The orkin girl did not pick a winner, when prompted by the other woman. Wise, considering the number of people who had gathered to try their strength against the mountain. Nym rose from her comfortable spot to listen. She tried to match voices and faces to the people that Hagga described, but she could not. She would need to observe her fellow competitors more closely, come the morning.

"Sounds like it will be a lively contest. I shall do my best."She closed her eyes once more, and let her shoulders relax back into the water.

"So long as they don't toss the victor into the mountain afterwards," Nym added as an after-thought. Her tone kept its usual flat formality, but the smirk tugging at the corners of her lips showed she was not serious.
 
Kaiya listened to the descriptions of the other participants, only one seemed to sound the least bit familiar, but even then she wasn't sure. She would just have to wait and see for herself if it was the one she looked for. Enough of an answer for what she was truly looking for.

"As shall I!" The petite deva said eagerly, agreeing with the elven woman. Though her face broke into a grimace. She doubted that the winner would be rewarded with a trip into the mountain, but one could never be sure. Good thing winning wasn't her goal.

"Does that mean if no one reaches the summit there is no winner this year?" She couldn't help but ask curiously. It had been mentioned that the winner was the one who reached the top first, but also that reaching the top was perilous that many wouldn't make it that high. Even as she asked the question, she had a feeling that the answer would be yes. It didn't seem like these people did anything in halves. The goal was reaching the top, failure was the only reward should no one make it. Failure and perhaps lessons learned at least.​
 
It warmed her heart to see such acknowledgement in her companions, the resolve was infectious.
"And me, so look out you two. I won't go easy on you just because I like you."
She agreed with a grin then laughed at the idea of someone being thrown into the mountain.
"No, you'll be safe enough, well, as safe as you can be on the edge of an active volcano but still. Nobody gets thrown in."
Closing her eyes she took her cue from the other women and leaned back.
"Sometimes people jump in but that's usually the older warriors. We respect their right to do so."

It might seem odd to outsiders but autonomy was a chief principle of Harru-Garru.
Kaiya's question, fortunately had at least one instance to help answer it.
"Long ago that happened. Nobody made it up to the top due to the gas. Many died and only the wisest came back down before it was too late. The Elders decided to elect a winner from the survivors. It was the first and only time the gong had not been rung but who knows? Maybe it will be the same tomorrow."

Breathing in the warm vapour of the hot spring Hagga felt she might fall asleep then and there.

@Kaiya Fa
@Nymrethyl Saimoriel
 
The conversation reached a natural lull. The faint lapping of water against the mineral rocks set Nym at ease, and though she was in a distant land amongst strange kith, she found herself relaxing.

That is, until the honking of her war-deer, Cheska, jolted her back to attention. Waves of water disturbed the surface of the pool as Nym jumped up. She stood dripping puddles on the rocks as she searched for the source of the sound. There, in the distance, a villager was tugging roughly on Cheska's lead, as the beast reared up in protest.

"Lights above, that's not how you handle a roqala. Have any of you ever seen a deer before?!" Nym shouted at the startled stablehand who was, no doubt, just trying to help.

She started to bolt across the rocks, dripping wet and bare-footed. Then, with a wide swing of her arms, she turned heel and stomped back towards the edge of the spring.

Nym gave a short bow to the other two women. "Excuse me. Could you watch my things for a moment?"

There was not much time to answer. She was already off again, running to the rescue of her deer.
 
"I welcome the challenge, for I would not go easy on you either."

So there could still be a winner even if no one had reached the top, that was good to know. All three of the women settled into the water relaxing into heat. Letting it caress her muscles, to sooth away the aches of travel. She'd very nearly dozed off when the water sloshed as Nym bounced from the water.

Kai's eyes caught sight of the stable hand pulling at the reins of the distressed deer. "We'll watch it. Don't you worry." She reassured the elf even though she'd already vanished.

"I hope that her steed is okay." She said in concern as she watched the elven woman race off through the night.
 
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Watching Nymrethyl for a while gave Hagga the impression that her companion found it difficult to relax.
"It's the mountain."
She said almost idly.
"And us, so many warriors all in one place, it effects things. It's like how places strong in The Shroud can make it snow on a clear day or give trees the ability to speak like people. Our desire, our eagerness to fight changes this place. Some say the more vicious the fighting the more active the mountain becomes."

She closed her eyes and not needing to stand to get a look, followed Nymrethyl as she interrupted the the poor young man, naked as the day she was born.
"Usually we don't tend to animals naked though. That might just be her."
A smile bigger than Kaiya's head stretched across her face at her own observation.
 
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