Merse shivered slightly, then frowned at the rough texture against her skin. Half-asleep, she opened her eyes to see a gauzy tent stretching through the leaves above her, a bleary light barely wafting through the fog. For a moment, Merse didn't know where she was. However, awareness quickly came crashing down.
Gods below! Merse cursed as she suddenly sat up and backed up, coming to a rest against the tree trunk. Looking about her, Merse realized she was a good 60 hands above the ground in a tree, completely naked. No...this is impossible! she tried to convince herself, shaking her head in defiance. Maybe it was another strange dream. I just need to find my clothes, then I can go back and see if the crew made it.
Sliding down the tree trunk, Merse ignored the scrapes she received and headed towards the water, where she hoped to find her clothes, although the thick mist made it impossible to distinguish anything further than 5 paces away. As she examined the ground, Merse steadfastly ignored the strange trail which led back towards the tree, a trail unlike anything she had seen before, save once. Instead, she came across a piece of her shirt, so badly torn across the sleeves and torso that she knew it would be near impossible to repair. Willing herself to forget the fact that there was only one way her clothes could have been destroyed in such a manner without leaving her with any injuries, she came across her pants, which suffered the same problem, and were of no use. Finally, Merse located her ripped cloak, and feeling vulnerable with no clothes on, fashioned a sort of tunic out of its remnants.
While she donned the cloak, she noticed something silvery along the edge of the bog. Walking over, she discovered the fish she had skewered earlier. Observing her sword and bow scattered around, she gathered them together and decided to take the large fish back to Drin, since she was no longer hungry. It would make decent provisions for the next day or two.
No longer hungry? Merse suddenly realized. Wait, why am I no longer hungry? Spotting a vague large outline through the fog, Merse dropped her belongings and walked towards it hesitatingly. As she neared, she realized why she had missed it earlier. The white silky substance covering it had made it blend in with the mist.
No longer able to deny what was before her eyes, Merse ran around the object as though drawn by an invisible force. Upon reaching the other side, she saw a large gaping hole, which led into the bloody interior cavity which once held the innards of a hydra. It was no dream. She knew now why she was no longer hungry.
Merse doubled over and retched.