I set my spoon down, it clinked on the porcelain. I folded my hands. "As much silver as you can carry," I said to start.

  Kimothy got his head to the side in time for his spit-take. He sprayed beer onto the floor, and started choking. Thumper helped him by, of course, thumping him on the back.

  "Ancient records and ancient lore," I continued, with a sympathetic moue towards Kimothy. "Rare ingredients and components. Magic items from eons past. Monster contact, and my advice on interactions," I said, nodding once towards Tiviti and once towards Larianne. "Not to mention an experience unlike anything you've ever had in Hearster, and a chance to prove yourself against challenges that defeated every delver and treasure-hunter in the past several centuries."

  "Yeah, I'm not up to that kind of challenge," Kimothy said, raising his hand. "I'm really interested in having as much silver as I can carry, for sure. But I'm just a sorcerer, and not nearly the strongest one around."

  "Having someone I can trust is more important than having the strongest mage," I said.

  Licard tapped a meaty finger against the table. "Now that's the damn truth. Lots of folk don't recognize that and just fill their roster with the strongest they can find."

  I chuckled. "It just so happens that most of the strongest around are also people I trust. We've got some real contenders here. Nobody is to be underestimated. But I know we'll need more mages than just me, and to choose anyone but you would be foolish."

  He looked down at his salad. "I just don't want to feel like the weak link in this team."

  Maspers chuckled. "No worries there, kid. I don't have any magic at all, I'm just a good guardsman. And you're not the only here with that worry."

  I laid a hand on Kimothy's wrist. "You've had a lifetime of indoctrination that sorcerers are weak. I'm going to need you to get over those issues, all right? And I'm hoping that slaying great beasts and looting lost temples is just the boost you need."

  Larianne looked skeptical. "Still, it would be nice to have a wizard with us. And a scrivener."

  "I've got a scrivener and she's going to be preparing us everything we will need," I said. "She doesn't need to come with us and take a share, she's paid on retainer out of my share. And a wizard would be worse than useless to us."

  "Why?" Licard said flatly. "Time to make some specifics. What is this place really? I know legends, rumors, tall tales and lies, but you say you've got the authentic information."

  I shrugged, and took a sip of soup. "The jungle is poisoned," I said. "Every leaf, twig, piece of bark and drop of sap. Powerful hallucinogens, they make people see all kinds of things. Anyone that goes in gets infected. If they make it back out, it's pure luck they wandered in the right direction and recovered. So that's why the stories are always wild and weird, and never agree on a single detail."

  "Well shit," Quarl said. "Who here is immune to poison?"

  "Anyone who keeps their wits, moves carefully, and doesn't take chances," I said. "It's wintertime. There's no pollen in the air and the leaves are all fallen. Safest time of year."

  "Shit, the pollen is toxic?" Thumper blurted. "That's some allergies!"

  "Most of the more powerful and difficult monsters are going to be hibernating, or torpid," I said. "Most people don't try this in the wintertime because winters in Wanfarrun are brutal. The summers are brutal too. The wild lands of Wanfarrun are just bad news all the time. Getting that far from civilization in that region in the wintertime is going to exhaust most parties and take too many supplies. Fortunately, I can bring us there in seconds. We leave behind six weeks of travel by carriage and three weeks of the most taxing winter hiking you've ever imagined. Instead, we can arrive wearing thin coats, gloves, and carrying backpacks for two day's travel."

  "Two days?" Quarl interrupted. "Not just bring us right in?"

  "If we step out of my portal and straight into a drift of fallen leaves, we're done for," I said. "A low-hanging branch could take us out. Bringing us directly into the jungle would take a very real chance of ending our expedition and killing us all. Moving carefully is the play here. I assure you: if there was an easy way to get around this, I would already have brought it to you. Most of you already know that I'm not shy about grabbing shortcuts when it suits me."

  Kimothy raised his hand. "Why hike? You and I can both lift a few people and fly with them. We could turn two day's hike into four hours flying."

  "Flying below the tree canopy can hit a twig or a leaf you didn't expect, and carrying other people you can't guide them easily around small obstacles," I said. "Above the tree canopy, you'd be in danger from the skywhales."

  Larianne paused. "Tell us everything."

