The path through

We manage the trip to Arjory pond shortly after sunset which was challenging since we had all the animals we had rescued from Purgatory Gulch - even the bees. When we arrive, the two dryads are arguing with Miss Melinda who looks like she would rather be anywhere else. Bart and Miro go over to the dryads and start talking at them to get permission for us to stay the night. After almost an hour of conversation with no results, I decide that I have been awake entirely too long so I grab Jesse and go over to the east side of the pond where Mr. Bianchi is. I find a nice tree and tie Jesse to it and try to make him comfortable and then bed down for sleep.
 
When we wake in the morning, it looks like it has rained some, but the sun is out though it is still dim. We discuss plans for a bit - after we plug Jesse's ears! The decision is that Bart and I will use fire arrows on any plant armies we find while the monk throws some flasks that should set things on fire as well. Miro and Chef will take Jesse and head towards the waterfall that Bart thinks is the back door to the bad guys area. We finally leave and head out and make it to the ridge leading to Oatman Canyon. There are four patches below us so I leave those for the flightless ones and zoom over to put a fire arrow into the middle of the patch to the right. It catches nicely though the smell is not pleasant, but I have never liked cooked cabbage. I glance back to see how they are doing with their cabbages before I move on to the next group. They seem to have it well in hand so I move on to the right and put an arrow into the patch uphill. As they begin to burn the ones downslope start to quiver and seem to be thinking about rolling away. Before they can take action I fire another arrow into the downhill patch and it begins to blaze as well.
 
There is another batch of cabbages to the north so I put another fir arrow into that patch and see them begin blazing merrily. I don't see anymore patches to the north and I think it might be a good idea to go south and check on the guys. I stay upwind of the smoke and try to stay on the ridge as I wend my way south. I see lots of burning cabbages and keep flying until I see a lone patch at the edge of the rocks and set it ablaze and then start heading north to meet up with the guys again. I run across another cabbage patch and set it on fire and then I feel like someone is watching me so I look around, but there is too much smoke to really tell. I can see some mesquite trees, but they are too far away to provide a good place to perch and rest. I close my eyes and concentrate on the feeling. I sense condescension or maybe it is judging my suitability for serving a purpose that is not my own. Either way - I don't like it.
 
Then I think I see jack o'lantern faces downslope and they seem to be tumbling downslope and when they hit the ground they are six vampiric pumpkins with carves faces. Bart fires two arrows quickly and I follow with a single fire arrow and hit one and set it on fire. Then five of them spit seeds at us and I do a quick diving loop to avoid the missiles and then I am falling to the ground. I wake up to the taste of rose and all of us look badly damaged. I eat three more of the healing crackers and at least can stand up. I comfort Xifeng who was obviously worried about me. Suddenly her eyes got swirly red and she raced after the last pumpkin that was running away and it disappears. Lee Chung pulls several healing potions out of his pack and we guzzle them down and are almost better - at least enough to continue.
 
Bart gets a message from Miro saying they will meet us at the waterfall so we start fallowing game trails that seem to lead in the correct direction. Thank Deity for breezes! Didn't somebody mention using cactus pulp to treat burns? Maybe in the Saloon or something? Of course that's assuming you don't get one of the "bad" cacti. But here I am trying to keep up a fast pace in midafternoon in the deeper areas of what is effectively a "solar energy pit". The air shimmers in the distance no matter which way I look. Mirages of water abound. I know they're actually tricks of boiling air. It still would be nice to get a Stormborn to make it rain for about fifteen minutes. Maybe some light wind to move the hot air away, too. Xifeng has been panting occasionally. To get cool air, Xifeng would have to fly up well above the clouds, and she's not comfortable going that far away from me. Not since I almost died. Xifeng also things something predatory is always in Bart's shadow. Or maybe not predatory, maybe it's a scavenger? Yeah, that suits better. One of the ones that will turn predator in desperation or just the right opportunity. Like a shrew, maybe.

Next thing I know we are beside a mesquite forest, but not like any normal forest. There is one big tree in the middle of the "forest" and the other tress are almost doing a mushroom ring which is not okay. I suggest that we forget stealth and run to get past the abnormality and Bart agrees. Once we get past the mesquite forest we slow down and the monk informs us that he can smell that some briar seed children passed this way earlier. We continue following different game trails as much as possible and only veer off when there are none available as we continue to get closer to the cave. We go into stealth mode and approach the mouth of the cave where we can see a strange glowing crystal inside - that I don't remember. We check for tracks, but there are so many it is pointless. Bart says there are people on the other side of the tree and we go to find the other half of our party. They were about to go and find the source of the waterfall, but Bart and I arrived so Miro jumped into his backpack and the two of them went up to find the source of the waterfall while I watch over Jesse. He starts telling me what the tree has been telling him which includes the fact that the waterfall we are standing close to did not come into being until after the big rains ceased. Also that this area changed three years ago which was about the same time as a wandering treant helped him with a bad case of fungus. I can hear the occasional sound of a wooden wind chime faintly from inside the cave. There is really nothing else to do until Bart and Miro return so we sit down to eat some food and wait.
 
Then I notice that we are surrounded by briar seed children.