Brutrumukk calling out that the snake was ready to eat brought Rory out of her contemplative state. The smell of the cooked meat reminded her that she had not had much of a breakfast. Despite having stated that she would not have any right now, the elf stepped up to the fire taking a portion of the fried snake. Aurora quietly ate while listening to Brutrumukk ask how the land punishes those who break the rules.

Jub gave a grateful nod towards Brutrumukk as he took a portion of fried snake. The two fights he'd had since his breakfast had clearly drained him and he began eating with vigor, pausing only when he heard Brutrumukk questioned Sir Talavar. "Yes, that's a good point," he said. "Plus, if this land belongs to some archfey, doesn't that technically mean that, err..." He gestured around him. "Everything here belongs to them?" He pulled a face. "We're not going to get in trouble for picking berries or something like that?" He then glanced at the remaining snake in his hands. "Heck, are we even allowed to eat this snake? I'm really confused. Fairy rules make my head hurt."

"Well, Jub, my good er...Associate." Zavakri begins through a mouthful of roast-snake. "We've got three rules." She swallows thickly and wipes at her mouth with the hem of her cloak, before proceeding.

"Hospitality. Let us think about this for a moment; if this Archfey possesses Ownership of this Realm, then it falls under the implication that someone who resides within this Realm calls it Home. This makes us, depending on perspective, interlopers, guests, visitors, or invaders in their lands. I'm going to be generous and refer to us as Guests or Visitors. In which case, sharing in the food of the realm is simply a rule of Hospitality."

She takes another bite, grease dripping down her chin and making her visibly twinge as she scrubs at her face again.

"Ownership. By several points of view, we now have ownership of this..er...meal. Brutrumukk earned it in...Er...A hunt, so to speak. Alternatively it just happens to be in our possession- which according to the Flaming Fist, is pretty much all you need to call it yours. So by my reckoning, either way, we collectively Own this meal. It's ours, and I'm sure gonna eat it."

She pauses to more delicately gnaw along her meal, before discarding the last bits of char and skin. She dusts off her fingers on her cloak meticulously.

"Then Reciprocity. Usually this is a beneficial thing, but I'll be honest with you- those giant snakes tried to eat us, so as far as I'm concerned that extended the privilege right back in our favor. Now, in fairness, if something a little more sentient-displaying tried to eat me I'd politely refuse that shared right of consumption- but freshly grilled snake like this? Now that beats Amnian Alley Corn any day."

Gabriel had silently listened as he sat fireside, his eyes flickered from the reflected light of the open flame while he ran an old kerchief up and down the length of his weapon.

As Talavar spoke, the half-elf glanced up once in a while with a question in his eyes yet he did not wish to interrupt as it would be rude. So he listened and cleaned the filth from his weapon, humming an indistinguishable tune and thought:

Sir Talavar answered Brutrumukk first, "From what I remember of the tales here, it used to be that Zybilna would come and punish the malicious rule breakers herself. But now that she's indisposed, it would be like back home: The elements themselves or the fae magic itself would take form and punish any who broke the rules,"

When Jub asked about the rules, Sir Talavar answered him after Zavakri explained her thoughts on the rules, "Aye, the Hourglass Coven sees everything in Prismeer as belonging to them. It used to be that Zybilna was fair: Anything that you owned was yours. If you needed to find food, it would appear before you for you to have, so you would be fine picking berries. As long as you didn't steal anything from another person, you would be fine,"

Jub was only really half-listening as Zavakri attempted to make sense of Prismeer's rules, and started to wonder if, instead of Aurora like he had earlier guessed, the human woman was in fact an archfey in disguise. It would certainly explain her numerous eccentricities.

At Talavar's response, however, the goblin returned his focus to the conversation, and something about the small dragon's words must have disturbed him because a particularly large and chewy lump of snake meat got stuck in Jub's throat as he had to take a moment to cough and splutter as he tried to swallow it down. Once he was done, he looked back at Talavar. "Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," he said between coughs.

Brutrumukk listened to Sir Talavar as the faerie dragon answered the question. Just as the bugbear drew breath to ask another question though, Jub began choking on his food. "Oi. Oi! Don't you go chokin' to death on my food. I know I ain't the best at cookin' but I also know I ain't that bad at it." Brutrumukk said as he moved over to Jub and gave the goblin a few firm pats on the back to help dislodge the snake chunk.

