But Edna had no intention of trusting them much yet. Compared with the other two, though, Dervis and his companions came from Azuth's only Supreme God Temple, so she could give them a little more leeway.
Once Luka of the Transmutation School struck up a conversation with the half-elf, Edna gave Leonard a slight nod when he looked to her for guidance. They could talk normally; there was no need to stay too guarded.
Edna glanced at the human and the elf, who were quickly warming to each other. Luka even picked herbs by the roadside and asked Leonard how a Nature Mage judged their medicinal properties. Talking about plants delighted the half-elf mage, who soon had his hands waving as he spoke.
The girl shrugged helplessly. With Leonard like this, how did he expect to act friendly on the surface while keeping his guard up underneath?
People would see through him after two sentences!
She would have to watch them carefully herself.
The roar of rushing water reached her ears. Edna raised her head toward the magnificent river flowing down from Mount Belen.
The Neverwinter River was famous in the Northlands because the stretch within the forest never froze, even in the bitterest winter.
Both Neverwinter and Neverwinter Forest had been named for the river.
Many had studied it and suspected an underground volcano, but there were reportedly no traces of one within a thousand meters below ground, nor the slightest smell of sulfur.
Edna called out, "Leo, another three hundred meters ahead, there's a cliff face hidden behind a mass of rose vines. Lift the vines three meters to the left, and you'll find a path in.
There shouldn't be any enemies there. The Undead harvested herbs there just three days ago, but be careful anyway."
Leonard turned