"Well, let's go on, then. Since people come here to fish, and it takes quite a while to get to the bay, maybe they have some kind of shelter to spend the night, or in case the weather turns bad all of a sudden.", Yuki suggests with unconvincing optimism, trying not to think about just WHAT they saw...if it was a Goblin, they would need to be careful about not being surprised in their sleep...
After a few minutes of peering into the brush and listening carefully, nobody has seen or heard anything more. Your small group falls back into line on the trail with Mari on Flax again at the front.
As you continue down the New Fish Trail, the marsh looks and sounds exactly the same as before. Only a brief and very slight rise makes for firmer ground over a short distance. The sounds are the same, the occasional splash of water and bird calls. Once a small flock of birds in a nearby tree all take off suddenly with a barrage of squawking.
Another twenty or so minutes of walking brings you to another bridge. It also spans a small, brown, barely moving river. This bridge looks much the same as the last, to the point it could have been constructed by the same builder.
"Another bridge for you to fix, Inari. Once we're all done here. Looks almost identical to the last...so I'm glad the holes are in different places...at least we're not walking in circles.", Yuki jests, carefully observing nearby bushes and underbrush:"Who wants to go first this time?"
"I'll go first. Might as well - if it falls, the river looks slow enough that all Flax will get is wet." Mari gently taps the wolf's side and clicks at him, nudging him forwards to cross the bridge.
Talene keeps her eyes glued to the far banks she saw something once, who knows if she will see something again?
Inari moves to the base of the bridge, tense and waiting as Mari crosses.
With Mari leading, you cross the bridge without any problems. Everyone keeps a close watch on the shores as to move across the bridge, but none of you notice anything unusual or out of place.
On the other side you continue on the trail, but after about 100 yards Flax stops and begins to sniff while looking off the trail to the right. He then begins a low growl. Yuki also hears rustling in the brush off to the right at some small distance. She also hears what sounds like quiet grunting.
Mari gently pats Flax's side, leaning forward and whispering. "You smell something, boy? Easy. Easy now." She glances back to everyone else, motioning for them to be a little quiet, and pointing to the right of the trail. She mouths, "Something's there. Watch closely."
"It's...grunting?", Yuki listens more closely "Some kind of animal, perhaps?"
Something about that growl triggered an instinct in Inari. He quickly moved up next to the wolf and lowered his spear, his eyes hard and staring in the direction Flax was aimed.
Talene heads across the bridge to stay with her companions. For the first time in a long time she hefts her quarterstaff ready for combat.
Glancing to the others and frowning, she finally nudges Flax forward towards the moving bush, gently shushing Flax, lucerne in her hand now. "Hello? Who's there? We're not here to hurt you, we're just here to investigate something."
Well, we DID come here to handle Goblins...I doubt they'll conveniently sit on the path...we'll have to leave the trails, sooner or later.
Tensing up with a mix of nervousness and expectation, Yuki moves along with Mari, keeping her eyes focused on the area she heard rustling from. She gets Mari's attention by tapping her shoulder, then wordlessly points in the general direction she heared the sounds from.
Talane will stand directly behind her fellows this way her healing hands can easily grasp any who may be injured by whatever is up ahead.
Inari waited to see if whatever was out there responded to Mari.
Mari and Yuki begin to make their way through the foliage on the right side of the trail with Talene and Inari following. As you struggle through the growth, Mari calling out to whatever it is you heard.
After a few yards, the grunting, which seems to be few yards further on, stops. In stead you hear a decidedly pig-like squeal.
"It's probably a wild boar of some sort. Be careful, those bastards are dangerous; best we leave it alone." She pulls Flax's reins about, her ears perked up still. "Careful that it doesn't charge us from behind anyways."
"Not hungry?", Yuki jokes with a glance at Mari and Flax, then backs away slowly, keeping her front, and eyes, on the bush, "No use getting into more trouble than necessary- lets press on and make the most of what we have left of this day!"
