Continue traveling through the night

"We must continue," you say. "I am on an important quest and I must reach Gerlangen as quickly as possible."

You see the fear in young Ruby's face. Her mother nods with determination. You lead the way through the darkened forest. You try to be as quiet as possible, but you cannot see your feet in the dark forest and branches and leaves crackle beneath you. At any moment you are expecting more goblins to ambush you or perhaps some of the daemons that attacked you in the abbey.

Fortunately, nothing does leap out of the enclosing darkness and, other than a few stumbles and a Tessa twisting an ankle, you make good time through the Blauwalt. You emerge from the forest and arrive the shore of a small like. You can judge its size by the reflection of the moon in its inky surface and it will take perhaps an hour to navigate around it. Tessa is out of breath and leaning against a fallen tree. Ruby has gone over to the water and knelt down to drink from her cupped hands.

"We can rest here for a short while," you say. "Have a drink and rest your legs. Don't sit still for too long or they will cramp up."

The two women nod their thanks to you.

"I am going to scout the best way around the lake. Do not leave this spot or I may never find you again."

"We'll stay put," pledges Tessa.

You move swiftly through the darkness, following the shore for a few hundred yards to the east. You arrive at a rise in the terrain and see immediately that this way will not be passable for Tessa and Ruby. The climb is too sheer and a fall might seriously injure on of them. Even with your training you don't think it would be easy to scale the slippery stones in the darkness.

You retrace your steps. Passing through the spot where you started out, you see Tessa washing her blouse in the lake. Her bare breasts are pale in the moonlight. Her wide areolas and pink nipples jut out invitingly. You can imagine those breasts feeding her daughter when she was a tot. Tessa sees you watching and covers herself with an arm.

"We can't go that way," you say. "I will scout the other way around. If that is impassable we may have to seriously backtrack."

You look around the spot and realize you don't see Ruby.

"Where is your daughter?"

"I'm here," calls Ruby.

You see the pretty girl floating in the lake, her breasts and legs resting atop the dark waters as she floats on her back. The gentle lapping of the lake makes her bob on the surface. You wave to her, but then say to her mother in a serious tone, "We do not know what is in that lake. She should not be relaxing in those waters."

"Of course," says Tessa. "I'll tell her to get out and dry off."

You nod curtly and set off once more. You find the going much easier and it is clear you will be able to navigate the sandy shore without much difficulty. You double back and return to the lakeside spot where you left Tessa and Ruby. The busty mother and her shapely daughter are nowhere to be seen. Their clothing is by the shore and it is soaking wet. There is a strange, putrid smell in the air. Not a daemon... but maybe something worse...

"Help!" cries Tessa. "Help me!"

She is perhaps fifty feet from shore, thrashing in the water. It looks as if she is struggling to stay above the surface.

"Help me! Please!"