“Has the magician gotten back to you, Acacia?” Ruby asked. Acacia shook her head in response.
“Well then, first thing's first. We have to find a place that's safe and warm with food. If we can get new clothing, that would be ideal. What do you know?”
“There's the Bronze Folly.” Acacia suggested.
“That would be a folly. Crimson controls it. Crimson is in Scarlet's pocket.” Jack retorted. “I say the Cleric's Cove. It's secure. It's comfortable.”
“Not to mention right next to Beige's castle and she hates you.” Acacia cut in.
“Right, no, not good at all. She threatened to hang me last time she saw me.”
The two of them continued to toss out names and shoot them down.
Cora spoke up from her position on Ruby's lap. “There was a tree with lunches. I liked it.”
Everyone turned to look at her. “Cyan's grove?” Acacia said. “You took food from Cyan's grove?” From her tone, one would think that Cora had said she went for a swim in the caldera of a volcano or captured a fish from the mouth of a shark.
“Yeah. It was really good too. There was these really dense things. I don't think they wanted to let me through. And I thought I heard some kind of dog howling, but when I came out, there were those trees like I said. It was really nice while I was there. I think the trees liked me. They even gave me a gift, see.” She dug under her threadbare dress and pulled out a pendant on a leather cord. A burl of a dark, heavy wood. She showed it for a second, then tucked it back. “They didn't want me to leave, but I had to find my parents.” In a whisper so quiet only Ruby could here it, she added, “I didn't think it would be so hard.” Ruby responded by kissing her forehead and holding her closer.
“What do you know about this grove? Can you find it?” Ruby asked to fill the silence.
“We're not that far,” Jack started.
“With <hazard> and <hazard> and <hazard> in the way,” Acacia rebutted.
“We can get past the <hazard> no problem. I've done it a million times. Scarlet was always having me go off and spy on Cyan. I haven't been to her grove though.”
“Isn't it warded a thousand times over?”
“And no one can set foot in it except her, I thought.”
“Obviously, someone has.” Ruby pointed down at Cora.
“The trees showed me a path. It took me out into a hill nearby. Maybe we can go back through it,” Cora mentioned.
<blah, blah, blah. They decide to go. Jack is all for the plan, since it's exciting. Acacia doesn't like the idea, since it's dangerous. Cora wants to go back to the trees. Ruby just wants a place where she can take a breath. Acacia is outvoted, but agrees to come along.>