  I sighed. "Barbarians. Mana warriors, healers, and soldiers, but also plenty of innocents and family members, it's a community not just an army, so we don't destroy everything. Nailmonkeys, small tree-climbing primates with claws like swords, they like to attack from ambush in packs. Skywhales, giant magical flying monsters that are big enough to eat you by accident, smart enough that it will never be just an accident, and mean enough to enjoy eating you on purpose. Centaurs, especially of the blackhart and highbrow variety- very different creatures but closely related. You'll see fairies, but this time of year they're all quite harmless. And of course thunderbeasts- primitive ancient animals with thick hides, giant teeth, vicious instincts and massive size. Everything else should be torpid or hibernating. We arrive here on Sixthday morning and I take us to the edge of the forest. We spend Sixthday hiking inwards, moving carefully, healing whenever there's a contact before the poison can take hold. Stay overnight, I'll be able to maintain comfortable temperatures the whole time. On Sevenday we resume, and reach the temple. We stop the ritual, save the hostage, fight the guardian monster, steal the treasure, loot the tombs, escape the collapsing temple, and then I bring us right back here on Sevenday afternoon, probably in time for dinner."

  Well now I had everyone staring at me with some very dramatic expressions on their faces.

  Licard spoke first. "You call that a plan?"

  "No, I call it an itinerary, the outline of a plan focusing on high points of a timeline," I said. "And that's as much as I'm giving until I start seeing someone here besides Larianne say they're committed to this."

  Thumper spoke with her mouthful, her fork already reaching for the next bite of minced poultry and pasta. "You had me from 'as much silver as I can carry'."

  Tiviti chuckled. "You had me when you listed five kinds of monster I've never killed before. That kind of variety would give me bragging rights enough to shut my brothers up for years."

  Quarl was looking down at his hands, running some calculations. "I'm in. I'll need some help with a project while I'm there. We can talk it through later."

  I got a notification for a new quest opening up. [ Innovations in Elimination ]

  Licard was giving me a hard look. "Do you have a backup plan if I refuse?" he said.

  "Nope."

  "Fuck," he said. "All right. Just so you don't all die without me. But I gotta be back by Oneday morning, I'm not missing work for this." For everyone else, I'm proposing a deadly excursion with a hundred dangerous variables. For him, I've asked for an inconvenient favor. Like helping me move apartments or something.

  Captain Maspers was rocking his jaw from side to side, looking at me through narrowed eyes. While the others spoke up, he was still thinking. And then, "There's a hostage?"

  "Yep. We'll be arriving just as the high priest and high priestess are beginning the ceremony of sacrifice."

  He sighed. "If I go, my priority is the rescue. I'll help with whatever else we need to do, but I'm not going to throw myself at monsters with a sword in my hand just because it's there. And, if I want out, you bring me back immediately."

  Kimothy looked up sharply. "Ah! that's right, we've got an escape hatch! You can bail us out of there if things go bad, and we could try again!"

  If it helps him feel better about this. "A good point, Kimothy. This doesn't need to be deadly dangerous to us all, really."

  Larianne considered him coldly. "What kind of sorcerer?"

  "The usual kind," he said.

  "No, Natalie defines her abilities by elements," the Countess Ebonder said. "What are yours?"

  "Uh, fog, and geese."

  Thumper stifled a laugh. "Sorry, that's rude, but.. really? You can make it foggy, and you can control geese?"

  He started to blush and stammer and make excuses, but I had to step in. "Thumper, everyone knows that geese are terrifying under normal conditions. He can create one ten feet tall, or a normal-sized one moving as fast as an arrow shot straight to the chest. Use them for scouting or decoys. And his fog is as strong as a wall, and can be formed into weapons. He will try to undersell his abilities but they are impressive."

  A notification announced that I had advanced the affection quest for [ The Sorcerer ]. I had a stack of them, actually, I was making a lot of maneuvers for several of my love interests, because five of them were here. And another still to arrive. I had a small stream of experience points trickling in, one at a time as I hit various small checkpoints.

  "I guess that's a full round of affirmatives," Tiviti said. "No holdouts. You have your team, Lady Natalie. And I believe that we will be able to get along with one another well enough for this excursion."

  "Remains to be seen," Licard said. "We still haven't met the last member of the group. Natalie's got that one held secret because she thinks we'd object if we knew too much before committing."

