“Thunder and spindles! Now what’d I tell ya!? You can’t underestimate the quiet-looking ones!”

The women marvel at the sight of your axe, and another flurry of questions is sent your way; they demand more details of your adventures.

So you tell them about your escapades in the earliest part of your travels; a couple of would-be bandits accosted you in the woods when you set up camp one evening, but they were not expecting you to put up much of a fight; your kettle of boiling water also came in handy in that case. Later, you managed to avoid an obvious trap when an “injured” woman tried to encourage you to follow her to help her rescue her supposedly severely injured companion. She didn’t say anything about the other person hiding in the bushes up ahead, but you noticed…

Then, a particularly hairy situation occurred when you stumbled upon a young bear looking for its next meal. That one was tricky and you didn’t come out of it unscathed either, but ultimately, here you are. Your only regret was that you weren’t able to come away with a pelt at the end of it.

You show the washerwomen your weapon, which reignites the debate as to whether any of them could survive if they were armed. They readjust their odds, attempt to decide which weapon would suit who better, and generally become very excitable. It’s quite amusing listening to their tales and ideas.

Eventually, the conversation turns back to you and what you’re doing in Durna while you take a break from your epic journey. You briefly tell them about what you’ve been doing so far and answer their questions about your thoughts on the city and your experiences. You fill them in with a bit more detail about your dealings with the beggars as well as your intentions to go and check out the jamboree.

This piques their interest, with Grace mentioning how she’s already been there and Elaphora mentioning that she’d like to go after work. They ask when you’re planning to go and if you’re planning to go with anyone. You noncommittally say that you intend to go later and you may or may not go with your companion if she decides to come, but you’d more than likely go alone.

After further discussion, the washerwomen suggest that if you want you can come along with them when they go after their shift is done. With only a few days left of the jamboree, there is no time like the present to get it done. You agree and arrange to come back and meet the washerwoman later. With a plan in place, you tell them you’ll get out of their hair and let them get back to their work.

After all of today’s escapades you are pretty hungry, so decide to go get some lunch. You’re not very far from Banes Way, so figure you might as well try one of the other eateries you saw the last time you were there.

Between Hooper’s and The Red Amulet, you choose to go with the latter this time around. The inside of this place is a little more rustic. It has a warm and inviting atmosphere and is a comfortable place for you to enjoy your lunch of roasted poultry and vegetables with a very large and varied salad, both drizzled with sauces.

Once again you are delighted with the meal which you enjoy just as much as your meal from Kisicat Spring. You take your time and wash it down with a nice cup of fruit tea, sweet and citrusy with a muted purple colour. It’s very expensive, but the server assures you it’s a great option that provides many health benefits as well as a nice taste.

You take a while to let your food settle and look out the window watching the world go by for a few minutes until you decide to take your leave and continue on your way. Aligning with your preference, you do not run into Asaari again, or any other jerks, for that matter.

Later, you encounter Ameronis at Slaryn House and tell her of your plan to attend the jamboree with the washerwomen in the evening and ask her if she wants to come too.

Thinking about it for a moment, she decides to tag along as well and agrees to be ready in time for the two of you to meet the washerwomen when their work is done. Sure enough, she is waiting for you in the lobby when you come downstairs and with that, the two of you head back over to Morrie’s wash house.

Around 8 PM, you and Ameronis are in Morrie’s wash house, surrounded by a gaggle of the washerwomen. All six of them are still present in the building, although only three of them will be accompanying you to the Grand Jamboree. After you introduced Ameronis, the women flocked to her; the concept of an older woman adventurer, managing to successfully navigate and defend herself out in the wild, once again sparks their interest and imagination, making the idea of any of them being able to survive on their own much more believable. They bombard her with questions, wanting to hear more about her tales until Morrie enters the room and sees you all standing there.

“Are you still here?” she says. “The whole place will have turned to dust by the time you get there! Go on now. Off with you.”

She ushers the lot of you out onto the street and the five of you make your way to the jamboree site, the others still pecking at Ameronis for more info. Ameronis seems a little taken aback but is polite and humours their requests for a while until you reach the gate.

The site is filled with people and the air is filled with the sound of music, laughter and chatter, the smell of wood smoke and food, and the colourful glow of many, many lamps and floodlights. There are stands and stalls and attractions and performances of all kinds, with dozens of folks, young and old, enjoying the festivities. Taking a moment to get your bearings and nominating Grace to be the guide, seeing as she’s the only one who’s been there before, your group decides to methodically make your way around the site so as to not miss anything. You begin your circuit, looking forward to seeing if the “Grand” part of the name is accurate.