Swamped

Hang on. You smell something.

It always takes you a while to notice new scents, since you're so used to the strong smells of the swamp. You've kind of trained yourself not to pay too much attention to what your nose is telling you.

But this... yeah, this is definitely a swamp smell. Maybe some creature's crossed over again, in which case Rider might have gone to investigate. Make sure the poor thing's not straining too much in the desert sands.

It's something to track, anyways.

You start to head off, but you feel you ought to thank the bird. It may not have done much directly, but it's pointed you on what may be a lead.

"Thanks," you call out. Then, for good measure, you make a few weak squawks. Doing your best to sound non-threatening.

The bird stands up, and it's even taller than it first looked. Maybe taller than your desert horse.

It turns towards you and lets out a loud HONK.

Then it goes back to drinking. At least it wasn't aggressive, you suppose.

You start following the scent as best you can, and before long you come across a large rock.

And you think you hear something under it.

The smell seems to be coming from here, but you're not sure if it's worth investigating. The rock is big enough for Rider to hide under, but he's not one for hiding in general.

Unless, it suddenly occurs to you, the gateway he's looking for is under there.

What should you do?