"Sorry, sorry, I just... really didn't like your use of past tense just now," Jub told Talavar once the blockage was clear.

"What d'you mean by that?" Brutrumukk asked.

"Thank you," Jub said to Brutrumukk, even as he began to rub his own back to make sure his bugbear companion hadn't done any damage in his attempts to help. After a moment, he surmised he might have a bruise there tomorrow, but that was still far preferrable to joking to death.

"Past tense: a use of language donoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," the goblin explained. "Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Covern likely won't."

"Past tense: a use of language denoting that something happened at an earlier point of time," Jub explained.

"Yeah, I know that bit." Brutrumukk said while making a 'get on with it' motion with one hand. "But why didn't you like the tiny dragon usin' it jus' now?"

"Basically, he's implying that while this Zybilna would have been okay with us foraging and hunting in her lands, this Hourglass Coven likely won't." Jub finished.

"Oh." Brutrumukk said thoughtfully. "Well seein' 'ow we jus' killed two snakes, ate one of 'em, an' no magical shenanigans 'ave turned up to get us back fer that, I think we're fine on that front... 'Ang on." Brutrumukk then turned to Sir Talavar and asked a question. "If these 'ags stole this place from this Sip-Ill-Nah lady you mentioned, why 'aven't the magical shenanigans come after the 'ags?"

Rory looked up at both Jub and Brut discussing the potential issue of the land punishing the group for stealing from the hags. As the small dragon had mentioned the hags viewed everything in Prismir as theirs, though the elf was not sure how that may extend to the inhabitants of the land.

"Would these living things be the property of the hags? I do not think that is the case Jub. If it were just by simply being here long enough you may end up as their property."  She paused to take another bit of the snake wiping the grease off with a small piece of cloth. "Now I will warn you that there is a potential that we could end up in some strange bargin do to the rule of reciprocity. Some Fey can see the giving of gifts as means to making a contract. If these hags believe in this rule so much, they could try to use it to put us in a poor position."

Sir Talavar agrees with Aurora first, "Lady Aurora is correct. Living beings aren't normally considered as possessions. But, they might be considered as subjects under their reign,"

He nods in agreement at her words warning of the gifts from the Fey.

He then looks to Brutrumukk and answers his question, "As for your question, Sir, It might be because either the Coven know how to protect themselves from such magic, or the Retribution of this Fey Realm is winding itself up into a powerful wallop, so to speak,"

"Well if it's the second thing, I 'ope I'm there to see the wallop when it 'appens. Sounds like it'd be fun to watch." Brutrumukk said when Sir Talavar was done talking. "Either way, we've been sittin' around fer about an hour now. I'd say it's time we got movin'." With that said, Brutrumukk finished his meal and began to tidy away his things in preparation for the journey to Telemy Hill. "You said some goblin what lives on some 'ill can open yer cage, yeah?" Brutrumukk said to Sir Talavar as he worked. "What makes you so sure she can, does she work for the 'ags as some sort o' magical cage maker or somethin' like that?"

Sir Talavar nodded at Brutrumukk's first question before answering his next one about the goblin in question "Certainly not. From what I have heard, Jingle Jangle is a victim of Bavlorna Blightstraw's. I do not know why, but she collects keys. If anyone has the key to this cage, it would be her! I can guide you to Telemy Hill if you are ready,"

"I know all but folktales and fanciful myths, of the Fey and Feywild." the half-elf said, finished wiping the detritus from his the sharp of the rapier that he hung at his belt "But forgive me for being blunt when I say, you must be in this cage for a reason." Gabriel looked at the cage with furrowed brow, his attention while not all there the half-elf had been half listening as the day had been exhausting "Or...Did you already explain that? Goodness, if so I certainly have egg on my face." Gabriel chuckled softly.

"Well, regardless of the if's and when's or how's...I'd be hardpressed to not lift a finger and help a fellow man...Erm or dragon." correcting himself with a not-so-subtle cough into his hand, Gabriel wondered if the small dragon considered himself man or beast but kept the musing to himself.

