Jack nods to Xarafine. "Some kind of entrance anyway, whether made or natural I'm not sure. Shall we follow? Or should we wait here, and see if they come out, and ambush them?"
Bein eyes the entrance, he disliked ambushing as it was dishonorable but in the face of superior numbers and evil savages he would rather seek atonement and ensure a swift and decisive victory. "They may be performing some foul ritual within, most likely including a sacrifice to their big spirit... He spits the word out contemptuously at teh thought of how little the Great Spirit aided the birdling they put down.
"I just think they moved after our first attack. Either it's their final destination or they rested there to avoid the sun. I would prefer to fight in the open and during the day. So I propose we set up a guard to see if they move out. If so, we get ready to attack them. If not, tomorrow after a few hours of light, when they should be sleeping if they are nocturnal, we move in."
Bein nods and follows as the party moves a ways down the stream and makes camp. "I will take first watch, please get some rest everyone."
Jack nods, silently agreeing with the plan. He will take his usual watch in the middle of the evening.
Jack nods, silently agreeing with the plan. He will take his usual watch in the middle of the evening.
Finnabar will take the third watch, just before Xarafine
[I]I'm fine with whatever. The only spell I cast was a zero-level.[/ooc]
Good, so Bein has first watch (where the birdlings are more likely ready to come out if they are norcturnal), then Jack, then Finnabar and eventually Xarafine.
Seeking clarification: Are you setting camp at the base of the mound, back at the river, at the cave entrance or in some other position? If back at the river you won't be able to see the cave.
You manage to find a position in the lee of one of the mounds where it angles inwards in a kind of large trench. The position is shielded from the wind and several large rectangular rocks provide a good position from where the cave can be observed. The night closes in and, without a fire, is cold and uncomfortable.
Bein: Roll perception
Bein stands at the edge of their makeshift camp, eyes on the cave entrance in the hopes that he spots some movement before their enemies get the jump on them. He isn't alone though, as on the otherside of camp Arundel stands guarding the other mounts on the picket line. Arundel wasn't strapped to the picket line, being a destrier he was well trained and Bein had complete confidence in his ability to fight if it came to that.
He stood in full armor, same as his destrier, not for a moment trusting that all would go well with them near their enemies camp. He had his bow drawn and buckler strapped to his arm, four arrows were stuck in the ground at his feet for ease of grabbing and drawing depending on where they came at him...
22nd of Pharast
The night passes uneventfully, however, when morning comes, newly formed tracks leading further to the West-Southwest. Clearly the birdlings managed to move out without being noticed. On close examination, Jack announces that the tracks are approximately 8 hours old. - The birdlings probably left soon after sunset.
"Well, Bein, I guess they slipped past you.", says Finnabar with a frown. "Let's mount and hurry. Same formation as yesterday."
"Captain, perhaps we should make a search of their encampment. They may have left things behind in their haste that could provide us with valuable insight."
"No," Jack said, ignoring the fact that Xarafine was addressing Finnabar. "They're traveling light obviously to move quickly, they would have little on them. Our unwillingness to act has allowed them to get ahead of us again when we had caught up with them. I am not making that mistake a second time."
Jack quickly packs up his gear, double checks for the sextant and mapping gear, saddles up, and mounts, ready to go.
"I like it how we are always on the same line of thoughts", grumbles Finnabar.
"Both of you make equally valid points. So I've got a compromise to propose. We take no more than half an hour to search the cave, then we saddle up."
Jack continues to saddle his horse, checking to be sure all straps are properly fitted. "You do as you like. I am going to keep tracking the birdlings before they kill another innocent." He had that fierce, and frankly irrational look in his eye as he often did when he discussed stopping bandits. In his mind, he apparently had begun extending the evil bandits did to the birdlings as well.
Most men would be beside themselves with shame over their failure, but not Bein. He had expected them to attack them last night, if they were on the run then they had to pursue them and these creatures would only die tired. So instead of worrying over it he nodded to Finn's comment and looked to where the tracks led off to. "Apologies Milord and Teacher. I had expected the enemy to engage us last night and missed their flight. I will try and be more vigilant in the future "
Arundel merely shook his head and snorted impatiently. I WANT TO RUN, LETS GO! He headbutted Bein lightly before being reminded of his place with a short and low toned whistle.
He listened to the conversation around him and upon hearing Jack's reply to Finn found himself conflicted. Deciding on the easier path he spoke. "Shall I accompany him Milord? The enemy may seem to be ahead of us but I would hate to think he rides alone into an ambush." His armor would allow him to whether the storm of inferior weapons these creatures wielded but to send Jack alone would pit him against 8 enemies, if he accompanied him it would drop to 3 on 1 as Arundel was as dangerous as any blade...
