Mint looked in the direction the spear came from, after freeing Bowie and Luter. The sight she was greeted with made her question her judgement of freeing Bowie: No less than twenty dogs clad in armor similar to Bowie. Maybe she would learn some of Bowie's story, though she pushed that thought aside in favor of focusing on the dogs.
"I see about twenty dogs!" Mint called out.
"Oh, spear me the details," a gruff voice from be hind her said. "These dogs want my hide for 'tricking' them with lutes. I know how to deal with them." Bowie inhaled before yelling "SQUIRREL!" and pointing in the direction of the mine. At that claim every dog, save Bowie, was scrambling towards the cave, fighting over who would catch the squirrel first. They killed each other to increase their chances at getting to the squirrel. Soon only one stood.
Griffin was ready to flee until he saw all of the dogs running away, chasing after a squirrel and fighting each other. "Well that is what I call a sQuarrel," fooled Griffin. At that everyone wanted to punch him. What Griffin does would surely be his pundoing. The last dog ran away before Griffin could destroy his sanity.
"By minotaur standards, how we fought that fight was dishonorable. However, I am exiled and thus cannot lose honor that I no longer have. I don't think I would have been ready for that fight so thank you. I must ask, how did you know they would murder each other over a squirrel?"
"Oh I didn't know they would kill each other, I just thought they would be distracted long enough for us to run away."
The five odd members of the odd gang were walking through a forest. Griffin was playing his lute, Luter and Jerry were covering their ears, and Mint and Bowie were talking about their pasts. Unluckily for Jerry, his fore-hooves (as all of his hooves) had holes in them, and he was subject to what he had to admit, beautiful music. It soothed the headache Griffin gives creatures by his mere presence. It left Jerry awestruck that such an obnoxious being could have any pleasantries about themselves at all.
The misfit group had been traveling through the forest for days.With each passing day the group was getting closer to the Everfree Forest and the dangers that lurk there. When they camped for night, they left Mint or Bowie on guard duty. Griffin would use his blissful ignorance, were he given watch duty, to grant entry into the camp. Luter might sneeze and roast them in their sleep. If Jerry was given guard duty, he would be exhausted and need to sap his compadres of energy to compensate, leaving them physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. In combat this would get them all killed and out of combat their pace would be sluggish. That left only Bowie and Mint, whom everyone knew were not reporting back to their previous place of residence, respectively. they continued like this for a total of three days before the realization struck, in the form of a rogue thundercloud's lightning bolt. Then it hit the somewhat energy resistant dragon, they were in the Everfree Forest.
"Look at how dark this place is. Isn't it spooky? I know! Let's tell scary stories. Oh, Oh, Oh! I have an even better Idea. How about I sing an eerie song?" Griffin excitedly offered.
"NO" Replied everybody else. Their lack in trust with Griffin was met with a harsh sounding chord and Griffin's voice cracking. Sounds of beasts roared throughout the forest was the only respons Griffin received,
"Well... Shit," sighed Griffin