Veer south into the swamp

The idea of becoming a meal for the red wugs is too much to bear. You veer off south into the swamp, figuring that you have experience by now in travel through swamps. You pole ahead to avoid the sucking mud patches and deep water. You travel quietly and stay near the trees.

As the afternoon drags into the graying evening you have the uncanny feeling that you are being watched. You never see what is watching you, you do not even see movement, but you know they are there. The green wugs have found you and they are tracking you now. Maybe just a few or maybe many.

"Come out," you call. "I know you're there."

They do not answer. You continue on your way, afraid at any moment that you will be attacked. You shout curses at the green wugs and demand they come out, but they do not. Gradually the swampland becomes more and more dense with tropical trees. You are still wading knee-deep in waters, but you are now surrounded by thick jungle.

Finally you reach a small patch of land that rises out of the swamp. You climb onto it and lean against the walking stick you have fashioned from a willow branch. You wave away the bugs surrounding your face and strain to see into the darkness of the jungle-like foliage.

"Hell-o," says a high, strange voice behind you.

You turn and see a green wug standing before you. It is smaller than you by at least a foot, with long, slender limbs and webbed fingers that curl around a walking stick or staff of its own. Its feet are huge and webbed, like the feet of a frog, but its face more closely resembles a green salamander with a broad snout. Its eyes are pale yellow and bulge out on either side of the snout. It has narrow black slits for pupils. When it speaks you can see a serrated, beak-like inner jaw behind the rubbery lips of its mouth.

"Tired travel-er? Have rest. Have drink and fruit." The green wug steps aside and shows you a tray resting atop a boulder. It is covered with sliced fruits and succulent berries. There is a tall wooden cup filled with creamy liquid. The green wug looks at you with its yellow eyes and white membranes blink across them. A triangular, pink tongue flicks out of its mouth.

"Come. Rest," the green wug gestures.

The food and drink looks delicious and you are parched and hungry, but you have been warned about the green wug's trickery. On the other hand, if the green wugs are holding prisoner human women perhaps you can go along with their trick and attempt a rescue. Or you could attack or even take the wug hostage to prevent the others from attacking.