"He's been dead a week, maybe two. It's hard to tell without knowing exactly what was done to him." Garian stands back up and brushes off his knees, "We should keep moving. The smaller fork north wasn't it?"
”I think you’re correct Garian. Let’s leave this desecration behind. When this errand is finished, I’d like to return and help build a new shrine. Maybe bring a stained glass window of Mokosh’s symbol. Same positions as before right?” He remounts his horse, holding the reins with his right hand and his bow with his left.
With each posted head, Frunthpyllin becomes more quiet and focused on looking for danger and an effective escape path if they are ambushed again. In the open country he feels it could come from any direction.
Once the tower comes into view, he stops his horse and says, ”I doubt we could sneak to the tower with only the grass and scattered birch trees for cover. Should we wait for night? My footsteps are fairly light, but I don’t typically practice any sort of stealth, especially in rural areas.”
"I think we should get off the beaten path and camp for the evening. Give us times to tend our wounds and approach at dawn. These Black Dogs seem to be the type that would thrive in a night battle. But I will yield to the party in this matter."
Night is preferable, my darkvision gives me an advantage over any humans.
if so
"Unfortunately, not all of us can see in the dark as well as you Asad." Garian replies regretfully. Turning to Vuk, "Are you still suffering from your wounds? If so, we should pull back a mile or so and allow you to rest the night."
"My wounds will heal, though Loral is still in rough shape and though a brave horse, she could stand for some rest."
"Very well. Lets fall back a ways and find a place to rest. We will need a place to picket the horses anyway."
Garian will look for a campsite away from the road and well out of sight of the tower.
”Yes, let us rest a good distance from the tower,” Frunthpyllin says as he follows Garian in looking for a campsite.
”A fire would be too visible I imagine. What do you think Garian? I had hoped to have a cup of tea, but the wilderness requires hardships.”
"It's still light out. If we can find dry wood to keep the smoke down we could probably risk a small cooking fire."
"We had best keep a close watch tonight. They may loose their dogs to hunt after dark." After everyone has eaten Garian will bury the fire. Before the night comes he will tie string across the obvious approaches to the camp and hang dry branches from the string. If the string is tripped over or cut it should make enough noise to provide some warning.
Allow me to take first watch then. They probably patrol their lands here. Let us hope they do not get our scent.
Vuk sits to the side, within earshot of his companions conversation, but far enough away that he can tend to his horse. He uses the cool spring water to wash her wounds. Cooing soothingly as he does.
"Easy Loral, I'm here, tis just water, to keep infection from setting in. Easy, rest now, lay down in the cool grass."
“Those dogs bark fiercely. What are we going to do about them? And What about guard duty? Usually, when traveling with my fellow workers, I’m middle watch. Is that alright for you?” he asks, looking at them each in turn.
”Sir Vuk, since you were injured I think you should be excused from night watch. I don’t aim to slight your endurance, nobility, discipline, or manliness. I simply mean you need rest to heal.”
Sitting on a log, the city elf sharpens his rapier. ”I say we scout ahead in the morning. Just before dawn.”
"Agreed."
Vuk nods.
"Thank you for your concern. I can take morning watch once I get a good night's rest. I do not wish to be thought of as one of those nobles who is too afraid to do his common duty as well."
Frunthpyllin discusses with the others how they will scout: individually or in a group, what time they will return to camp, and who will remain here. Before setting out on the scouting trip, he practices walking softly and eats a light snack.
"Two of us should scout. I can accompany Frunthpyllin unless someone else wishes to."
(+1 tracking)
Asim will awake have some water and a some rations while awaiting the scouts to return.
Garian will look at Frunthpyllin and raise an eyebrow questionly. He'll point towards the tower and then back towards the camp and shrug.
Frunthpyllin points back to the camp, making a talking gesture with his hand.
Once back at the camp he tells the others, as he sketches a map in the dirt of what he and Garian saw, ”The dogs are huge! Easily the biggest dogs I’ve ever seen. There were several sleeping, but I couldn’t tell exactly how many were there. They are in a lean-to on the eastern side of the tower. The tower itself has an iron door, and no windows below a height of four meters. It appears circular, five meters wide and fifteen meters tall. A well worn path shows signs of at least daily patrols.”
The city elf nods at his crude map. ”We could try to ambush a patrol a good distance from the tower. That would lessen the defenders there. Any ideas how to handle the dogs?”
"Poisoned meat would be best way to take care of the war dogs. I can hunt for the meat, but I'm fresh out of poison."
Ambush sounds like the most sound tactic. Can you get cloese enough to track a patrol trail? If they follow the same paths we could follow one until we find a good ambush point. From there we wait.
"An ambush will be difficult with those dogs," Vuk chimes in. "Their noses will uncover our plot before they are ever in arrow range. If we plan an ambush, those dogs must be neutralized."
”Oh, we forgot to mention it earlier. There was smoke at the tower so somebody is there. You’re right about the dogs Sir Vuk,” Frunthpyllin says, tapping his stick against the ground as he thinks about herbs that could neutralize the dogs.
”Whenever we do attack, we’ll be facing dogs. The question to me is would we rather face them all at the tower, or perhaps some in an ambush. I understand, the ambush won't be effective unless we can minimize the dogs -- or at least mask our scent enough. Wherever we attack a patrol, we should be between them and the tower.”
"I can catch a couple of rabbits and once their properly dosed with the mushrooms I'll toss them a ways upwind from the kennel. The dogs will smell the fresh meat and investigate on their own.
Hunting: (Hmmm, take 10?)
”While Garian and I look for the mushrooms, we can also look for dog tracks along the paths they use. Maybe there is a patrol without any dogs.”
We can always set our own ambush/trap. It would require someone to be bait. Get close to test their defenses and hope the give chase into our trap. We have horses so outpacing the dogs should be simple enough, but if they give chase it would be our chance to deal with them with their masters following somewhat behind. Just a suggestion. What do you guys think?
"It's a good plan. Perhaps, I could ride up. My station might allow me to bluff my way past at least any perimeter resistance and Loral is used to riding hard."
"Sounds good. Let's try this stuff on the dogs first."
”Let’s get started finding those mushrooms,” Frunthpyllin says, scratching out the map he had sketched in the dirt. ”Do you want to select the location for the trap?” he asks Asim and Sir Vuk.
This main path will do. The idea is the dogs give chase and have enough seperation for us to deal with them and then deal with the men remaining. If we only had some shovels I would suggest digging a deadfall, but I don't know if we have the time or resources. So a simple flank should do. Archers in the trees to rain down arrows. The rest of us on the ground to clean up.