"Well, as fer crossin' th' river, t'would seem we've t' find ousrselves some place shallow t' wade th' horses an'a pony across...." Sunny suggests.
"Let's do a quick little scouting trip. Going up, or downstream, to find a spot to cross with the animals. Shall we split up or stay together and cross as soon as we can?"
"Next time be sure to take me for a swim, I was doing perfectly fine" as he laughs and finds a more safer spot to walk on Of course I suppose I'm very charming and yer always making excuses to be wet and with little to no clothing afterwords as he then approaches the water and extends his hands "Need a hand my fair lady, I got two just in case"
K'Tzhang looks at everyone else, standing tall and so much bigger than him and his pony. "Well I think we'd best stay together, there might be more bandits. I don't know where the crossing is, but let me think....I'd go upstream?" the kobold says, looking a little confused.
As the group makes their way NE along the Shrike River, they see an area where the river widens noticeably.
Sunny grins and accepts Belro's help out of the river. Simply shaking herself down as a method of drying off
The tune she does while bouncing along in the saddle with every one esle as they look for a place to cross.
"I be happy t' check th' depth, me bein' th' best swimmer of th' lot've us, I'd reck'n." Sunny suggests.
"This river must have a crossing at some point, let us scout down stream for now and if we do not find one I suggest we get wet as a last resort!"
As the group is about to turn around and head back SW, Belros, K'tzhang, and Polson all notice what appears to be an excellent place to cross.
"Hey? Did we done lose somebody?" Sunny calls attention to what she's noticed as she 'stands tall' in the saddle and looks around. "Where's that feller? Nerik were it? Y'know? Big, tall an' what's it lookin'?"
"Now...where'd he go an' get to...?" She muses...
Polson looks concerned by the absence of Nerik. "Can someone try and track Nerik?
K'Tzhang searches the area for signs of Nerik's tracks, mumbling to himself, "And I never did getto know that strange dark skinned being that well, very mysterious sort!"
Backtracking, K'tzhang finds that it would appear Nerik decided to try and cross the river back where Sunny took a small swim. Without crossing to check the other side, it is currently unknown whether or not he made the crossing successfully.
Sunny rolls her eyes, even as she dismounts at where K'tzhang has led them and begins stripping down.
"Gon'a keep me duds dry this time..." She mutters. Looking at the rest of the party she asks,
'Does any one have a spear I c'n borrow? We's seen how freindly th' local wild life c'n be." She says with a grin. "I 's got a dagger or two, so jus' a point on'a stick t' help keep th' things a little farther than arms reach'd be nice." She syas, even as she begins walking towards the rivers edge.
"I jus' hope I find 'im soon enough..." She muses.
"I'll go in here an' check about fer him. You all c'n head over t' th' other side by way o' th' ford thingy an' we'll meet up over there..." She waves across at the far bank.
"Gosh, Sthunny any excusthe and you're away in the watersth again. Good Luck!" say the kobold, as he watches Sunny make herself ready and plunges in. K'Tzang sits down and watches the young girl as she makes her way.
Sunny grins, still waste deep in the waters
"It in't an excuse, it's me nature." She calls to K'tzhang, explaining, "An' you caint be sittin' on your laurels! Not if'n you're t' meet me on'a t'other side!" She waggles an admonishing finger at her Kobold freind.
"Next time we's make camp, I'll es'plain it a tad more." She calls over her bare, brown shoulder.
"I told you K'Tzhang, she like me to look at her swim and get all wet and then undress for some reason" as he laughs and gives a pat on the kobold little shoulder "Well we best make the crossing to see her on the other side, she still is quite good looking"
"She isth good looking? No, where are her scales?" laughing with Belros.
The group still on horses travels back up river and successfully crosses at the point they found earlier. The crossing point appears to be either an old bridge or dam that's sunk enough to be under the river level now.
"Letsth get back and find that Sthunny, shesth having too much fun in the water!" laughingly K'Tzhang digs his heels into the pony, getting it to move quickly back down the river to where he thinks Sunny crossed.
"What have you located Sunny?"
"Did Nerik make it across here?"
Sunny waves enthusiastically as her freinds ride up.
"Hey-ya there!" She grins moving and pointing with the tip of her borrowed spear.
"I found where somat big come ashore an' I do seem t' remember Nerik's horse bein' on'a large size...t' suit th' rider, I suppose." She frowns.
I'll be lettin' some one with a better eye than mine call the fer sure or not, though." She grins happily, "Though, the good news is I din't find a large body, nor a big horse floatin' in'a river!" She informs her friends happily.
Sulna gets off his horse and looks around the area Sunny mentioned.
Sulna easily finds the tracks of Nerik's horse. They lead almost directly east of where he, and Sunny, crossed the river.
Perception
Survival
From atop his pony, K'Tzhang scans the horizon, "Polson, you see that over there, must be a small fire or something, to the east a couple of miles off I'd say. See there's a thin whisper of smoke. Could it be Nerik?" as he points in the general direction of the east.
"Would't be from a camp-fire? Or would't it be from th' steadin'?" Asks Sunny, quickly just throwing another blanket over her saddle and stepping up to stand high in the stirrups hoping for a better idea of what's ahead.
Polson looks at Donk quizzically. "You ok my big friend?". He then looks down to try and work out what the big lunk is talking about!
Sulna looks over at Donk to see what he is talking about.
He raises an arm and points at the pillar of smoke in the distance.
"Well, let's go look!" says Polson, patting Donk on the back before leading off on his horse.
"Well I can take point if you want and take a peek at what's there once we are closer"
"Whut's th' big feller sayin'?" Sunny asks Polson as she rides along beside her freind, smiling at Donk.
The group rides towards the pillar of smoke, within minutes seeing the ruins of what was once a small farmhouse, barn, and corral.
You all see Nerik kneeling over the remains of a body.
Mounting the rise and seeing the smoking ruins, Sunny urges her horse on riding quickly to the devastation. She swings down from the saddle and quickly trots up to where Nerik is kneeling over the remains.
"This...this in't right..." She whispers and for the first time there is no cheer on Sunny's face.
Polson digs in his heels, urging his mount forward towards Nerik and scanning the area trying to work out what has happened.
K'Tzhang's pony takes the kobold as quickly as it can to the scene unfolding in front of him, "Nerik, what's happened?" he asked quizzically, not understanding why their friend is over the body? Looking around for any threats.
I scan the area as we approach Nerik to see if we have some extra company
Perception
"Someone recognizes that body?
Looking for any clues as to what has gone on.
Perception
Sulna looks towards Milosh.
"Milosh is this your farmsted?"
Sunny looks around amongst the ruins...
Checking the area over, you find tracks of a dozen horses. They rode around the property before four broke off and dismounted. The four talked approached whoever was here. Two of the people here, children most likely, ran towards the barn. It looks like four of the riders moved in and grabbed them, while the four who had dismounted closed in on and took care of the adult.
The body is that of a human woman in her mid-twenties. She was choked to death and then it looks like alchemist's fire was poured over her torso.
After they torched the buildings, they gathered the livestock and rode southwest.
"Proper burial should be given to this woman and vengeance shall be sought for on her behalf"
"Bury the women, then we ride southwest and finish off these scum."
"I agree. Whoever did this deserves punishment."
Sulna looks grim as he helps gathering the bodies and digging a grave.