All of you begin to move back toward the trail as quietly as possible. Although Inari has a moment where his spear gets caught up in the brush, he manages to extricate it without too much noise. You hear one more squeal, but it doesn't seem to be any closer than before.
Once back on the trail the group continues on toward the halfling's house. There's nothing to suggest the animal, probably a boar, has followed.
Another fifteen minutes or so of walking brings you to a third bridge. This one looks like the others, but is in worse shape. It seems to have never received any maintenance. On top of the suspicious quality of the wood after an unknown number of waterlogged years and the ever-present moss, it leans slightly to one side as if the supports are sinking or failing under the river's bed.
You also notice that the ground seems to be getting boggier here compared to the portion of the marsh you've traveled through so far.
"Lovely. It seems there's plenty of maintainance to be done, in this place. I wonder who built these bridges in the first place...", Yuki muses as she cautiously tests the bridge, shuffling forward with small steps, close to the wood, testing it's structure before putting weight on it.
Inari reversed his spear and stood on the bank, holding the but end out to Yuki so that if the bridge did give out she'd have something to hold onto.
Talene watches Yuki cross the bridge with Inari's assistance.
"Agreed, pushing onto the halflings house seems the most prudent approach for tonight".
Although the third bridge the party crosses looks the least safe, it is structurally sound. The moss growth and wetness make it slightly more difficult to cross due to it's lean. The extra bit of slipperiness isn't a problem for any of you with a little extra care as you walk it.
On the other side the trail continues, turning more westward. As you follow it you notice the ground becoming flatter and wetter. You also notice the trees thin somewhat, favoring larger swamp trees like alder and elm where it is slightly drier, and cypress where it is wettest. At various times during your walk Mari, Talene, and Yuki all believe they catch a glimpse of something moving in the brush and trees some distance away from the trail. Your best composite description of it would be pale or white, and about human sized or slightly larger.
It takes about another 45 minutes of walking to smell salt air, and soon after you see a lagoon ahead. At it's edge sits a ramshackle two-story house, raised on low stilts and needing a paint job. As you get closer to the house you see no signs of activity outside. You can now see the outlet that joins the sea on the other side of the lagoon.
Talene turns to her companions, "Do we try to set a trap for our stalker or do we pay a visit to the locals first?"
"I'd ask the locals first. If the stalker comes this close to the Halflings abode, and the new fish trail, it may well be something harmless that he knows about. No good setting a trap for some harmless Gollum*."
Yuki takes a look at the horizon:"Besides, until we're done coming up with a trap and enacting it, the sun will be setting. I'd prefer if we get a good nights rest, then consider our options tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Want me to knock on the door?" Inari asked.
As you walk around to the front of the house the windows are too dark to see into. It seems there are no lights inside, and with the sunlight outside they are opaque. The steps up to the porch give an occasional squeak as you climb them. The front door is closed.
"Well we certainly cannot barge right in", Tal nods in the affirmative at Inari. She grins to show her reply is in jest despite the gloom of this swamp.
"Aye, go ahead and knock.", Yuki answers absent-mindedly, looking at the stilts the house is built on, then points at them with a wide grin:"Unless you want to make sure those are structurally sound enough to keep carrying the house if we are allowed to enter-"
Inari knocks on the door.
Mari hums, looking behind them and standing - well, sitting - guard atop Flax; the wolf seems to be on his hackles still from that previous encounter, but Mari slips him a treat to calm down. "Can't believe someone would live out here alone. Creepy in the day, let alone at night."
After Inari knocks on the door you are met with silence from inside the house for a couple of minutes. But just before Inari goes to knock again, a voice calls out from inside.
"Wh..who is it? Who's there?"
"Friends from Sandpoint in need of Shelter and Information. Walthus, is that you?", Yuki shouts in response.
Talene keeps her eyes sharp for the white headed figure they keep seeing while her companions interact with Walthus.
