"Ooh, which ones?"

And how is Wyll feeling?

Wyll is... subdued but seems reasonably okay? 

"The Blushing Mermaid is full of sailors, which explains itself really. And-- I'm not saying that there are any taverns literally underneath the city, and I definitely would not say they give plenty of ancient wizards' lairs a run for their money, you understand?" 

"If underground taverns exist, I'd want to drink there, so it's a shame they don't."

"Real, real shame." 

...there were underground taverns this entire time??? 

No, there specifically weren't! Isn't Wyll paying attention?

"The Hightown Taverns had their moments. The patrons being patriars did not make them well behaved, just meant they had more elaborate knives." 

They arrive at the Grove, and the gates are being opened very quickly. 

Cayden is also going to enter the gates very quickly!

Inside the gates is the very particular controlled chaos of a lot of civilians waiting to evacuate.

Zevlor comes up through the crowd, looking visibly relieved. "You have the First Druid."

"Yes, we do. Can I help with--" He gestures.

"You have done more than enough already. If you can clear the road off goblins, or stop Kagha completing the Rite of Thorns--"

"She's still on that?"

"It is nearly complete." His shoulders sag. "That is why we are here at the gates."

Halsin is making an expression of you get kidnapped for less than a tenday...

Honestly, that's a relief, Cayden doesn't want to have dragged Halsin all the way here to discover that he also wants an enormous number of civilians to die.

"Halsin, can you talk some sense into her?"

"If she can have sense talked into her." He heads deeper into the Grove.

Cayden follows along because he has a very high Splendor and that makes up for his Wisdom, especially if he knows what he's supposed to be persuading people of. 

Circles of druids chant around the Idol of Sylvanus, and the chanting falters as they see Halsin enter.

"Kagha!"

"I see you choose to return."

Hello yes he is returning and he has a very pointy sword, please keep everything inside this plane of existence. 

Kagha is Watching The Sword. "We had to take steps to maintain the safety of the Grove in your absence."

"There are children out there!"

Kagha is unmoved.