And thus it was that a pall fell over our heretofore-intrepid group. (Y/N) felt rejected and confused, Andy felt like a ghastly failure, Damica was entirely fed up with the way the other two were carrying on, and they had just lost well over half of their supplies.

(Y/N) tersely reviewed what had happened when Poseidon had attacked for Andy while he examined their still soggy knapsacks and tallied their losses. Though Andy was grateful for his rescue and had many questions he wanted to ask her, his profound embarrassment rendered him closemouthed as he went through their remaining provisions. (Y/N), frustrated that Andy seemed to be paying little attention, lapsed into a hostile silence after a barebones explanation of events.

Andy was pleasantly surprised to learn that both his short sword and scabbard had survived the ordeal, but he was thrilled to discover that most of their coin was still safe in the bottom of his salty, itchy pack. However, so much had been lost- perhaps too much. He went through everything several times as he counted, hoping to find something he had missed.

They still had:
-Quite a bit of coin
-Andy's handy-knife
-About half of Andy's spare clothing, completely soaked through
-Only three flints
-A now-useless bracer and leather glove
-Slightly tangled thread
-The packs themselves, one of which was in need of repair
-Only one full-size bedroll and one blanket, both still sopping wet
-Damica's sleeping mat, also damp

That meant they had lost:
-Andy's bow and quiver
-A bit of coin
-All of YN's extra tunics (Andy scowled fiercely to himself when he couldn't find another)
-The other half of Andy's clothes
-The majority of the flints
-The whetstone was accounted for, but crumbled into uselessness
-All of the food they had been carrying was ruined
-The other full-size blanket and bedroll
-Damica's blanket

It was agreed that their first priority would be to find food and drink, but after that the discussion devolved into chaos. Andy wanted to strike out on his own to buy supplies, the better to hurry them along their journey before winter struck. He was confident that the coin they had would pass muster with any local village folk- gold was gold. (Y/N) wanted to set up a steady camp for a week or more so that they could recuperate and replenish their missing supplies on their own. She was planning to go hunting for large game to get food and skins (as she had her whole life), perhaps easier to trade in this strange land than the money they had.

As Andy and (Y/N) argued about the best way to proceed, Damica saw her opening and discreetly slinked away to solve the problem, at least temporarily, on her own. This led to a bit of a panic once her absence was noted. After many attempts to place blame on each other, the two humanoids sullenly agreed to wait for her return before making any major decisions or traveling very far.

In the hours it took for Damica to reappear, (Y/N) managed to collect a few of the last wild figs and other fruits of the season while Andy found a midsize freshwater stream flowing towards the coast. Both of them bathed and washed their briny things in the stream, though they pointedly did it out of each other's sight. As he worked, Andy tried to develop a plan to demand (Y/N) swap out her torn tunic with an intact one of his. (Y/N)'s snakes smoldered as she did her best not to focus on the present, instead reminiscing about how much she missed having grapes.

Just before dusk, Damica came trotting over to each of them, leading them back to their camp where she had been collecting her spoils. When the two saw what Damica had brought, Andy forgot to be disgusted with himself and (Y/N) forgot to feel rejected and hurt. How could they with such a bounty before them?!

Damica took a well-earned nap as Andy and (Y/N) set a fire and cooked and prepared the two mice, fat weasel, large handful of tubers, and small pile of fruits. Damica had apparently already eaten, so (Y/N) and Andy enjoyed their unexpected feast peacefully together.

Andy and (Y/N) were clearly in better spirits having had a good meal. They exchanged stories as they waited for their clothes and bedding to dry. Thankfully the day had been warm, so only a short while by the fire was necessary to dry their things.

When Damica awoke, she set about gathering a large bed of dry leaves and moss for her friends. Soon her companions begrudgingly curled up together and fell asleep, but she did not join them. She had seen the bad things that flames could do before, and knew the dangers their little campfire posed if unattended. Besides- just because they had slept there safely the previous night did not mean the area was truly safe.

Until the fire went out, Damica stood watch patiently. She knew that the odds of a vixen so mature as herself returning home safely from their adventure were slim indeed. And yet, she was at peace. Her two friends needed her, and she would never have left them to such an undertaking on their own. Thank goodness she had been there to remedy the situation; they were clearly hopeless without her!

--

Back in the village, Chris the vintner was working hard and in no mood for distractions. But when his wife came home one day talking about the creature in the woods, something told him to listen. Amy said she had heard a rumor that the monster had died, and that there was talk of discontinuing the offerings, perhaps searching the off-limits area of the forest. Though he feigned disinterest, something about the gossip worried him. Several days later, Chris surprised everyone by volunteering to deliver the foodstuffs to the beast despite it being a very busy time for the winery.

Like most men in the village, the route to the creature's lair was a familiar one for him. When he arrived, he noticed something was amiss immediately. There was enough rotting food in the clearing that, even in the cooler autumn weather, the smell was noticeable. The remains of many offerings were strewn about, just as though by nothing more than common forest animals and the elements. Never in his life had he seen that place in such disrepair and neglect.

Deep in his gut, his intuition told him that no one else should know the beast was gone, as he was certain it had to be. Despite this certainty, he kept his eyes to the ground as he diligently cleared away all signs of the previous offerings and disposed of the ones he had brought. As he worked, he realized why he was behaving as he was.

The creature was gone, and so was Andy, just as his son had told him would be so. Could it possibly be that Andy had been telling the truth? If so, Chris had to keep the village safe for his son's return. If Andy had befriended a monster, no one in the village could know. That most definitely included hiding any signs that he could be traveling with a Gorgon.

Chris chuckled, embarrassed with himself. Of course such thoughts were completely ridiculous! But, nevertheless... just in case, it certainly couldn't hurt. Just in case.