The voice calls back "Just a moment!" and soon after you hear bolts sliding. A halfling with sandy hair opens the door slightly and peeks out.
"Yes yes, hello. Nice to see you again. Come in, come in."
He opens the door fully to let you in, but then he sees Mari's wolf. "Oh! But the wolf! I'm sorry, but the wolf must wait outside."
You can see inside the house although the light is dim in there. The room is shabby, with worn furniture, some of which is broken and inexpertly repaired. Walthus is not an ace housekeeper either.
Walthus himself looks pale and worn out, with circles under his eyes.
Mari pouts a bit and leans down to hug the wolf. "Sorry, Flax. Keep an eye out for us, okay?" Flax, for his part, just whimpers piteously and leans down to let Mari dismount, giving her a very sad look as he lopes close to the house and curls up, his ears up and alert. Mari hops up the steps to step with the others into the house.
Talene nods, "Thank you for inviting us into your home. How are you doing Walthus?"
"Right, much appreciated! That marsh is slightly creepy, so we're glad to have made it here. You seem troubled, as well...anything up?", Yuki offers helpfully, as she enters the room and takes a look around.
Inari didn't know this Walthus so he kept his mouth closed and let the others do the talking.
Walthus responds to the inquires from Talena and Yuki with an offhanded "I'm alright thank you. A slight illness right now but nothing to worry about. I will make some tea for all of us. As you can see I'm not really prepared for visitors."
"What is it that brings you here from, uh, town again?" he asks as he begins to rummage about in the kitchen, which is adjacent to the room you're in.
"Thank you for the hospitality Walthus. There have been a rash of ambushes by Goblins upon caravans, we believe that the Goblins are being directed by someone whether a new leader or an outsider and came here to begin an investigation into the matter. We were hoping you might have some insight into any strange activity here lately.
Secondarily we have been asked to map this area and again thought your help could be important here as well".
"Aye, that, and we came to fetch some ingredients for medicine. The venom from your snakes. There was an accident involving a cat and a badger with what Hannah had stored and she needs a new batch. Did you not get the list? Jokler wanted to let you know and give it to you when he came here fishing, he told me he met you and told you about it. I don't even know what exactly I'm supposed to pick up so it would be bad if he lied!"
Yuki explains, putting some weight indicating a threat directed at Jokler into the final sentences.
Walthus calls back as he makes tea in the kitchen.
"I haven't seen anyone lately, including Jokler. As I said I've been ill, so I've been staying in. I'm afraid I have no venom at the moment for the same reason."
As he comes back into the room carrying a tray with cups of tea, he continues. "I tend to stick to this part os the marsh where I know it best. The goblins' village is not terribly far away. Deeper into the swamp to the south and east. If you've come to deal with them before they attack Sandpoint you should make all speed. A few days back I was hiding as a couple of them passed by me and they were talking about plans for a big raid very soon. It could happen anytime now! After tea, I'll point you in the right direction and you can get there right away."
Walthus places the tray on a table and hands a cup to each of you. He then takes the last one for himself and raises it in a toast.
"Well, here's to you all and the best of luck and courage when you get t the goblin village"
Talene will leave the tea in her hands warming them.
"A whole village talking of a raid? How many Goblins are in this village Walthus?
Say, have you noticed any odd creatures lurking about this area?"
Yuki takes a long look at her tea cup, then decides to let it go.
Since there was no visit from Jokler, the answer seemed sensible enough. And such a small culinary mistake may happen to someone ill and stressed.
"To be perfectly honest, we had hoped to rest here tonight. The sun is already setting, and confronting Goblins in the night does not seem like a good idea, considering we, unlike them, can't see in the dark. All we need is a place to sleep, and really, this room would be totally sufficient...and we could help out. Talene is knowledgeable in the healing arts, and may be able to do something about your illness! Mari could take care of your snakes, Inari is decent at repairing stuff, and I know my way around a kitchen..."
Talene smiles, "Indeed, I would be happy to help!"
Diplomacy Aid Another