Corn Stars

                                    

                                          
  Birds chirped as a soft blue sky manifested from the deep red sun. A cool morning breeze blew through the camp, rustling ashes from the previous night's campfire. Another night had come to an end.
  Cecrope walked silently through to check the progress of his wyvern skins, insects fluttering behind his heavy cape.
  Ila slowly stirred in her tent. She gently rubbed sleep from her eyes and blinked awake. She lightly traced the gold markings on her cheek, they were from her patron. Wet drops of dew soaked the tarp of her borrowed shelter. They sat up to watch the thri-kreen mill about.
  The tall moth-like insectoid threw down sticks onto the pile of ash that had once been a fire. He got down and began relighting it with flint and steel.
  The noise of the rocks striking against each other echoed off the camp walls and reverberated in Ila's ears.
  All of a sudden, fire erupted from the dry kindle. Cecrope jumped back to avoid getting caught in the blaze.
  "You really woke me up for this?" Ezlir's grey hand remained extended from his tent. "Don't you have any fire spells, Cecrope?"
  "I'm sorry to have disturbed you from your rest." His calm voice returned. "Thank you for starting the fire and no, I'm afraid I do not." Cecrope sat back on his haunches, knees touching the ground. "I found food while I was out talking to my girlfriend last night.... I was correct to assume you eat finch eggs, yes?"
  "Woah woah, you have a girlfriend?" Ila sat forward, now intrigued by the conversation.
  "Yes, we just said goodbye a few hours ago when she set over the horizon." He pointed to the west with a long arm.
  Ila rubbed her temples now embarrassed she even asked. "Oh boy... he thinks he's dating the fucking moon."
  Ezlir emerged fully from his tent, his silver hair frizzy from sleeping. "Well whatever, he found breakfast at least." His tired blue eyes locked onto the pan that the insectoid was removing from his bag. He pointed to the fire. "Do you even know how to cook?"
  "Not really, but I can try." 
  After a bland but fulfilling breakfast, which Ezlir took over cooking when Cecrope started to burn it, the trio of friends packed up their stuff and set out for the nearest village. 
  Leaves and sticks crunched with each footstep and field mice scattered in the underground. Roots suck up in the path, threatening to trip distracted adventurers.
  Traveling through the forest Ila unfurled her map to see which direction they needed to move in. "I think we head north east?" She flipped the map upside down. The village could be in any direction. The pencil lines were faint and getting progressively more difficult to read.
  Cecrope put a hand on Ila's shoulder. "Lets continue along this trail. It is sure to lead somewhere." He moved ahead of the human to look at muddy tracks.
  "And not like, lead to another kobold camp right?" Ila rolled the delicate map back up and put it in her backpack.
  "Yeah I think I'm sick of them fellas." Ezlir butted in.
  The ranger shrugged his shoulders. "I've never been in these woods before but I've had luck with walking in one direction until I find a town."
  "Great...." Ila shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Well, we're in this together, I guess."
  As the adventurers walked along thin game trails, looking for the village, a clearing could be seen ahead.
  The area was shaded by a large maple tree and the ground was lined with a thick carpet of moss. A quaint little house sat in the center under the maple tree. Butterflies fluttered past and bees worked tirelessly on wildflowers growing in the yard.