Five Miles to Union Falls
It was a lovely November day, a practically balmy 40 degrees, so the Magic thought it would be a nice time to go for a hike.
Well.
Really, Francisco thought it would be a nice time, and also thought it would make for a good bonding experience, so the entire team was out on what could barely be called a trail. His idea of "a nice hike" was a bit more strenuous than the rest, though they expected that at this point. It also wasn't much of a team hike, as Frank, Logan, and Inky were pretty far ahead of the pack and only half the team was actually walking.
That didn't stop Yeong-Ho from complaining.
"My legs hurt."
"We all know," Glover signed, "You've mentioned."
Yeong-Ho threw their hand over their eyes. "You will never know my pain. You don't have legs. Or... much else." Glover snapped back at them threateningly. Washer burbled.
Bonk huffed. "Offered you a ride earlier," it signed.
"Yeah, but you're bony. It's uncomfortable."
"Yes. All bones. This is no surprise. Didn't stop Chorby from accepting."
Yeong-Ho looked from Bonk's face to where Chorby sat as a frog on its antler, and back again. "You know how songbirds can sit on barbed wire because they're so light, so they can't even feel the barbs?"
"I thought that was because they could fit between the barbs," said Eizabeth from her spot on Cory. Cory had not offered Yeong-Ho a ride.
"I mean yeah, but-"
"Wards."
As soon as Washer called out, every teammate who could pulled up their wards. Not even a second later, there was a heavy thump as a huge salamander crashed into them. The trail it had taken through the trees was surrounded by snapped branches and coated in ash.
"Close. They're getting reckless," Bevan said, quickly casting a binding on the salamander. "Thank you for the warning, Washer. We should let the rangers council know what's going on. If there's salamanders out the fire warning should be increased."
Eiz sighed. "Can we just have one peaceful day? Please?"
"Days are peaceful until they are not. We have had peaceful days before. We will have peaceful days again," Oscar said sagely. Bevan glared at them. Washer burbled jovially, and Curry snickered from her spot on Oscar's horns.
"What, you a poet now? Should I call you Bruce Kiskaddon?"
"Who."
"Statistically," Cory said flatly, as Cory always spoke, "We have not had a quote-unquote peaceful day in several years."
"That's kind of depressing," said Sutton, a pep in their step despite this pronouncement.
Chorby hummed. "I've never seen a salamander that size before," she said lightly. She hopped down from her place on Bonk's antler, transforming halfway down, to get a better look. "Do you think there will ever be a salamander player?"
"Salamanders aren't sentient," Oscar pointed out. Washer burbled unhappily. Cory's camera swung around to stare at Oscar. They smartly backed down. "Not that that means much in this line of work."
Bevan carefully levitated the salamander and stepped out of the way. "I need to bring this closer to the caverns and that's always safer in a group. Would anyone like to come with me?"
"I'll come!" Yeong-Ho and Chorby said at the same time. Bevan nodded, and the three went off the trail together. Oscar turned to watch them leave.
"Do you think I should tell Bevan that the salamander had juvenile markings when they get back."
Everyone turned to Oz. "Uh, yes," said Eiz, "that would be important to know."
"Hmm..." Oscar stroked their beard, then continued. "But I won't be able to hold something I know that he doesn't over him that way."
"Just lord it over him... after you tell him?" Glover suggested. "That way he knows what you're being self-important over too."
Oscar pointed at them "Oh, that's a good plan."
"I will never understand your rivalry," signed Bonk while Oscar had their back turned. "You just have so much in common!"
Eiz stifled a laugh.
"Come on!" Sutton called from his place towards the front of the group, "We should catch up with the three that went on ahead."
"It would be best to keep the group together as much as possible," Cory agreed.
"Wait," Bonk signed, and then again after Sutton stopped, "wait, do you know where we're going?"
"Francis said we're going to a spot that overlooks Union Falls," Curry said, "But the weird falls, not the normal falls."
"Because the trail to the normal Union Falls is like 16 miles, right," Eiz said.
"Do we know what path leads there? Because there's a fork in the path," Bonk signed, then pointed. Everyone turned to look.
"Uh," said Sutton.
"Hm," said Oscar.
"No," said Cory.
Washer burbled. Gyr vent slowly went along one path.
"Guess we're going that way then," Sutton said, following Washer's vent at the same slow pace.
Curry sighed. "This will take a while."
Francisco was the first to breech the treeline, followed closely by Inky.
"Would you look at that," he breathed.
Soft gold light from the setting sun washed over the falls. It painted the bluffs a firey color, dappled where it passed through the trees. The water glimmered in the reflected light, its eerie surface somehow mirror-smooth except for the plunge pool of the falls and a few ripples trailing behind the ducks near the shore.
The waterfall flowed upwards.
Inky adjusted his hat. "What a view."
At a rustle behind them, the two turned to see Logan leave the treeline, and then... Nobody else.
"Where's the rest of the team?" asked Francisco.
"They're back a ways, I think they took a break for a moment," said Inky.
"I felt Washer call for wards," Logan said in his rasping voice.
"What? That rarely happens, do you think they're alright?"
"Should we go back?" Inky asked.
Logan shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
Inky gave him a suspicious look. "...Alright. Francisco, did you bring the picnic?"
Francisco rubbed the back of his head. "No, Bonk has the picnic. They said it wouldn't be a problem, since they have extra hands."
"...Maybe we should go back," Logan mumbled.