  I could have winced and cringed and made excuses. I folded my hands behind my back and gave him a bright, blameless beam. "You've all trusted me this far, how bad can it be?"

  Larianne scrunched her nose in disgust. "It's not some farm person or something, right?"

  I was trapped between amusement and defensiveness. And, also, caught by the usual trope of adventuring heroes being from small farming villages before they find a sword and strike out to find allies and a destiny. So, honestly the fact that nobody here- except me-, could be argued to be from a small farming village was already defeating the tropes. So part of me is already like hey just because my home duchy is mostly agricultural! - but then, maybe I'm reading too much into this. Or maybe Elica has been too much of an influence on Larianne. In any case, I need to be the leader and move on.

  "It's not a farmer or anyone who would demean your noble sentiments," I said, "but stop fishing for clues. We leave next Sixthday, as near to dawn as we can. Most of us are from the Academy, and I bet Sir Maspers can enter the property without needing special provisions. I want to have as much time as possible. The earlier we start, the slower we can move, and the fewer chances we have to take. I do not intend to use this expedition as a chance to show off how brave I am. I intend to show how much I hate taking chances. When I feel brave, I play cards against my roommate, this is not the time."

  Larianne gestured her consensus. "I know the roommate. She's not exaggerating."

  Licard folded his hands together, still hunching forward. "And what consideration have you given to provisioning?"

  "I've got my own list and I was pretty confident in it," I said. "But that was before I found out that you're renewing your Guild license and not applying for a new one. So, I think that makes you the resident expert and authority, whether or not I have visions of mysterious things."

  He chuckled, but got serious again with a scowl. "All right. Two days, sleeping rough, hiking the rest. Hostile territory, moving stealthily. Climate is bitterly cold-"

  "I'll be moderating our temperatures somewhat," I said. "My plan was to keep it cool or chilly near me, so we can still wear heavy clothing, but not dangerously cold. That way we can be reasonably dressed for the temperature if any of us needs to leave my presence for a while, and then return to warm up. And heavier clothing also keeps us from most of the jungle's toxins. That, uh, had been my plan."

  "Good thinking," he agreed. "Everyone, bring comfortable cold-weather gear. I think if it's appropriate to Hearstcliff, it's probably appropriate for her plans. Don't overpack unless you're willing to drop stuff in the woods and lose it. Layers are key. Bring twice as many socks as you think you need. Bring twice as much food as you think you need."

  Tiviti spoke up. "No exposed metal. No open steel. A glint from a knife can carry a mile at a good angle. Keeping visible metal out is like shouting at the top of your lungs in monster-infested territory."

  Licard blinked. "I never heard that rule before."

  The Huntress shrugged, but smiled. "Moving through a monster-infested jungle is going to require some of your skills as an adventurer, and some of my knowledge from hunting the frontiers."

  "Indeed, we'll be incorporating that rule," I said. "Quarl already covers his bow, Tiviti.. Hmm. Sir Maspers, Thumper, will either of you have trouble with this?"

  He shook his head. "I've got weapon lacquer, I can bring enough to share."

  Kimothy looked a bit nervous now. "No armor though? None of us wearing any armor?"

  Tiviti reached past Thumper to pat him on the shoulder. It was not a stretch. "I'll have my armor on, but under my coats. I suspect the captain also has armor he can conceal."

  Thumper smirked. "I only wear non-metallic armors, but I've got a variety. Leather, resin, or batting?"

  I was opening my mouth to say those are all pretty much the same to me, but Tiviti answered again. "Wear the resin. It will smell of trees and winter. Leather smells of prey animals and organs, it draws monsters that have a strong sense of smell. I do not know the monsters of this jungle, but it is best to assume something here can smell yesterday's breakfast from a mile away."

  "Horrifying, thank you," Quarl said. His mask held his expression from us. The voice gave it away though.

  "You mentioned food," Maspers said. "But water?"

  Licard shot a look to Tiviti, and she picked it up. "If you are dressed correctly for the weather, you should only need slightly more water than you normally would," she said. "If you are willing to be a little thirsty, one canteen a day is probably fine. But you will use a lot more energy than you are used to, so food is prioritized."

