“Yes, if he’s the only one who knows where the Stone is, we’ll need him. But the newspaper is too old… Which meant that he had been missing for a very long time now. We may have to accept the fact that he’s dead. So I guess our next priority is to find a memento.”
Jasper sighed in disappointment that the only being who might be able to lead them to their destination might have already passed away now. It was made clear that very few have ever found the stone let alone escape the Forest of Ancients in one piece. She wondered if they would be able to make it or survive this journey. This particular task wasn't a lot like the others. This time, the life risks at stake were much more costly since they were up against powerful witches who had the capability of killing them off as they wished. A sneak attack wasn't even a valid option since the last time they had hid, the old hags already knew of their presence but thankfully chose to ignore it.
“Has your group, by chance, met these ‘hooded figures’ they’ve been talking about? What do you think of them?”
Avian's question snapped her out of her self worrying as her mind flashed back to the time at the swamp. "Yes, we have. They demanded possession of the Living List because they didn't want the Queen to get her things," she wrinkled her nose in annoyance, "They had terrible manners. Very rude and they were very physical too. It was a good thing the guides came along to save us or we would've been in real bad trouble." Hakuren was bleeding in the side of the head and all of them were involved in combat with those hooded thieves. It had always bothered her why they wanted the list so badly and how come they had acted so violently and persistently to get it.
Standing from her crouched posture, she swiped at her thighs and bum to rid of dust particles that had stuck and surveyed the room a couple more times before turning to Avian. "I think we should join up with Lesley and Inadi to show them what we found. They might've found some stuff in the study as well," she gathered the newspaper clippings then twisted the knob of the door that they had previously entered from and beckoned him to follow.
The walk was a short one as they arrived to the room just one door over. Carefully, she balled up her hand into a fist and lightly knocked on the wood several times then paused and waited for either Inadi or Lesley to come and open it. From within, she could here mumbling of some serious oratory that Inadi was spouting.