The only item of interest here is the blade the old kobold himself was using. Aelerie can't tell everything but she can tell that the spells flame blade, keen edge, restoration, and scrying were used in its construction and that the blade gets many of its powers when it is used as a part of a bloody sacrificial rite. It should be worth quite a lot of coin.
Hollin looks around, still slowly coming to his senses but he does nod at the repeated use of the word 'home'.
Yes, please. Take me, us, home.
And that is where you go.
Retracing your steps through the kobold warren and then the Droskaran dungeon above does not present any new threats than the ones you have already overcome. The only interesting thing was in the tunnel right outside the sacrifice room in fact, you see the body shiny blue kobold, apparently stabbed as she fled. Kimi certainly steps over the body with statisfaction as she meaningfully hefts her new dagger.
You emerge from the basement into a cool and refreshing breeze that feels as invigorating as a cool drink of water after a hot summer's day. Through the gaps in the roof of the abandoned monastery of Torag you can see stars twinkling at you in the deepening dark of the evening sky. It will be night soon.
The children are eager to go home but whether you hurry the pace or not it still takes more than one day to get back to Falcon's Hollow. It's probably the stench of dried kobold blood that surrounds you that keeps any of the dangers of the forest from attacking you. The five of you have become quite formidable and Darkmoon Vale recognizes and respects strength.
Whisper does much to bring the children out of the trauma of their kidnapping, playfully yipping and prancing around the five human and half-elf children that he somehow has identified as cub mates. Slowly but surely in the journey from the monastery to the town, bypassing the rumoured haunted house that was the children's original destination, Kimi, Hollin, Jurin, Mikra, and even the withdrawn Savra are laughing at the fox's antics and talking and joking with each other as children should do.
Kimi hangs around Javell peppering him with questions about his fighting style and life, while the others prefer to be close to the warm and comforting presence of Aelerie on the trek back to the Hollow. The children seem to adopt Laro as a cool uncle who shows them knife tricks while Virdel is the funny one with his ear trumpet and kind manner. Albus becomes the stern and respected older brother though the children seem jealous of the almost mystical connection that seems to exist between him and Whisper.
As they get closer to town, while Kimi, Hollin, and Mikra get visibly more eager Savra becomes silent again while Jurin starts to bluster and preen at the other children, though never to Mikra.
Finally you are in sight of the town. It's only been a few days since you set off to chase the five missing children but it feels like much, much, longer.
As you straggle in tired and weary it is the other children of the community that spot you first and run off to spread the news. And it spreads fast. Kimi's mother, Hollin's sister, and Mikra's father sprint through the gathering crowd of onlookers and rush to their children weeping openly with joy and relief. Hollin, Mikra, and even the tough Kimi bawl as well. A servant of Thuldrin Kreed comes to fetch Jurin and Savra's father arrives preesently to claim her. He can be seen giving her a rough talking to as he leads her back home.
Sherrif Baelson grins wryly as he comes up while some of his deputies try and shoo the gawkers back to their homes.
With plague healers and rescuers like you 'round I don't suppose I've got anything to worry about. I guess when a red dragon comes roaring through all I'll have to do is send you five out and we'll be right as rain. Yeah? he says as he shakes his head with a tinge of disbelief at your accomplishments.
The children are going home for a much needed rest after their ordeal. Maybe the five of you should think about going to yours too for a well deserved one. After all it's thanks to you that the Children of the Hollow are safe.