Finn tilted her head curiously as she watched Crimson Crown work. The other miner had shown up to work today, and had been holding her pickaxe strangely as soon as she had arrived. She looked at Wait, with a bit of an eye roll. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Wait looked up, surprised, and glanced at Crown for a bit. "Uhm, not really, no?" Frostbite looked at the two curiously, and then looked at Crown. "I don't see anything either?" Finn's frown deepened. "Crown, did you hurt your wrist again?" The tsabhua jumped at the accusation. "Ah, no, I would never come to work with a hurt wrist, you- know that?" she sounded hesitant herself as she answered, though, and both Frostbite and Wait could sense something was up. Wait walked over, squinting at Crown's hand as she gripped the pickaxe. "You're holding it kinda weird, though," he pointed out. "If your wrist is fine, then why does it look like you're about to drop it every time you swing?" Crown shifted uncomfortably, her tail flicking behind her as she tried to adjust her grip. "It's nothing, really. Just uh, trying a new technique?" She gave a nervous chuckle,

but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Frostbite narrowed her eyes, scanning Crown's posture. "That's not a new technique," she said. "We've all worked together long enough to know when something's wrong. You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep that up." "Seriously, Crown, it's okay if you need a break," Finn added, her tone softening. "We can handle things here for a bit while you rest up." Crown's ears drooped, and she finally let out a sigh. "Alright, fine," she admitted, setting her pickaxe down and rubbing her wrist. "I slipped yesterday while carrying supplies, and I think I sprained it a little. It's not that bad, though, so I thought I could manage." "Why didn't you say anything?" Wait asked, frowning. "You know you don't have to push yourself like that." "I just didn't want to fall behind," Crown replied, looking down at her hands. "We've got quotas to meet, and I know everyone's already pulling extra shifts. I didn't want to add to the workload." Water dripped down from the ceiling, a clear reminder that they were deep below the ocean, as an awkward silence filled the cavern. Eventually, Wait shook his head, giving Crown a stern look.

"We'd rather work together than see one of us get hurt. You know that." Frostbite nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Besides, we've got other ways to stay on track that don't involve someone getting injured. You should rest." Finn sighed, but her expression was warm. "Okay, new plan. Crown, you sit this one out, and keep an eye on things from here. If there's any trouble, you can help by signaling us, but no heavy lifting." Crown hesitated, but when she saw the sincerity in their eyes, she finally relented. "Alright," she said, smiling faintly. "I'll rest for a bit. But if anything happens, I'm jumping in, wrist or no wrist." "Deal," Wait said with a grin. "Just take care of yourself. We need everyone at their best." ((Crown looked around for a bit, and her eyes eventually settled on a large flat rock that would allow her to have a bit of a vantage point. It looked surprisingly comfortable, too. With a final sigh, she set down her pickaxe next to the carts they had brought along and settled on the rock. It was surprisingly easy to observe the rocks from here, and Crown quickly instructed her friends to switch

positions some when she spotted some veins that she hadn't previously.)) Every now and then, Crown's eyes would flick over to them, and she'd chime in from the background. "I think it might be better to switch to mining a bit to the left- the ore there looks higher quality." Even if she wasn't actively mining, she was still happy that she could made herself useful, ensuring they all worked efficiently. After a while, Crown realized that her friends weren't just covering for her- they were working together, and they valued her just as much as she valued them. She wasn't sure why, but she felt surprised at the realization. She supposed that Finn and Wait had made it abundantly clear in the past, but Frostbite was fairly new to the mining party Oh well, she supposed she would have to return the favor later.