Stalkid had been gazing at the surrounding area, observing to make sure nothing else seemed out of place. At Liath's call he turns around and walks towards the body, stooping down close to the ground and searching around as he makes a nervous clicking sound.
Working together, Stalkid and Liath find the trail easy enough and can tell that two pair's of tracks lead away from the clearing, and at high speed judging by the depth and distance between steps. Following the tracks, they can't hope to match the speed of the duo but they can certainly follow them.
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Liath breathes heavily through her lips, but bends to the task with a determination.
"Good Stalkid, you have a keen knowledge of the outdoors as if you are one with the very grass and leaves. I shall give aid as best I can, but I fear that my ability is but a shadow of yours. Still, we must not falter, for we carry out Bahamut's will.
Tiasar, Barbie, Jorn, please do keep up, and keep a sharp eye. We do not know when the snakes sill turn about in their lair, or, indeed, if they have left rearguard to set upon a hunting party like us. Still, we must have faith.
Tiasar, Barbie, if your arcane knowledge can lend any insight, now would be a good time. Bahamut protects."
Liath keeps up a constant Guidance on both herself and Stalkid, as best she can. But the constant casting and the unfamiliar task is vexing to her resources. A few times she accidentally casts Guidance by slapping Stalkid's buttocks, but she's too embarrassed to so much as offer apology.
Liath all but takes the lead at the onset, but her lore at naturecraft seems to leave her and she relies on the druid(s) mostly after that.
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Liath pauses to sip some water and contemplates Tiasar's question.
"You've a good point, Tiasar. Let's see if we can examine our current predicament.
We had beleived that Juskar, once recruited, would be able to mingle amongst the rogues, and could be watch by your good familiar to give sign and communication as to when we might attack and slay the bandits in good order.
Alas! As the bandits have proved too wary, and your bird was discovered. If Juskar and the bandits move about any more, we might lose them forever. And from the captives we know that they move everyday. Hence we must track their footprints as the only lead we have.
I concur that it would be best to wait, but we do not know when next Juskar might be able to communicate with us. As a new member, he might be watched, or, worse, might not survive some initiation. Or, worse yet, might be forced to aid the banditry that we are trying to end!
Hence, as he has already been met by one, and perhaps slain another, 'tis meat to think that he shall be now taken to a gathering of bandits of some number. Thence! might we come at them and slay them in greater numbers!"
That she is speaking of attacking a large number of bandits that possibly outnumber them seems to make no impression on her. Clearly a plan that involves stealth would need to be presented with some guile.
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Liath contemplates Tiasar's plan. "Hmmm, you have a point. If we don't know how many there are, a few might escape. Are you able to send your bird ahead? He may be able to see them before we do, thus we'll know better how to come at them. And if he stays aloft, we might avoid the possibility that they are somehow able to discern his true nature. What say you to that? A little aerial reconnaissance never hurt anybody!"
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Liath laughs and claps Tiasar on the back good-naturedly. "Simply keep him in the air and shadow our movements. I've no doubt as the two keen-eyed druids pursue our quarry, your good bird will be able to see their grungy camp afore we do.
Indeed, if they move everyday, they must not have much time to blend in to their surroundings. Have we not all heard of elven villages that are so entwined with the trees they guard that they are invisible from the ground, yet they have aboded there for centuries? Surely moving every day they must not have time to cover their night-soil pits and cooking fires?
Eh, we'll see when we get there. Tally ho!"
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With a word Morde takes to the air, flitting from tree to tree ahead of the group.
"The point of our villages and cities are not to be invisible. We strive to preserve the nature around us and live within what the world provides instead of shaping it to our will. However with the rise of man, the difficulty to locate us is certainly appreciated." Tiasar appears to be just reciting facts, but a hint of displeasure for man can be heard in his voice.
Jorn assists in their search, carefully considering their options while mostly attempting to drone out Liath and Tiasar quibbling.
After leaving he clearing, Liath losses any sign of the trail among the grass, leaves, branches, bushes and all manor of flora in the forest. Jorn, however picks things up where Stalkid left off, setting a good pace. But his surety of the trail lessens as they march until it disappears completely. He wanders into a clearing, a place where it should be easy to pick the trail back up but he see's nothing. Instead, his companion makes a guttural growl just before a large black bear rears up behind some bushes on the other side of the clearing. It roars a challenge and charges forward a few feet and roaring again.
Stalkid stands stock-still as he stares wide-eyed at the Large bear. "I would rather avoid killing this creature...Jorn, perhaps you and I may be able to pacify the beast.
Jorn frowns, replying, "I s'pose it's worth a shot."
"Be careful, Mr. Stalkid, Mr. Jorn, it's... big..."
Barbie's voice is clearly quivering.
Stalkid raises his arms and locks eyes with the Bear. "We mean you no harm." He speaks in a calm, soothing monotone.
The bear continues to roar a challenge and makes another false charge but the party takes no hostile actions. Jorn wisely tells the party to turn sideways and hunker down to seem less threatening. As you slowly creep away, the unseen cubs get far enough that the mother bear drops to all four and lumbers off after them. Battle averted, the group sighs in relief and continues after their companion. Eventually the trail is found again and you continue on. While falling the trail, Real and Morde see smoke in the distance. It is still a ways out and from the looks of it and it will be night by the time you reach it.
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Excellent work, friends!" says Liath, a bit more subdued than she had been.
"Tiasar, is your raven able to fly ahead and gain some kind of count of their number? A rough outline of their positioning would be helpful, but not needed.
Hmmmmm. Are we agreed to make a stab at killing the lot after dark, or is there some other plan come to light that would make itself known? Speaketh now, for the edge of an enemy camp is a poor place to enter heated argument."
Morde silently lands on Tiasar's shoulder, giving the wizard an expectant look. After he is fed a handful of corn from one of the elf's many pockets, he pipes up. "Juskar is with the people, they are not hostile to each other. There are more than a dozen people in the camp."