Once they had healed their companions as much as they could, the priests took part in the discussions about what to do next. Gaspode seemed to be concerned about the dragon activity and wanted to leave. Levi was anxious about Guthranka, who was back in the ice with her refugees. Gamm and his entourage seemed anxious to leave as soon as possible. Fonesca wanted to weigh up all of the pros and cons of staying and doing further searches on a detailed listing, putting various weighting factors against each one and determining their course of action thereby. Jito didn稚 like the smell of the lava.
On balance they decided to withdraw.
They deliberately (and as quietly as they could) took the same route back through the caves as they had arrived at this point and they reached the ramp without incident. They ascended into the carved corridors above and made their way quickly from there to the gates of the citadel. As they were about to disperse, the party decided that they had better work out the divisions of the spoils. Gaspode pored over his records and the piles of coins gems and goods that he restored from his sheet. Fonesca took a keen interest, checking his figures and his logic. The gems and lighter items went to those who were leaving the Mothers as they did not have access to magic that would reduce the weight of their burdens. The Mothers also paid off their hirelings at the agreed rates. The dwarves thanked them gruffly and set off to the west without further comment, Tettet joined them.
Kurtalla studied the area and decided that he knew roughly where he was, just west of the Great Desert and east and slightly north of the Silver Marches, the new regional power presided over by Silverymoon. This meant that the group could walk to Citadel Adbar, a stronghold of the dwarves, in a matter of days.
Siosiann reminded the Mothers that she had made a commitment to stay with them for a year to assist them as they had freed her from bondage with the giants. She readily agreed when they offered to allow her join the company. Theon and Hunnath said that they would set off for the east, towards their homes and that they would bring the Bedine merchant that they had freed with them as Anauroch lay in that direction also.
The Countess and her people decided to journey with the Mothers to Citadel Adbar and hopefully take a caravan from there south towards their original destination, Evereska. Grimath Foon and Gebhart of the Sacred Grove also decided to go to Adbar for similar reasons, though both would be heading further west from there.