"I just hope this odd feeling I keep getting will go away..." Gabriel said offhandedly, more speaking to himself but loud enough that his companions heard his worried tone "Gods forbid I find a skeleton clutching a set of dice in this bloody swamp." he muttered looking into the campfire with a hand resting under his chin.

The party, now rested and recovered from their fight with the serpents, continue on their journey through the Fey Realm, with a new friend in tow and new information brought to light.

As they continue to move through the swamps, they notice the tide slowly rising. Thankfully, the group can use Brutrumukk's raft to navigate the waters without having to swim. The only issue? They find that they need a ten foot pole or a similar tool to push the raft along the waters.

Upon learning this fact, the group also notice that they can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance.

"Guess that take care o' puttin' out the fire." Brutrumukk said as the tide came in. "Everybody on the raft!" Once everyone was on the raft, Brutrumukk took one of the stilts out of the stilt pant he got from the Witchlight Carnival for use as an oar. But just as he was about to start rowing, the sound of rushing water met Brutrumukk's ears. "Er... booyagh?" Brutrumukk asked nervously as he set the makeshift oar down on the raft and lifted the goblin into the air. "Don't suppose you can see what's makin' that noise from up there?"

As the group was finishing up their meal and getting ready to continue on, Jub looked over to Gabriel. "So, these dice you lost," he began. "Are they like really expensive, fancy dice or do they just have sentimental value?" He quickly added, "I'm not making fun of you or anything, my good fellow , but it does seem odd how... whatever it was that stole from us all chose its target. I lose the ability to keep a secret, Miss Aurora here lost a ring and a letter which no doubt had high value, several individuals lost family members... and you lost dice. It does seem a very picky-choosy sort of thief, does it not? Like how does it decide- WHOA!" He didn't get to finish that thought because Brutrumukk suddenly picked him up and hoisted him up into the air, saying something about a strange noise and asking Jub to see if he could find the source. "You know, you really need to start warning me before you do that!" he said as he began to scan his surroundings for anything particularly out of place.

Aurora had clambered onto the raft sitting near the middle. Hearing the sound that the others were hearing drew her attention away from cleaning her boots. She stood up and went to the front of the raft as Jub mentioned he could not see anything as there was a tree blocking his view. "There appears to be a well gushing water up. It's on a small bit of land still aways down." She turned and looked up to Jub. "You might be onto something Jub. Most of these things that were taken don't exactly have a physical value. Zavakri would an hag or other being from the fey be interested in such things?"

"Oh good. It's just a well." Brutrumukk said with a sigh of relief. "Thank Mag fer that. Though we was 'eaded fer a waterfall fer a moment there... Well the moment 'as passed. Let's get a move on." With that said, Brutrumukk set Jub back down on the raft and took up his makeshift oar once again. "Next stop, Telemy 'Ill." Brutrumukk said as he made ready to row... but then paused as he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Which way was that again?"

Gabriel coughed into his fist, the jerky while not unpleasant was somewhat tough to swallow. With a swig from the flask at his hip the swordsman washed his meal down, Gabe wiped his mouth with the cuff of his tunic "Well now you seem to be implying that the thing I've lost doesn't seem significant," he replied with an arched eyebrow "To answer your somewhat tactless question Jub these dic-" Gabriel had nary wiped his hands before Brutrumukk hoisted Jub up, interrupting their conversation.

Wasting no time to dillydally, Gabriel carefully stepped onto the raft and taking a seat nearest to the goblinoids to continue the conversation where it had ended so abruptly.

"As far as I could say I only know of hags from old wife's tales and stories told to scare children. You know the kind, hag eats children or steal them." running a hand through his hair the half-elf shrugged "And no Jub the dice were not worth a kings ransom, they belonged to an old friend of mine." Gabe said pointedly to the goblin "They got sentimental value, not the kind that is all that fond but they meant something to me." he sounded and looked like he ate something rotten, Gabriel wore a rather unpleasant expression that went away after he sighed looking to the brackish water and mumbled "If I find that idiot I'll tan his hide..." it wasn't like he hated Beren for up and disappearing but they were like brothers, at least he could have explained why he left town.

But as much as Gabriel told himself his mate was somewhere out there he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. Those dice were the one thing that gave him hope, not that he'd ever admit that.