The trip so far had been uneventful, but Scarlet’s nerves were aflame. She had worked herself into such a state that she'd ended up casting greater restoration on herself just to stop vomiting. The weight of her inexperience pressed down on her like an iron yoke. Alone in her cabin, she could hear the muffled voices of her teammates outside the door. They were worried, urging her to reach out to her mentor, her second mother. Scarlet was certain one of them had already tattled on her.
With a deep sigh, Scarlet picked up her sending stone. She turned it over in her hands, stalling, before finally sending the message, "When this is done, if I can’t come with you, I want to be a bog witch."
The reply came almost instantly, her mentor's voice tinged with warm amusement,
"Cherry, with the number of bodies you might have to bury, aim for a forest witch instead. Trees eat bones; it’s better for disposal."
Scarlet blinked at the stone, then burst out laughing. It started as a snort but quickly grew into full, unrestrained side-splitting laughter. She laughed so hard she had to sit down, clutching her sides, as tears streaming down her face.
Outside the door, the muffled voices paused. The creak of the door opening barely registered as her team exchanged confused but visibly relieved glances. Scarlet, still gasping for air, waved them off with a hand. For once, she wasn’t scheming, spiraling, or thank the gods vomiting.
After a few moments, she pulled herself together, straightened her clothes, and stepped back into their midst, brushing aside their lingering concerns. “Alright,” she said with a small but determined smile. “Let’s get back to planning.”