As soon as Bali and Haenir came out of the woods, they saw that the others were looking healthier. The warg meat, while foul, was of hearty sustenance; and left a reviving fire in the stomach of one consuming it. But they also knew that natives were at hand, and were not at all friendly. The party had to leave, at once. "Pack the remaining meat in dry leaves, and gather your weapons," Bali said. "We leave immediately!"
He motioned toward the thicket where the remains over the warg had been buried. "There may be other... things... waiting to harm us. The creatures of this jungle have proven to be deadly." But he did not elaborate further. The dwarves followed his instructions and, within a half-hour, were ready to leave.
Bali's foot was still throbing, as he had refused to use their remaining athelas for 'just a cut.' He reminded them that there might be more serious injuries to deal with at a later time. The dwarf did not, of course, mention that he suspected those injuries might come from poisoned weapons.
The group left the campsite, moving into the jungle once more. Bali continued to lead them east, following the plateau. Suddenly, the trees gave way to a sort of canyon. Bali was overjoyed when Erulon announced that it led through the entire plateau; heading south. The sea! It had to lead to the sea! "We follow the canyon," Bali yelled in glee. "The sea must not be far."
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