further along the river

later in the morning when the sun gets up the village untangles, and every murloc is doing their chores again. some are gathering, some are fishing

Pippa wakes up again, then pick up her clothes and stuff.

Outside she takes a quick wash at the river.

Once cleaned, she ask the leader

"Well, i should get back on my raft on the river. I hope your tribe will prosper."

he nods

"yes. tribe prosper and spread! all over river. you go on. raft is ready!!"

"bye everyone"

Pippa navigates again on the river

as she steers her raft downriver Pippa sees a person on the shore, a young girl like herself. from what Pippa can see, the girl seems injured or hurt, something like a sprained ankle

Pippa gets the raft near the shore, but keeps her eyes open for an ambush if that's bait.

"Heho! Need help?"

the girl looks at you and tells you

"I have hurt my leg, can you help me?"

"well i'm not a healer, but if that's ok for you, you can come aboard wuth me, may be there will be some help down the river... But i don't know the land"

she tries to stand up but falls down again after a step.

"can you help me on board? i live downriver, there's a sidearm of the water where you can turn in and then we should be at my cottage"

"ok then. Let me first secure the raft on the shore, and i'll help you."

Pippa take the girl on board and the girl tells her her name in Nina. she lives in a small cottage not far from here and was out gathering herbs for some brew when she hurt her leg while she got water from the river. she is a pleasant person, not too intrusive but she doe ask Pippa where she came from and where she is going

"I'm Pippa, a gnome, i got lost and wake up in this strange lands. I found the river some time ago, and following down is a way to try to get out"

she snickers a bit

"you don't really know where you are?

this is the forest of the lost. its not going to let you go. no-one ever leaves. eventually, everyone abides by its rules. as for the river.... its part of the forest and as alive as everything else. you can walk up and down on the shore and you may never see the same part twice. i have lived here long enough to understand that."

" oh, i see. Well noone had told me that. Thanks for explaining it to me."

as Pippa goes downriver the girl suddenly points to a small sidestream of the river Pippa'd have missed otherwise

"There. turn to that and follow it. We should arrive at my cottage in a bit."

Pippa navigates the small sidestream

the stream they go up seems very idyllic. there's overhanging trees on each side, Pippa sees dragonflies and hear all manner of amphibian animals. the creek winds through the landscape until they arrive at a small cottage, stnading on the edge of the water

"that's a lovely place you got there. I'll help you get inside. Do you know someone who would take care of you wound? Do you want me to fetch someone?"

"I don't think there's anyone nearby.

But if you will stay for just one or two days i think that'll be enough to recover. I can cook food in exchange. she points towards a small garden area

i have some vegetables cultivated. If you get a few i'll start cooking."

"Well, i can stay a couple of days to help. I'm in no rush. Thanks for your hospitality Nina."

she hobbles into the kitchen.

"can you get the ingredients from outside? i'll start with the food."

Pippa goes to the garden outside to harvest for the cooking

she gets some veggies and while inspecting the garden she recognizes some of the herbs that grow as lachemical ingredients

pippa gets back to the kitchen with her findings

Nina is stirring something in a big pot over the fireplace. she quickly cuts the veggies and adds them to the stew

"do you want a stool to help?"

"Naaa, its fine. It just hurt a bit while i stand. Walking is the real trouble.

You want to sit down and get something to drink?"

she points to a cupboard which holds some bottles with water, ale and other beverages

"thanks, I"ll help myself, what do I bring you for drink?"

"Water"

Pippa pours water in a cup fro Nina, and some ale in another cup for heself. Thn she drags a stool near Nina.

"Here. I toast to new friendship through helping others"

she toasts with Pippa and soon after she puts a bowl of food in front of Pippa and the pot on the table.

"Dig in then, Pippa."

she watches excitedly

"you won't eat ?"

"Oh, i'll eat, i just... i haven't cooked for someone else in a while. I hope it tastes good."

she puts a scoop of food in her bowl

"I wish i had meat to put in..... maybe next time."

she takes a spoonful

as Nina eats, Pippa eats also. it tastes a bit bland but otherwise not bad....

"it's good. so you are all alone here, this big cottage for you only ?"

"Well, i have a guest room and sometimes i have guests there for a bit. But not as often as i'd like.

You are probably tired. I can show you."

Pippa starts indeed to feel tired

"ok, let's get settled.

just a nap so, all that river is tiring"

"sure sure."

she brings Pippa from the kitchen to a room on the other side of the house. its very simplistic, having a bed and a table an a chair. nothing much else but an empty chest.

"rest. i'll call on you when i need help with something"

"Thanks"

Pippa goes for a quick nap on the bed