Karthan grunts. "Too far from town and one of us can get ambushed too easily in this weather. I'll try to catch up to Olivia and return as quickly as possible."
With that Karthan guides his horse and in a quick gallop they ride to catch up to the guide.
Karthan travels through the cold wind and looks for Olivia back along the path he traveled he makes good time taking abuot 6 minutes until he sees Olivia caravan and standing next to a mounted man on a horse standing with the symbol of an official lastwall courier on him.
Slowing to a trot Karthan gives a respectful nod to the courier before addressing Olivia. "We found the girls chelaxian body guard slain by orcs alongside a pair he took down himself. It looks as if the girl might have been taken or dragged off. The others have gone ahead to try and track them. I was asked to inform you of the bodies whereabouts that they might be properly dealt with. In the meantime we're looking to retrieve the girl." With that Karthan gives detailed directions back to the bodies.
speaker = Olivia Caravan
Olivia looks depressed at the bad news and says "That is horrible such a bad fate to happen to my borther. Do you know how many tracks of orcs there were at the battle? Also be prompt so they do not get ambushed alone."
Symas stands and stares at the body, in a state of near shock. Well, what did you think? he thinks to himself. This is real life. Nothing like the stories. No happily ever after here.
"Do we have enough people here to carry back the gear to the watch?" Symas speaks aloud.
Stow it in my sack for now, can carry plenty more. Nesteruk says, oblivious to the theft.
Jondar notices that Symas palms a gold coin from Philander body. Stealing from the dead. It is one thing to take from a vanquished foe but to steal from the corpse of someone we are suppose to find. I must do something about this at once.
Jondar places a hand one Symas shoulder and says, "We all get called before Pharasma for judgement. Hopefully, he lead a good life and will pass on to the realm of his deity." Then he glances around to make sure no one is close enough to hear and whispers, "My son, I saw you palm the coin. I ask in the future that you refrain from such things and I will not tell the other." He pats Symas on the back as he stands and turns to investigate the tracks.
Philander Caravan's boots seem to match the larger of the two footprints.
Chardak stares down at the orc bodies. "Maybe not Belkzen orcs. Pale-skins."
He looks around and picks up the drag marks. He moves a few yards along their trace.
SUrvival (track)
Perception
Symas smiles to himself. This group was more than he had assumed. Good to know. "Have we picked up the track yet?" he asks. "May I help?"
"I'm at a loss. I know the tracks were over here but I can distinguish them from the foot prints from these three", Jondar says with a frown as he motions to the dead.
There are many orcs and the tracks on the drag marks indicate about ten orcs.
"I'm just going to get out of the way then," Symas will say stepping to the side so as not to damage or disturb the tracks.
Chardak wanders a little farther along the drag traces and peers down carefully..
"Couldn't say." Karthan says. "Might have been more than a dozen from what all we could tell. I'm heading back now to lend them a hand."
With that Kathan turns and spurs his horse back towards the group.
speaker = courier
The courier says "Good luck" then turns back to Olivia Caravan.
"Jondar, look here. The orcs left this way. ANd here they dragged her."
"Leave a sign for the rider. We must follow them quickly. "
Chardak starts down the orc trail, moving at full speed.
Jondar looks where Chardak indicates and nods,"Yes I can see the drag marks. Well, Chardak if you have the trail you should lead the way. Perhaps, we'll be lucky enough to get to the mayor's wife before the orcs do something terrible to her.", says Jondar as he fits another bolt into his crossbow. "Can you tell how long ago the tracks were made?", he asks Chardak.
"Less than a day. Let's go."
"Hopefully it is before nightfall."
"No time to waste then," Symas agrees. "Let's follow now."
"I agree let us be on our way. Pharasma, let us not be too late to save her." he says as he draws the symbol of Pharasma in the air in front of him.
Chardak can follow the tracks still even though he seems to be making a bad time of how obvious they are but they head deeper into the fangwood. The trees continue to get denser. At this time Karthan rejoins the party. The deciduous tree in the fangwood still do not have there sprouts yet but a small number of pine and fir trees still have their needles. The party appears to be descending into a stream bed and traveling south. The sun keeps rising higher and higher into the sky partially shaded by trees. The party finally approches a creek but the ground ahead looks rockeir on the other side.
