Mining for Diamonds

Thumbelina left her house, she was hoping that today they might have more luck at the mines. Ana was her first thought to ask. The mute woman seemed to know a lot about gems and was always helpful in case monsters showed up. So there she went through town on her way to the blacksmiths house. 

Cherry was, for the most part, aimlessly wandering. He didn't have much to do, or really any where to be. He didn't have anything he wanted to buy, but he didn't have much to sell either. So the tree was just wandering around. 

Ana had just stepped outside her door when the fairy arrived. As was usual when she left the house, she wore her complete set of armor and had her warhammer at her side. Slightly less ordinary was the pickaxe strapped to the harness on her back; most people headed for the mines tended to do so in the daylight when it was easiest to see monsters coming, but Ana did not fear for her safety while underground. She locked her door, then turn and waved to Thumbelina. 

"Ah! I was about to ask if you would help me mine again today.. though, hopefully with more success." A small laugh escaped her as Thumbelina smiled to the strong woman.

Matches had been wandering all day and at the current moment found herself shadowing a very large tree man. She'd met Cherry earlier and absolutely adored his fox but still she had stayed quiet when she'd seen the....man tree thing and was walking behind him with both arms outstretched, trying to follow his footsteps exactly. It was a fun game. 

"Wonderful!" Delight showed clear on her face as Thumbelina took the place next to Ana as they headed to the mines.

Cherry looked up at the sky for a while and contemplated finding a real place to live. He should really get on that... Sure, he could just stand in the forest, but when winter came it would not be fun, and he now had a little fox to think about....! He was nearly oblivious to Matches. 

Oblivious was how she liked it. Matches continued to hop after Cherry. 

Ana stopped to stare at the pair as they passed them on the way to the mines. Normally she thought the tree man was unusual, but Matches' behavior had him beat. 

"Oh Good evening Matches." Thumbelina remained smiling as she waved to her friend. 

Cherry turned to wave to Thumbelina and Ana, and did so, but soon after that he turned and looked around. Matches?? When did she get there?? "Hello," the Tree said to all three of the lovely ladies. 

Ana returned Cherry's wave.

Matches waved back to Thumby and Ana then laughed and waved at Cherry as well. 

"Ana and I were going to the mines, would you care to join us?" The fairy looked at Cherry. She had met the tree once and they seemed the nice sort, though she really didn't know them yet. 

"Sure!" Matches hopped around Cherry and headed over to the ladies. 

The tree considered. He wasn't doing anything at the moment. And Matches was going, she was nice. These other people seemed nice too. "It would be a pleasure."The tree walked over to 'em cause yeah he gotta do that he can't just stand there. 

With that, Ana led the way underground. The mines were dark and musty; it was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. Normally Ana would proceed with no more caution than she would going through town, but with so many people to look after, she made a point to go slowly and keep herself in between the party and anything that might come from the darkness.

Thumbelina had little problem with the darkness, the human sized form she often kept had a faint glow to it. Nearly invisible by day light, within the darkness of the mines it made her glimmer like a walking candle.

Despite having been in the mines before-and having been attacked repeatedly-Matches followed the others without a care in the world. 

"How have things been with you and Ivan?" Thumbelina inquired as they passed further into the mines. 

Cherry followed along, a liiiiiiiiiiitttle worried but glad to be traveling with more people this time. 

As they went forward, a ruhnin charged from around a nearby corner and rammed its body into Ana. She skidded back slightly from the blow, but was more angry than injured. With a scowl, she smashed down on the beast. 

Cherry blinked. That Ruhnin had come out of nowhere, but Ana had quickly done away with it. 

"Hmmm? Oh! Good! Why do you ask?" Matches wasn't even in the least bit surprised by the monster that had come at them. She was pretty used to it at this point. 

A roar echoed from deep within the caverns. Ana swung her hammer into an offensive position, then waited for the monster to appear. Sure enough, another ruhnin charged forward from the darkness. She smashed in its head. 

It was almost unsettling how much she was getting used to Ana.. just smashing everything really. She shrugged in response to Matches question, smiling softly. "Just curiosity." 

