Dew stays to watch the pool

Myria and Cecilia pushed deeper into the cavern, the air growing thick with the cloying scent of stagnant water and old decay. 'I'll hold the pool,' Dew announced, her voice cutting through the oppressive gloom as she began sketching a protective ward into the stone. 'We can't afford a surprise from the shadows.' Myria nodded, though her gaze remained fixed on the dark maw ahead. Cecilia hesitated, the flicker of her torch casting long, dancing shadows across her worried features. 'And if they swarm you?' she whispered, the fear audible. Dew straightened, a flare of stubborn determination in her eyes. 'Then they'll find out how annoying a ward can be. We aren't leaving those women to the toad's whims.' As Cecilia followed Myria, their footsteps echoing hollowly into the dark, the air grew heavier, thick with a musky scent that made Cecilia’s skin crawl. From the depths, the wet croaking of the toads echoed—not as animal calls, but as rhythmic, longing sounds that felt uncomfortably intentional. Dew’s expression hardened as she finished her ward, knowing that to these creatures, she wasn't just a sentry, but a prize to be claimed and kept."