238 News From The Forest
As the day wore on, it became immediately apparent that their need to stay underground was mostly over. Nobody wanted to get lost in the woods before they knew where the hazards were and how the monsters were behaving. So, they were hanging around on the surface, chatting and cooking lunch, and they didn't seem to be attracting any attention at all.
If anything, the creatures in the woods had moved away from the gathering of people, viewing them as too much trouble to bother. That was a more normal reaction for animals, but it was directly contrary to the personality of the monsters of the Frozen Wastes.
By the time the Faerie woke up to come out and look at her handiwork, there were over thirty people gathered at ground level, laughing and joking while relaxing against the tree trunks and waiting for news from the next group of scouts.