Preparations

Elmo was confused as they re-entered the room. First they'd been banished from the room for no reason and now they were back in the room and it was clear no one was going to explain what that had all been about.

Normally he didn't mind when things were like that, however, at the moment he'd really like to know what went on while they were waiting outside the room. Jonas hadn't been any help and didn't seem bothered by any of it. He couldn't even hear what they had been sayiing through the walls, even though he felt like he should have been able to.

"So, what'd you decide?" Jonas asked.

"I'm keeping it," Heather said firmly, which made Elmo feel even more confused.

"Well, if that's decided, then maybe we should head downstairs where we can all sit down while we talk," Jonas said, "We have things that we need to decide on first before we decide what to do about the goblins."

Elmo wasn't sure he followed what Jonas said, but wasn't going to argue. Partly because he was still trying to understand what exactly had been decided or even said. It was like he missed an important segment from a comic or scene from a movie or book. He didn't resist the flow of the others heading downstairs, mostly because he hoped that he'd somehow be able to figure out what had happened. That way he wouldn't feel quite as confused about it.

They sat at the table near the front entrance and Elmo sat between Elin and Jonas. He wasn't sure what to expect as he wasn't really sure of what was going on. Well, aside from the need to discuss what to do about the goblens, he reminded himself.

"What happened in the room while Jonas and I were out?" Elmo asked Elin in a whisper.

"They talked about something called an 'abortion,' but I have no idea what that is or anything. She mentioned that she was going to keep her baby and how she thinks her parents were the ones who bombed her home," Elin whispered back.

Elmo wasn't sure of how to react to the last sentence, but a little of what had been said after he reentered started to make a little sense. Though, he still wasn't sure about everything that had gone on, like why he and Jonas were banished, but part of him suspected that no one was going to enlighten him about the reasons behind that.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Kim asked Jonas after Heather and Sonya were situated.

"First I was thinking we should ook at what supplies each of us needs to get," Jonas answered. "We have a little money from Elin and Elmo working so much here, so we might be able to get a few things we wouldn't be able to otherwise."

"Wait, we weren't doing that just for our lodging?" Elmo asked, feeling a little affronted about that.

"The first night was for our lodging. The rest was so we could build up a cash reserve in case we needed it, while at the same time, letting Kim, Heather, and Sonya rest.

"How much is there?" Elin asked.

"Not as much as I'd like," Jonas answered, dropping a bag of coins on the table. "There's five silver and three copper coins in there."

"How much for a suite of plate armor?" Kim asked bluntly.

"Probably a good amount more than that," Jonas answered. "Though, if you can work at the smithy, then you might be able to avoid some of the cost by working on it yourself. As I think you'd mentioned that you have a skill in your system that helps you with that. Though, I can't really remember. However, if nothing else, you could contribute some money to our pile as well."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sonya asked.

"I'll have to think about it. Though I have been gathering what information I could during this time. However, there wasn't much I could get that I think is useful," Jonas answered.

"What information did you get?" Kim asked, sounding a little bored.

"Mostly that they never went into the forest the way we came from, because there were giant spiders that would put a curse on whoever kills it. The stronger the spider, the stronger the curse," Jonas glances at Kim. "I wouldn't be surprised if we took out the strongest spider with how storng of a curse you had on you."

"So, I'd have to deal with that if we encounter more spiders?" Kim asked.

"Possibly," Jonas said. "That's just if we encounter more spiders in that area. Besides, our focus is on the goblins. If we stay to the trail we used to get here, my hope is that we won't need to worry about any more spiders along that way."

"What other preparations were you thinking of?" Sonya asked.

"Well, I thought we should collect some food to take with us, especially since we don't know how long it'll be before we get to the next town. Although, with the goblins, we can't say how long it might take us to get back to the dungeon. I'm pretty sure that the goblins will make it harder to get there," Jonas replied.

"What other preparations were you thinking of?" Elin asked.

"The other point was that I think we need to see what clothing we can get. The shirts we got when we first started this competition are mostly decent enough, but what'll we do if they wear out of are damaged to the point of uselessness? If we have spares, then we can change those as needed, or if just to do the laundry," Jonas replied.

"How much time do you think we have before the goblins get here?" Kim asked. "That could give us a timeframe to work with."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Jonas answered. "If they start out tonight, then maybe the first ones will arrive here in a few days time? Though, it could still be a while before they learn they can leave the dungeon, or even where the exit is."

"What if we try and set up a militia or something from the townspeople so they can join us in defending their ohomw?"

"You can try if you'd like," but I got the feeling that the townspeople here would just rather not have anything to do with that," Jonash sighed.

"So, we're pretty much on our own right?" Kim asked dryly. Then to herself, she added, "Figures."

"What about the others in the competition we ended up in?" Heather asked.

"I think the last one that passed through here was about half a week ago," Jonas replied. "All of them seemed to b bent on reaching where the king is, since the next primary challenge is to stop the king from being assassinated. I doubt any of them will be heading back this way."

"So, how much food do we need to get?" Elmo asked, not wanting to deal more on the topic of the goblins and how they weren't likely to receive any assitance.

"Not sure myself," Jonas admitted. "I was hoping any of you might be abl to help me out on that. Though, it's impossible to know exactly how long any of the food will last before it starts to spoil."

"I'll look at that," Heather offered. "I think I could look at what's available and see if any of it looks like fruits and vegetables I'm familiar with from my world."

"I'll go with her," Elin said. "Maybe I'll see something that we could use to heal us with out using MP. That way I could help heal us if my MP runs out."

"Not a bad idea," Kim remarked. "Is there anything else you can think of to say?"

Jonas shook his head. "That's all that I could think of. If anyone else has any other thoughts, I'd appreciate hearing them."

No one else did, so Jonas stood up. "Then we'll head out and see what we can get. Kim will see about getting armor for herself as well as maybe a job for the next little bit. Heather will look at food with Elin, but remember Elin, do that in-between your shifts here, okay?"

Elin nodded. "Of course. We still need more money, right?"

Jonas nodded in response. "I'll continue to see what information I can get about the surrounding area. Which leaves Sonya. Anything you can think of that you can do?"

Sonya sighed. "If you'd like, I could shift into something that can keep an eye out for goblins, so we could at least know if they're on their way."

"A warning of when they're coming certainly would be nice," Kim remarked. "Would also help us know when we're out of time."

"What form would you be taking?" Elmo asked.

Sonya just laughed. "My shapes are my own business. You'll have to figure out that for yourself."

For some reason Elin and Heather also found Sonya's statement amusing. Though Elmo couldn't think of what was so funny about it.

"By the way, you should mostly be safe from goblins during the day," Kim commented. "Elmo was able to learn a little about them, and part of it was that they preferred the nighttime where it was darker than the daytime. I'm not sure if you'll be able to see them easier that way, but it would at least be safer."

"Thanks," Sonya replied. "I'll do just that. I'll also keep a eye out for tracks more than the goblins themselves."

"Okay, so we'll meet up again after dinner here," Jonas said, then he focused on Sonya and Heather. "That'll be around the time the sun will set. Though, Elin and Elmo won't be done with their jobs until well after the sun is down. So, you'll have plenty of time to get back here."

"So, we'll discuss what our plan for dealing with the goblins will be then, right?" Kim asked.

Jonas nodded. "Yes. Hopefully we'll still have a few more days, but we might not even have until the end of the day before the goblins will reach here. There's just no way of knowing about that right now."

Elmo sighed as it was clear their meeting was done. Which also meant that he needed to get back to helping in the kitchen. While he'd gotten used to it, he really had been hoping that he wouldn't need to go back in there.