#dreaming

the snake snaps free "you think you could hurt me?" Her tail knocks tthe spear loose from Sylvi's hands, stronger han a troll

"I think I'll give you indigestion, if that's the last option." She grabs the spear up again if she can. "But I also think you don't want me...you want the firebrands. And you don't want to lose them. There they go...on the silver..." She

's casting Chicanery as she speaks making the silver seem to take a swoop to the left just past where she stands. If the snake falls for it, it'll go tumbling right off the Path!

It slows her, she sees hrouggh it, but it slows her "wha is..."

And the spear is reclaimed!

Piper boosts one, the other...

And as the snake's attention is on the false path, she gives a cheer jump, and tries to hopscotch the snake right off the path!

And it turns and flies! denied! It cannott return...

"Your spring will pass.. tthe snow return, and I will crawl on the ice after you!"

but for now, the snake is helpless to follow

"Oh, thank the Dreaming," Sylvi gasps as that cantrip works. She looks to see how many of the Firebrands have made it to safety.

All six...

but one tells Piper "did you see the other six?"

"The... other six?! No...."

"Sylvi, it's your call. You're the Rover's daughter. We can press on and look for Olgar, and he can help us find the others - he knows these paths best! Or do you think we should look for them ourselves?"

"Six more?" A stunned look at Piper.

"There are so many balefires in Apples - not just the County seats and the baronies, but all of the little guys, the small ones, the common folk rely on, like Goldfinch... "

Then her expression turns stubborn. "Okay. We keep moving. Either we find the others, or we get to a trod terminus and get you all to safety."

"...and then we come back and find the others."

"Should we split up?" Piper asks.

"County? We're serving whole chunks of Apples"

"There's only one silver path here," Sylvi points out. "Let's not talk about splitting up unless that option presents itself."

With the absence of the snake, has the snow and ice abated at all?

Alas, no... it is building up again..

"Hold hands - don't let anyone get lost in the storm!" Piper instructs.

they move on hannds held...

"I'll take lead, now," Sylvi volunteers to act as snow plow.

Piper trots up and down the line, making sure that there is enough melted pathway to prevent slipping and sliding.

A constant supply of warmth has to be somewhat wearing, though.

Sylvi keeps pushing the Spring energy, as well.

Even in the source, they feel tired... glamour flows, but the mortal forms they take wih hem grows weak...

until... one of the firebrands sceams

Sylvi stops and looks back down the line. "Group UP!" she calls.

Piper zips towards the scream!

below them, on icey patches they see the other six firebrands... as Statues!

Sylvi works back to see what they're looking at. So the scream was surprise, not injury? Okay, there's that, at least.

She tries to judge how far off they are.

and dwarves are rushing the statues with Chisels..

and picks annd hammers!

And defending them? A centaur and a troll... buck and Olgar!

"DAMMIT..." Sylvi bites her lip, trying to calculate.

And then she sees, "DAD!!!"

"We've gotta get them out of there!"

"Oh, FUCK NO." Piper yells, and then... has an idea. "YOU DON'T WANT THEM!" Dwarves are male, right? At least, in misogynistic older versions of stories!

Piper draws up what glamour she has left, even as she strips off her clothing that is e=imbued with warmth.

"HEY BOYS! YOU WANT ME!"

"Sylvi, you help THEM, while I distract these guys! Short legs can't catch me!" She hisses to Sylvi, even as she hopes it is true!

"Piper...you're a madwoman." She says it with gratitude, though.

there are dozens of dwarves, dozens! but now, many of them, perhaps mostt, break off... drool forms on lips, eyes dilate, and to put it cheekily, suddenly Sylvi isn't the only one sporting a spear! they give chase aftter the satyress

That's a LOT of horny dwarves. Sylvi hopes Piper can keep out of reach.

below them, to the side, is a small valley! and around Olgar, is a huge island of silver... her father's magic... a bridge of silver can be taken down

"Quick," Sylvi says to the firebrands. "Link arms in a circle, stay close, protect your embers. I'm going to conceal you."