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The clues had been found and the rest of the Nouls had been left to talk about them, Draven how ever had other things to do. He had taken a peek at the map that had been found that was a closer look at a certain part of the barrens. He recognized a piece of what was shown. He had seen that large skeleton sprawled out across the sands. He had seen a few others there at a time, some time ago. They were young when he had caught a glimpse, trying to put life back into the old bones. He stopped once to watch them as they tried and failed as the magic they used backfired on them. Draven had always shook his head and wandered on.

"So what do you think? We get there before them all?" Bluebell asked as she hopped beside Draven, glancing up at him.

"No, we'll move with the rest of them. Those youngsters are going to need all the protection they can get." Draven said as he ducked under a low branch. "With the elder they could have a chance, but not all of them seem to have much wit to protecting themselves. Magic only goes so far after all."

Bluebell stopped for a moment to rub her paws over her face before following the larger buck. She was sure that he would want to leave the rest in the dust, but he was actually thinking for once. But to her surprise she was pleased with his thinking, she didn't have to scold him for once.

"Alright, so why leave when there was more information to be sorted out?" She asked as it did seem that they could have gained more information if they had stayed.

"Because it will take us the better part of the day to get to camp, break it down and get back to the rest of them." Draven put simply.

She hadn't really thought of all the stuff they would need. Were they going to break down the whole camp? Shaking her head she got closer to Draven to vault onto his back and ride the rest of the way. She wasn't going to use her own paws if she didn't have to. As the sun reached its highest, they made it back to the small pine grove that served as their camp. A small lean-to was set up near the center with a basket of items resting inside. One of those items would be very helpful if they were to run into anything dangerous on this trip.

Draven stepped over to the basket and nosed through it until he pulled out the single piece of armour. Having laid himself down, he rested the guard over his shoulder as Bluebell grabbed a hold of the ties that held it in place and latched them together. Adjusting the piece of metal to where it rested comfortably, Draven stood again and pulled the two short poles from the lean-to. Letting the woven fabric fall to the ground he rested the poles on it.

"We may need this, if we are traveling through the night when it is cooler, we're going to need a bit of something for a shelter during the sun."

Bluebell wrapped the edges of the fabric against the poles and rolled them into a tight bundle. She also wrapped the flax ropes around the bundle to keep it together. The basket itself was filled with items of who knows what. Draven had busied himself with that. He pulled out odd stones, there were some dried fruit and roots, these two were wrapped in hides. Bluebell had never asked where the hides had come from. There were also a few small containers that held water. The moss corked clay jugs held but a few sips, but if rationed out evenly could last until water could be found or called down.

"Don't worry about the stones for the back of the shelter. We can find something in the barrens to use. No need to add more weight then we already have."

"But won't that make the load uneven?" she asked as she had tucked the two flat stones into the bundle.

"While this is true... Lets just see how it will be when everything is piled in.

While Draven was used to hauling everything, stones and all. They weren't that heavy after all, just heavy enough to hold down the fabric in the wind.. Light winds that is. Heavier winds and the lean-to was near useless and heavier shelter was often sought after. Draven tested the weight of each of the water jugs before he placed them back into the bottom of the basket. The wrapped foods were placed on top as well as a couple pouches of herbs for minor things. A barter he had made with a vivfy to gain them before his first adventure into the barrens.

Nodding to himself, Draven pulled the cover to the basket over to top and tucked it in to keep the wet and sand out of everything. He once more laid down as Bluebell, a master of strong, but easy release knots. Took the ropes that stretched from the packed shelter to loops on the basket. Using her teeth and paws she pulled the knot tight before Draven stood. The basket sagged a little before Bluebell wrapped the second set of lines under Draven to level out everything. In the end he looked much like a pack animal, but it didn't hinder his movements all that much.

"Alright, tuck that other stone into the shelter pack. That will even out the weight. Draven said as he settled back down enough for the last flat stone to be tucked into the shelter wrap.

"There, that would be everything." Bluebell said Vaulted to Draven's back once more, giving the camp a look over. Nothing was left out of place, it looked as if they hadn't been there.

"Right, lets go meet up with everyone again." Draven said as he turned around to head back towards the Wanderlust's grove.

Draven did kinda look ridiculous carrying all that he was, but he wasn't going to be unprepared and this sort of thing he was used to. If they ad an Atmos user in the group, then water wouldn't be too hard to come by and he could always have a supply on hand... hoof... Shaking his head slightly, he loped through the trees back the way he had come. This was just going to be jolly good adventure, he could only hope the one he search for was at the end of this path. If not he would keep hunting...

WC: 1116