Head off to the mines

As the morning sun rose, I was stirred from my sleep by the aroma of breakfast being cooked. I stepped out of my tent and was greeted by the sight of Esther bustling around the newly established cooking area. Her face was a picture of concentration as she cooked up a storm using our shiny new equipment. On the grill, sizzling and sending up tendrils of delicious steam, Esther was flipping some Blue Bark Hash Browns crispy fried slices of the nutritious Blue Bark tuber, sprinkled with aromatic spices.

Soon, Oman and Zarah emerged from their tent, both looking slightly more weary than their usual selves. Their disheveled hair and heavy-lidded eyes told a story of a restless night. A sight that brought a quiet snicker from Nia who stood beside me.

Esther, oblivious to their state, called out cheerily, "Breakfast's ready! Better eat up while it's hot!"

Between mouthfuls of breakfast, conversations flowed. Oman, while trying to suppress a yawn, asked, "We’re taking a carriage to the mine, aren’t we? I'd rather not walk all the way."

Before I could reply, Zarah chimed in, "As long as it's not one of those flying carpets, I'm in."

After breakfast, we set about our tasks. Each item we used for breakfast was carefully cleaned, then efficiently packed into our individual Adventurer's sacks. Everything from the tents to the last spoon was accounted for and stowed safely away, leaving our campsite as untouched as we found it.

As we loaded our gear onto the sturdy-looking carriage we rented, the anticipation of the journey ahead mixed with the morning air's freshness, charging us with an exciting energy.