Chardak sees the footprints go to the streambed but cannot see them across on the other side.
Symas crouches near the water searches the stream for any signs of struggle or travel.
Jondar crosses the river carefully looking for tracks.
"Hey, I think I found the tracks over here.", Jondar says to the group of adventurers.
"Lets hope they did not go up or down the stream, then finish crossing?"
"That's what I'm looking for here," Symas says looking into the stream.
Chardak searches the near bank in case the orcs turned downstream and came out again on the same side.
Survival :
Chardak and Jondar find the tracks going straight across the stream on the other side in about equal number but the tracks are fainter but Jondar and Chardak can manage to find them. Flanking the sides of the stream crossing a small plant that just sprouted with green leaves appears on both sides.
Chardak nods at the other's suggestions. He knows the value of a stream to evading pursuit. He remembers his last encounter with the knights, how he finally gave their scouts the slip by running downstream until he found a low branch that he could use to pull himself out of the water. The scouts had been so intent on traces along the banks that they hadn't noticed the twigs he'd snapped, nor the wet tracks he'd left at the base of the tree 10 feet back from the stream.
He splashes across the stream to join Jondar. "Good." It's hard to tell if the comment is congratulatory or merely saftistfaction that they have picked up the trail again. "The ground is harder here. Tracking will be harder too."
Jondar nods to Chardak and says, "Let us not delay now that we have the trail and we're all together again."
Jondar nods to Chardak and says, "Let us not delay now that we have the trail and we're all together again."
The big half-orc nods, glances back at the rest of the party, and starts down the trail.
SUrvival : Percpetion
Symas keeps his bow out with an arrow gently knocked as they travel on.
With his crossbow ready Jondar follows Chardak along the trail. He cautiously looks about for an ambush as they travel and glances back every few minutes to make sure everyone is keeping up.
With the help of Jondar Chardak is able to follow the trail over harder ground for a little bit in the stream bottom and over to the other side where the ground get a little bit softer and gets to another small hill that rises up from the ground. The tracks now turn to the right and a large rock outcrop hidden from long distances by the many trees of fangwood shows itself along side the outcrop. The tracks the move parralel to the outcrop and close up moss and lichen cover it The a low brow of a small hill alongside the outcrop rises and following that a large maw of a cave show up and the tracks lead towards the cave which is dark and equivlent to dim light in this first entrance.
"I think we may have found a lead," Symas says sarcastically. "I can slip in and scout ahead, see what we're walking into."
Jondar looks at the entrance and shakes his head before turning back to Symas and says,"I'm not sure its a good idea to split up. Perhaps, you could get a close look at the entrance and see if there is some type of ambush or trap and then come back so we can enter as a group." He then looks to the rest of the group says, "What do you guys think?" as he places the butt of his crossbow under his left arm and reaches for the flask he has tucked into his belt with his right hand.
"Is that what I think it is, A flask of Wiskey?
But then I suppose pending on ones experiences in life it would be required at times like this."
Symas shrugs. "All right then," he says. Turning to the cave mouth, he begins to search for tripwires and traps.
Jondar looks momentarily startled by Anna's question and looks down at the flask in his hand which starts to shake slightly. He looks up at Anna and with a sad smile says, "Sorry my dear but it is whiskey. I will refrain if you wish." with a trembling hand he returns the flask to his belt and smile weakly at Anna.
Jondar turns and watches Symas searching for traps.
Chardak watches Symas make his way to the cave entrance. He thinks about when he was scout for the orcs because he was smaller and weaker, and just might pass for human discovered. It was a role the Rovagugites despised, but Nawr and even the orcs who followed the Grey Father valued advance knowledge about foes. And Chardak could appreciate the courage required to walk away from the warband and risk capture and death alone.
The half-orc considers Jondar's question, looks at the flask, "I think I could use a drink too."
"I'll drink once we've piled all our enemies on the pyre." Karthan says without amusement. "If it gives you courage drink what you must. Just don't let it dull your senses."
Karthan dismounts and ties his lance to the horse pulling a long wicked and well used bardiche from among the bags. Testings the comfort of its heft he nods to the others. He pats the horse's flank reassuringly and whispers in its ear before joining the others by the cave mouth. He doesn't tie the horse, and it doesn't seem inclined to do more then munch on some nearby shrubs.