The journey to the Warrens, and once within, to the Second Deep took almost a week. They were attacked multiple times in the First Deep but the creatures who chose to risk their lives against the formidable group of hunters lost them without causing any major injuries or ailments. All knew that the Warrens grew more dangerous and more strange the deeper one went and while they remained vigilant there was, in their case, cause to hope that the oddity might also hold the hope for their future.
A vast plain of open land spread out before the group as they slipped from one depth to the next. It was not always obvious when one was underground but the exceptional difference between the closed, often cramped, damp passageways of that area of the First Deep opening into this wide open space was easy to understand. It looked, from above, almost like a farmland, or perhaps a wild place that might someday be farmland, and it was far warmer than it was in the sunlit but Frost locked lands above. After almost two years of freezing temperatures the humidity of the valley had men peeling off their thick woolen clothing.
From their height they could see several paths down, the first led west to what might have been a village except that the buildings were unlike anything the Zaichaeri men had ever seen. It was impossible to tell from so far away what they were made of but the structures were not like ones typically constructed of stone or wood. It was also to far to see if the structures were occupied or abandoned. The second path led directly down into the heart of the valley where some sort of animals could be seen moving as a group, what type of animals, predators or herds they were unable to distinguish. The third path led to the east and a great abundance of plants, the ground covered in thick brush with trees, or possibly mushrooms with branching arches rising high into the immense cavern.
If the structures were a town, and the town held sentient life, perhaps they would be willing to offer aid or trade for what Dreyfus and his people needed. If the animals in the valley were edible or tameable, or both, they could be a great asset. If the plant life of the forest to the east was edible and could be harvested regularly since there were no seasons to halt growth in the Warrens, they could also be a salvation to the hungry villagers. The group had brought as much food as could be spared but they had already consumed almost half of their provisions, they would not have enough to investigate all of the options and still return home, a choice would have to be made.
A vast plain of open land spread out before the group as they slipped from one depth to the next. It was not always obvious when one was underground but the exceptional difference between the closed, often cramped, damp passageways of that area of the First Deep opening into this wide open space was easy to understand. It looked, from above, almost like a farmland, or perhaps a wild place that might someday be farmland, and it was far warmer than it was in the sunlit but Frost locked lands above. After almost two years of freezing temperatures the humidity of the valley had men peeling off their thick woolen clothing.
From their height they could see several paths down, the first led west to what might have been a village except that the buildings were unlike anything the Zaichaeri men had ever seen. It was impossible to tell from so far away what they were made of but the structures were not like ones typically constructed of stone or wood. It was also to far to see if the structures were occupied or abandoned. The second path led directly down into the heart of the valley where some sort of animals could be seen moving as a group, what type of animals, predators or herds they were unable to distinguish. The third path led to the east and a great abundance of plants, the ground covered in thick brush with trees, or possibly mushrooms with branching arches rising high into the immense cavern.
If the structures were a town, and the town held sentient life, perhaps they would be willing to offer aid or trade for what Dreyfus and his people needed. If the animals in the valley were edible or tameable, or both, they could be a great asset. If the plant life of the forest to the east was edible and could be harvested regularly since there were no seasons to halt growth in the Warrens, they could also be a salvation to the hungry villagers. The group had brought as much food as could be spared but they had already consumed almost half of their provisions, they would not have enough to investigate all of the options and still return home, a choice would have to be made.