Once the monster was dead, she looked up to find a faint glimmer within a crack in the wall. Unlike the allure of the hummerbies' deceit, this was milder and more subdued, as though there was something buried further within the chasm. Ana waved the party over to look, then took out her pickaxe and began to chip away at it. 

"Okay! Um... Miss Thumby? May I ask you something?" Matches inquired.

"Hmn? Is something wrong?" Thumbelina's attention was drawn from the diamonds back to Matches. 

Cherry stood there, half watching Ana and half listening to Thumbelina and Matches. 

The girl toed the ground. "Not really wrong...but I was wondering if you knew how to make someone understand that you really like them?" She waved her hands. "Not in the normal liking way but..." Matches wrinkled her nose as she tried to think about how best to explain it. "The naked, I-want-you-to-touch-me-e​veywhere kind of liking." 

"Uhm... Well.. I don't really think I understand what you mean." Thumbelina just sort of stared at her with confused concern before remembering.. right.. some people like that. 

Matches groaned. "It's okay....I'll keep trying to think up ways I guess." She puffed air at her bangs and continued on in a glum fashion. 

Ana continued picking at the wall, making a point to stay out of their conversation. 

"I'm very sorry.. Maybe Ana could help you? or one of the other ladies in the village.. Sex just.. isn't part of my species.. and I don't care for it.." Thumbelina felt bad for her inablity to help.

"No....it's okay. I know HOW it works I just don't know how to get him to that point..bleh." The girl kicked a stone as she walked. "I already tried what the streetcorner ladies said their johns did but it didn't work..." 

"Have you tried just telling him exactly how you feel? Honesty and openness are valuable in a relationship." Thumbelina really.. couldn't think of any better advice than that. 

Matches waved her arms. "I did! He told me to stop being silly." 

"Did you make sure he knew you were being serious? You are often very silly." Thumbelina was still at a loss.

Matches sighed. "I've tried to. I thought when we were taking a bath he understood but then he got all flustered when he realized I was on his lap and maybe he forgot..." 

Matches squeaked and stepped back, casting a barrier on herself as she remembered she should probably have some kind of protection. They were in the mines after all. 

Whoa! A cloudfox! right out of nowhere. Cherry prepared himself to fight, attempting to smash the little beast with his fists.

Ana followed up the tree's attack with her hammer, finishing off the fox. 

Maybe this meant that she was done trying to help with a subject she had no worth while experience in. Thumbelina went over to Ana after the fox was taken out. "Did you find any good gems?" 

Ana nodded and led the fairy back to where she had been mining. Inside the crack, several large diamonds were visible. Ana took up her pickaxe and began the process of carving them out. Three ruby wargs interrupted her work.

Woah! Matches cast a barrier on Cherry and glanced at Thumbelina. She figured the fairy could cast on Ana if the lady needed it. 

Ana whirled around and took out the nearest warg. 

Thumbelina cast a barrier on herself, she really didn't wish to be taken out in one hit. 

The rubies on the two remaining wargs began to shine with an ominous light. Ana grit her teeth. She charged in between the monsters and smashed one of them in the ribs. 

Matches stepped up and swung at one of the wargs with her staff. 

With the monsters taken care of, Ana went back to carefully removing the diamonds from the wall. 

She was interrupted once more by another metallic cloud fox. Ana smashed the animal's skull in one hit. They were cute, but she'd seen enough foxes for one lifetime. She still wasn't entirely sure whether they were native to the mines or if they were overflow from the statue. 

Before she could rest, four wargs in all colors followed behind the fox. Ana spat and charged into the center of the fray, swinging her hammer down on the largest one.

The members of their party seemed well enough protected, Thumbelina attempted to swing her staff at one of the creastures. 

Matches followed Thumby's staff swing with one of her own. Teamwork! 

Ana spun on her heel, using the momentum to pulverize one of the remaining wargs. 

Another swing of her staff from the matchgirl. Why use magic when you could just bludgeon things to death?