for whatever reason* okeanos had dawdled, finding himself less eager to rush back to neverwinter. but he does not want to stay too long and worry his sister, or give mal fuel for his abandonment complex. when strange tremors underground wake him up, he decides a little urgency is, in this case, a good thing. the beautiful greenery he'd past through to reach the mountain is marred by rock and dirt -- the source, he assumes sadly, of the bizarre rumbling he'd felt. the earth looks wounded, he thinks, and fear seizes his heart: what caused this, and what if there's more to come, more of those unaccountable rumbling and shakings and crackings?

afraid to risk crossing the scene, okeanos turns and begins the slower trek around through the weald, thinking he must find ibis and make sure she's okay.


*referring, of course, to whatever happens here