The cave felt colder and darker the deeper we went.
The only light came from patches of glowing moss on the walls, giving everything a faint blue-green tint.
Our boots scraped against the stone with every step, sounding way too loud. Water dripped somewhere ahead.
Behind us, the girls were excitedly calling out the names of herbs and crystals as they spotted and collected them.
They were able to recognise most of them quickly because, earlier that morning, Elairis had handed each of them a small, carefully illustrated list.
It had the ingredients we were looking for with sketches, short descriptions, and their usual growing spots.
She had told them to gather anything that matched, and she would do the final check and sorting once they returned.
But something felt different about Elaris, she had been quiet all the time.
Not the usual quiet, but the kind where she kept her eyes down and her shoulders tight.
