad's smile returned. "I've lived in these woods my whole life, and I can guarantee there will be danger," Elowen confirmed, her eyes darting down to Randal's hand for a short moment. "I have always been able to hide from any threats, but I fear for your safety." She made a pointed glance at Randal, who clearly lacked much experience in dealing with danger. "But we aren't getting anywhere just standing around all day. Let us proceed." Waiting for Qadim to lead the way, she folded one of her hands over Randal's, gently squeezing it before pushing it off her arm and accepting his offer to help with a simple nod.

"And risk should not be taken with such a carefree attitude," Qadim barked back as he placed a hand on a tree before closing his eyes. There, he connected to be one with them, talking their language to pass on their message to the lead of the area, warning about the potential threat so it could be dealt with while he was away. With the message sent, he added on, "If it was instead a poison that would have taken your life before the next daybreak, would you have still given such a calm statement? Risk is one thing, but recklessness is another."

There were no questions about how they would be moving, but the boy made a quick comment about potential danger, making the elf orc bolster in a vigorous laugh. "Which is why there is a guild of skilled trackmen and hunters that patrol these lands, or did you already forget my job? When a threat is nearby, the trees will talk about it before we arrive, just like how a neighbor talks about any other nearby commotion. Now then, get whatever light you need out, the canopy is thick, so little light is able to peer through." However, instead of bringing out a torch himself, Qadim's eyes had a quick glimmer of blue pass over them before turning to the woods. "Be sure to watch your step. Some of the roots are raised high," he added on before marching through the woodlands, occasionally looking back to make sure the pair were following well enough.

"How do you think I discovered what nightshade was" he laughed with a smirk pulling out a small vial of a blue liquid "Its why I always carry Antidotes and other herbs because even risks can be calculated" his smile dropped when the Orc laughed at his statement  about there being danger nearby as Edgest simply sighed "Apparently you aren't the only one being reckless" the statement being bitter before the wraith turned "Perhaps you should prepare a Spirit of Light and a Spectral Arrow for protection Randal?" with a quick nod that to anyone else in the group would look like Randal nodding at thin air he quickly drew a symbol in the air using the tip of his staff allowing what looked like to a normal being a small ball of light but to him it was a small fae looking creature that zipped around his head with small quiet laughs, his other spell was different as he allowed the mana he shared with Edgest to flow over his wand making tendrils of fog like substance stick to the staff ready to fire an small arrow. "Even though I may not be the best at combat spells, I have picked a few up that would be enough to even stun you great forest guide," he said with a cheeky grin.

He walked through the forest behind the Elf-Orc watching the small Fae hover next to him not saying a word apart from the odd look in his direction before Edgest mentioned "Randal, large root" giving the young mage enough time to unelegantly step over the obstacle before the wraith spoke again "Your wondering why it doesn't talk like me? Well its because most spirits power themselves off energy when they don't have enough then they won't be able to talk or do other normal human stuff, the more a spirit is used the more energy they will gather" with a quick nod Randal looked back at the Dryad to make sure she was still close enough to them before giving her a small smile.

Elowen frowned at Randal's flippant attitude toward his own safety, but she was in no position to dispute his overconfidence. After all, just a few minutes ago, she was prepared to go on a rather dangerous journey by herself with absolutely no idea where she was. When he summoned his orb of light and readied his wand, she watched in awe at the human's magic, though she giggled at his ungraceful step over a large root. She could sense it before she reached it, and effortlessly avoided the obstacle. "Somehow I doubt that you are able to best Qadim, given your lack of coordination," the Dryad noted, passing the mage with a wink and falling into step behind their guide. "But, then again, you may surprise me." Her connection to the forest remained with her, despite her goal to soon leave it behind. A sadness momentarily passed her thoughts, but she shook her head, remembering her desire for something new.

The deeper into the forest they went, the more she could feel the aura surrounding the trees and plants around her. Something strange disturbed one of the trees up ahead, and she stopped short, extending an arm to stop Randal. Wen was sure Qadim must have felt it as well, so she glanced up at him, awaiting his instruction.

Qadim's focus on the boy's quick comments unphased the elf-orc as he treaded the lands, his eyes kept forward as the woods grew thicker. Even being in for half a mile, the dangers of Laeto grew more immense, as many folks became lost within her grasp. The lucky were able to barely escape, while others died either through starvation, ingesting the wrong mushrooms that covered the floor, or being assaulted by the many carnivorous beasts and plants that laid scattered in her woods. There was a reason on why the guild asked for the best tracksmen to be able to seek out and guide others out of her arms.

As they walked, Qadim's pace suddenly slowed down… the trees were worried… a potential threat was coming up. Reaching his free hand down, he pulled out an arrow that was decorated with bright blue feathers, revealing that the arrowhead also contained a tiny blue crystal inside of it. One that would easily shatter if impacted with enough force. Docking it in his bow, Qadim quieted his steps as pushed forward, eyes staring forward as he progressed further.

The commotion was based around a tattered tree near the center of the woods. Many scars rested upon its bark and branches around its roots, along with splashes of blood. "Two predators," Qadim muttered, "Either a fight of dominance, or for territory. There is no body, so both are still alive and still fairly close. We tread carefully. A cornered rat can potentially be more dangerous than the cat that had cornered it."

"Oh you haven't seen me when I'm trying" he let out a cheeky smirk before Edgest butted in with a comment "When I'm trying" the young mage glared at the wraith while he did the same thing back, the two were mostly smoothed out since the start of the partnership but they do still sometimes hit rough patches with Randal being a good person and Edgest doing what needs to be done to achieve their goals.

When Elowen put her arm over him to stop him and hearing Qadim's answer to the disturbance the Wraith seemed to gaze into the tree's "Continue walking forwards, and prepare to use the technique I taught you" with a concerned look he nodded walking under the Dryad's arm and slowly stepping pass the Orc quietly mentioning "Your gonna have to trust us with this" ignoring his slip of the togune as he walked towards the scarred and bloody tree in a crouched shape waiting for the warning from Edgest getting close enough to see the clumps of fur gathered in the gaps before hearing the growls through the bushes as the Wraith echoed "Just one wolf, watch out" before the large beast pouced him with a quick struggle and alot of heavy breathes of exseration Randal managed to get a hand free and slam it against the beasts face as the glowing hand appeared and slowly turning into a ghostly mirage of Edgest covering Randal's body as the young mage slowly caused the Wolf to heel and collapse from exsaustion.

With a quick glance to the other two in the group he let out an awkward chuckle "At least it's not dead?" looking at his hand watching the faint wisps of frost on the surface on his skin and Edgest blankly staring at him beside now invisible to the group "Your an idiot, you used way too much and made me visible to the morals" with a quick sigh Randal replied openly "You realise I'm a mortal to right?".