The spirit of water looked at Soren and Aurora with understanding in its ethereal eyes. "The sprig of mistletoe grows high in the branches of the ancient oak near the center of the forest," it began. "As for the river stones, you will find them along the banks of the stream that flows through the northern part of the forest. Seek out these items and return them to us before the next full moon. The fate of the Tear of Luna rests in your hands." With these words, the spirits disappeared, leaving Soren and Aurora alone in the chamber.

a sense of dread wash over Soren as they leave the chamber. He knew the next few days would be crucial in their quest to find the sprig of mistletoe and the river stones. The ancient oak tree loomed ahead, its massive trunk stretching toward the sky like a massive pillar. Soren climbed up the tree, his nimble fingers and feet easily navigating the branches. He scanned the branches for the sprig of mistletoe, his heart racing as he searched.

"This is it!" he shouted; his voice bounced off the trees. Aurora climbed up the tree as fast as she could. "Are you sure it's this one?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Soren nodded, pointing at the mistletoe. "Yes, I'm positive." They carefully plucked the mistletoe from the branch, making sure not to damage the tree. As they climbed down the tree, Soren felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. They had found the first ingredient.

"Next stop, the river stones," Soren said, leading the way through the forest. The sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows across their path. They walked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, they reached the bank of the stream. The water was crystal clear, flowing swiftly over the smooth stones. "We'll have to look carefully," Aurora said, crouching down by the water's edge. "The river stones could be anywhere."

Soren nodded his head as his gaze scanned anything that looked like stone. He felt a little uneasy, afraid that they might not find the stones before the full moon. Aurora stood up and stretched her legs, looking around the riverbank. "Maybe we should split up," she suggested. "I'll go this way, and you go that way. We can cover more ground that way." Soren hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed. They decided to meet back at a specific spot after an hour of searching.

Soren couldn't believe how slippery the ground was. He slid down a muddy slope and landed on his bottom, cursing under his breath. Aurora called out from somewhere nearby, laughing. He stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants, and continued his search. The stones were supposed to be here somewhere; he just had to find them.

He groaned when he felt his ankle twist under him. "Ow, that hurt," he muttered, rubbing his sore ankle. Aurora hurried over, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, offering him a hand up. "I'm fine," he grumbled, accepting her help. "Just a little twisted ankle." Aurora nodded, her expression still worried. "We should probably find those stones soon. We're already running out of time." Soren winced as he put weight on his ankle, but forced himself to continue searching.

Aurora's ears twisted and perked up at the sound of running water. "Over here!" she called out, hurrying over to a small waterfall. Soren limped over, his ankle still hurting, but he was trying his best not to show it. As they peered over the edge, they saw a large rock half-submerged in the water. "That looks like a good place to check," Aurora said, moving closer. Soren nodded and carefully climbed down to the rock. As he reached out to touch it, he realized that it was indeed one of the river stones. "I found one!" he shouted, excitement filling his voice despite his sore ankle.

"Caspian is going to freak out when he sees me like this," Soren thought to himself worriedly, inspecting his dirty and muddy clothes. He winced as Aurora pulled the sprig of mistletoe from his messy hair. "Well, we found the mistletoe and the river stones. Now all we need is to find Caspian," Aurora said, brushing off her own clothes. They searched the forest for any sign of their friend, but the trees seemed to swallow any noise they made.