  "One canteen," I corrected. "I can draw water out of the air, I'll refill our stocks when we're camping."

  Tiviti looked pleased now. "That's good. Water gets surprisingly heavy. Having a clean refill in the wild will be a great asset."

  I shrugged. "I'm not just a versatile sorceress, I'm also a spoiled noblewoman. Using my magic for comfort, ease, and quality-of-life improvements is one of my specialties."

  Captain Maspers pressed two fingers to his brow in a salute. "In my line of work, that's called morale resources, and it's a lifesaver. Only the most dedicated and well-disciplined teams can thrive in a field when they're uncomfortable. Itching, cold, thirst, exhaustion, those things eat away at unit cohesion and performance. A soldier after three days of privation and irritation is only half as effective as they were on the first day." He shook his head. "And nobody is alert for an ambush if they need to use the bathroom. Taking care of soldiers is not just breakfast and bedrolls."

  Tiviti scoffed. "Bah. I can thrive in the wilds for weeks at a time. The duchies are soft, the marches are hard."

  "I'm not going to leave you out there for a week just to prove that point," I said.

  Larianne cleared her throat. "You've mentioned that you know what sort of monsters we'll encounter. Do you know their... properties?"

  Quarl and Tiviti were both interested in this question, leaning forward.

  "Only some of it," I said. "Nailmonkey claws are some of the easiest tools for making magic weapons quickly in great quantity, they take the marks readily and require only a handle. Highbrow centaur hooves are good for potions.. can't recall what kind. Intellect and accuracy? Maybe. Blackhart blood will dye anything black permanently, and their arms are valuable to some mages. I don't know why, but they've got a good resale value. The blood of a skywhale will permanently increase your stamina and energy, somewhat."

  Tiviti licked her lips. "And thunderbeasts?"

  "-are pretty good eating, if you take your time," I said. "Technically they're not monsters, just very large and rare animals. Powerful enough to hold their own among monsters."

  The Huntress sagged in disappointment. Thumper brightened. "Will we get a chance to eat one? That sounds exciting!"

  "We'll see what happens," I chuckled.

  "All right, clothes, water, food, armor, weapons," Maspers went down the list. "Lighting? Weather protection? Bedding? Hygiene? Gear maintenance? Bags and backpacks?"

  "Lighting will be lanterns or magic," I said. "We do not burn anything we find in the jungle, no firewood and no torches."

  Kimothy was still looking for more pasta on the other side of the plate. "Why not?"

  "Because the smoke is poison too."

  "Oh, come on!"

  "One of two reasons the whole forest wasn't burned down centuries ago to make room for settlers," I said. "Setting it on fire spreads madness and hallucinations for miles around, leading to murders, drownings, and accidents. And the trees release new seeds when it gets hot, so the forest spreads every time they try. So, no campfire."

  "Good," Tiviti said. "Camping fires are good for controlled spaces with minimal monsters. Not dangerous wilds. More trouble than they're worth."

  Licard was drinking water, like I was. "I presume we should pick bedding that keeps us up off the forest floor."

  "I can sweep the area clear of leaves and toxins," I said. "And I'll be keeping the campsite warm. Thick bedding is bulky to carry, but we should not need much."

  "Unless it rains," Licard said darkly.

  "It won't rain," I reminded him.

  Sir Maspers laughed a little while he watched Licard reset his thinking- sometimes people forget that I know things, and they have to remind themselves to make allowances for me.

  But for Kimothy this was a sticking point. "Hang on," he said, sighing. "I- I don't want to be that guy, but we need that guy for at least a minute here. We're staking a lot, lives, on knowledge that you tell us you have, and it really does seem credible!- but, I mean... I'm just looking for assurances."

  Tiviti folded her hands in front of her. "I have seen.. some evidence. Things that could not be known easily. Secrets that nobody in a city of millions had found for hundreds of years."

  Thumper chuckled. "She told me on day one that I was gonna make team captain. She didn't even know anyone else on the fencing team, just me and one other girl. But there was actually zero doubt in her mind. Is it proof? Maybe not. But I'm convinced."