"The possible, though not probable, tactical advantage gained by searching their encampment would be nullified by dividing our forces. If we must press on, then we should do so together."
She looks pointedly at Jack for a moment, then turns to Finnabar.
"Your orders, Captain?"
"I agree that splitting our forces is the worst thing to do. We'll ride then."
Bein nodded to Finn's command, mounted up and prepared to ride alongside Jack again as they pursued their foes where they tried to go.
You saddle up and, once again, begin moving to the South-Southwest. (assuming that they stopped at daybreak you should reach them in 5 about hours, based on your relative speed.)
After 2 hours of travel, Jack spies several horse-tracks crossing over the birdling's tracks from the West towards the Southeast (towards hex 31). The tracks were made by about 7 horses and were made some time before daybreak - about 4:00am. One of the horses appears to have been being lead by the rider of another.
Jack reins in his horse and dismounts, kneeling to examine the tracks.
"They met about... 7 horses... looks like 6 riders and maybe a pack animal. They--the riders, that is--were headed that way." Jack points. "That would go to where the river leads, past the bandit camp we cleared out. They were coming from the west.... which likely means, from the direction of Oleg's." He looked up at the group, somewhat concerned.
"Traders or trappers, perhaps?"
No signs of a fight. The horse tracks are more recent than the birdlings' tracks and the two parties didn't interact at all (whoever was riding the horses doesn't seem to have even noticed the birdling tracks).
The tracks themselves are those of light horses and are not military (you can tell from the way they've been shod which has been done poorly)
Jack nods to Xarafine. "That's likely." He taps the soil. "The birdlings' tracks are older than the riders', so at least we know that the birdlings were not chasing or fighting with the riders."
Bein rein's in an scans the area around them for unseen threats. His eyesight was hampered by his visor and reflexively he grabs hold of his lance and raises it's tip towards the heavens as he prepares for an attack. Not seeing any real tactical input in this situation he decided to remain quiet and allow Finnabar to decide their course of action.
"The riders are incidental, and appear to be in no immediate danger from our quarry. Shall we continue on, Captain?"
The bridling tracks head towards hex 17. You are currently in the centre of hex 24
"Let's move on and catch those birdlings."
Jack remounts. "The birdlings appear to be headed toward where the kalds were camped--remember, by the moon radishes? It's likely clear what they are planning."
He kicks off with the rest of the party, following the kalds.
You continue onwards through the mounded landscape which seems to stretch to the east as far as you can see. The mounds vary from only a few meters across to over a hundred meters, and the birdsong tracks wind through them. After 2 1/2 hours. Jack stops the party, indicating that you're getting close. You should catch them in about 1/2 an hour....
"Unless they are fools, they will be anticipating our approach. I would suggest that Jack scout ahead, assess the layout of their encampment and sentry positions."
Jack nods and dismounts, patting his horse. "Sure. I'll go now." He pauses, "Unless anyone has any other ideas."
Finnabar nods at the scout action, motioning him to go forwards. "Don't take unnecessary risks. We prefer to have them aware of us than lose you. Blow your whistle if you need, we'll follow at distance."
Jack leaves the party and continues forward on foot with everyone else following at a distance (it's still a 1/2 hour ride so I'm assuming you're staying close!) after about half an hour of slowly moving forward following the birdlimg's tracks, Jack reaches the crest of a ridge and signals everyone else to stop. After a moment of scanning the area he waves the rest of you forward. When you crest the ridge you are confronted by the sight of 10 bridling corpses hacked into pieces lying in a small stream which winds between the strange mounds, staining the stream red with blood.
Finnabar stares at the party of birdling they've followed for a few days.
"Belem bites me. They were destined to die, the gods have spoken."
He then narrows his eyes in suspiction. "But I want to know what caught them like that. Let's proceed with care." Beim and Xarafine, keep mounted and follow us. Jack and I will go down on foot to examine the site."
"As you say, Captain."
Xarafine remains mounted, ready to follow to the site of the carnage.
Bein nods, Lance at the ready and prepared to fight if whatever massacred the birdlings showed itself.
Jack nods at Finnabar, and waits for him before slowly and carefully going down to the stream. While he focuses on what is before them, he also tries to remain alert toward any unwanted guests.
"Something cut them up and did not eat them, so this is more than beast. Kalds, perhaps?"
Jack examines the tracks and the remains, trying to swallow his gorge as he takes in the gruesome sight. "I wounder if should move them out of the stream so they won't poison the waters."