  Sir Maspers tapped his fingertips against the table, tap-tap-tap. "I don't think they're as inevitable as she thinks," he admitted, staring at me. "And I think she doesn't always know to interpret them. I don't think all her visions are the same. But... she doesn't say this like she read it in a book. It will not rain, and we will make it in time to stop the sacrifice. She knows these monsters, and this land. I don't understand her, but she understands this."

  I damn well should, I beat this sidequest on four different playthroughs, and each time took a dozen different reloads. I've had practice at this place. I usually save it for the third or fourth act, instead of going after it in the first year, but I'm betting that having a party of competent mages and warriors will work out better than escort-mission-ing Curigi Ghant the [ Intriguing Foreigner ] through the jungle.

  Licard chuckled. "She's shown me a couple things that make me believe. And if all of you have evidence, that's a lot."

  Quarl nodded. "Personally? Not much evidence. It hasn't come up, really. And, the thing with the class rankings?.. not quite a win, that one. But I've done my research. My backgrounds. Looking into stuff, reaching far. And I think that any time that Natalie Harigold is certain enough of herself to make a big move, a dangerous move, there is no doubt at all."

  Larianne fanned her nails elegantly, clicking them softly. "I see her nearly every day. Damn near everything she does is informed by this. Things you could not just guess lucky, and things you could not research accurately. My personal theory is that her visions are one-hundred-percent with the exception that her twin, Nathan, seems to be able to surprise her or frustrate her. Leave him out and she's got a perfect track record."

  I stared at her in shock. I must be giving off way more clues than I thought because that is way too close to the truth.

  Speaking of giving away too many clues: my face.

  "Holy shit," Quarl said, looking up at me. He was listening to Larianne's theory, and watching my reaction.

  I tried to compose myself, but most of the room was looking at me with very mixed expressions. They had seen more than I wanted them to. I cleared my throat. "Ah, hem, I don't think I'm comfortable discussing this matter in any further detail," I said, straining a little. "I, ah, hope that this does help allay Mr Ubohm's concerns?"

  "That and the fact that you knew my last name before anyone ever said it," he said. "To everyone else I'm just Kimothy, even the teachers. Nobody has used my last name out loud since I got to the school." He paused. "That doesn't necessarily prove it, but.. well, maybe you could have looked that up somewhere. A background check."

  Quarl shifted in his seat. "I for one am going to want to follow up on this Nathan issue, because that raises so many questions. But that doesn't need to take up our time here."

  Sir Maspers felt differently. He was weirdly flustered when he spoke. "No no, I just have- look, if you've got visions granted to you by the gods themselves, and you can't actually apply them to Nathan, does that mean he's..." he paused, not quite ready to say the next part.

  "No," I said. "It doesn't make him anything but my brother, and my blind spot." I don't need folks thinking that Nathan is a demon counterpart to my goddess-powers. Or, contrary, that he's got divine gifts of his own that match and counter my own.

  And yet I'm not sure I convinced anyone at this table. I slumped, and pushed my bowl away from the edge of the table. "Lighting. Bedding. What else?"

  "Smooth transition, nobody will think you've got anything to hide," Larianne said sarcastically, with a syrup-sweet smile. "Hygiene was mentioned. Will we be washing up?"

  "I'll generate water for washing," I said. "But I think we're probably going to be sleeping in our clothes overnight. Anything you carry, you either carry all the way or you leave behind."

  Thumper scoffed. "If carrying my toothpaste means I have to carry a toothpaste's weight less in silver, I'm leaving toothpaste behind."

  "Excellent point," Licard said. "Bags and baggage. Backpacks, I presume? No wagon, no handcarts, no drag litters? Need to keep our hands free?"

  "And a big ol' bag in my pack for hauling away a scandalous amount of loot," Thumper said firmly.

  I laughed. "Well, if there's that much to carry, I'll need to make multiple trips to bring us all back to Hearstcliff. But otherwise?... yeah, that's about it."

  Quarl spoke up now. "Ah, there's a certain way of securing your backpack so that you can drop it with two tugs of the straps. Faster than sliding it off your arms. It's good if you might get ambushed. I can show everyone how to do this when we're headed out."

  "Next week," Kimothy said, his voice a little distant. He was psyching himself up for it.

  "Sixthday. Dawn. The quad," I repeated. "If you can't make it, please let me know, we'll have to make allowances. I want everything to go exactly to plan."

  It's good to have hopes, right?