Fergus stops, glances around the camp, goes to say something, then shakes his head and stops. He makes his way over to his tent to make sure the goats aren't "dining" on any of his papers or books before looking back to Noah. He rubs his beard a bit nodding to Noah and asking.
We've met, but I'm thinking we've a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind the asking of them. Perhaps over a honey bread?
We've met, but I'm thinking we've a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind the asking of them. Perhaps over a honey bread?
"Such as?"
Serena looks alarmed. "What has happened to Ilvah? And where is Erevenywg? Hells, what happened period? Alia and Balzeros look worse for the wear and Zokon wears blood as well, though not his own, it would seem! Is there a threat that we face?" She half jumps up from her seat, then remembers her manners. "Excuse my outburst please, sidarnovan. I am concerned for my friends."
Fergus looks to Serena before holding up a hand for a moment. He looks back to Noah.
Do you know anything about Lycanthropy?
"More than I care to."
"The wilderness here is rife with werewolves and towns with wererats."
As Zokon is approaching the camp he is not really on combat alert more like huh? "What the?" says Zokon as he approaches the camp.. "Why.. animals everywhere? " he asks before just collapsing near his tent
Hearing Serena's questions "Ilvah was a werewolf and she was luring us into a trap all along. She got away, we killed her wolves, they hurt us. Erevenwyg is somewhere, I sent her looking for y'all."
As Alia approaches, she takes note of the Animals all over camp, then eventually spots Noah:"Oh, a Druid.", she states, more to herself than to others. She makes her way to the tent, then, opting not to argue with the badger nor the squirrels, squats down in the grass next to them - when Noah misidentifies her as the lost girl, she can't help but smile a moment despite everything else:"You honor me, Wild Wanderer. Alas, as my companions said, we were looking for another. And yet lack one more of our company, who we hoped would have made her way back here by now. Worgs and Werewolves roam the land, and I fear for her safety. Do you, wise one, by chance, have means to help us locate those lost and guide them to safety? I would not ask, but you seem to have arrived in the middle of the night, kept safe by the lands - you seem to have a distinct advantage over us if you need not worry about the unnatural creatures that hunt in the darkness."
As Zokon is approaching the camp he is not really on combat alert more like huh? "What the?" says Zokon as he approaches the camp.. "Why.. animals everywhere? " he asks before just collapsing near his tent
A badger regards him curiously from inside of the knocked-over tent.
As Alia approaches, she takes note of the Animals all over camp, then eventually spots Noah:"Oh, a Druid.", she states, more to herself than to others. She makes her way to the tent, then, opting not to argue with the badger nor the squirrels, squats down in the grass next to them - when Noah misidentifies her as the lost girl, she can't help but smile a moment despite everything else:"You honor me, Wild Wanderer. Alas, as my companions said, we were looking for another. And yet lack one more of our company, who we hoped would have made her way back here by now. Worgs and Werewolves roam the land, and I fear for her safety. Do you, wise one, by chance, have means to help us locate those lost and guide them to safety? I would not ask, but you seem to have arrived in the middle of the night, kept safe by the lands - you seem to have a distinct advantage over us if you need not worry about the unnatural creatures that hunt in the darkness."
A black bear totters over, and offers Alia some mixed spring berries from his woven basket. After a moment, the bear absently takes a pawful himself, and munches them noisily down.
Noah considers. "I can but I have little time. I am due in Restov, and the weather tomorrow does not look favorable."
"Ilvah? A werewolf? Sarenrae's light! I knew there was something off about her, but that? I never expected..." her voice trails off as she becomes lost in thought.
This must be very hard on Alia. She had bonded with the child.
Alia, I'm very sorry, both for your loss and the way that you had to find out." Turning back to the others, she adds, "If she got away, then we need to be extra wary. She may try to ambush us at a later time."
Alia takes some of the spring berries from the basket, politely telling the bear "Thank you" before turning back to Noah:"It would be appreciated - we are also on our way to Restov, but we can hardly depart with some of us unaccounted for - and unfavorable weather won't help one bit, neither with a rescue party trying to track her nor with making our way to Restov."
As Serena approaches her, Alia just stares for a moment, then cautiously hugs her: "It...is hard. To think she fooled me all this time. I trusted her. Shared my work, my tent, my bath with her. It is not only the loss of who I believed she was but the fact she played me for a fool, that I defended her against...those more sensitive about the situation."
She shakes her head:"I doubt she will attempt to ambush us. I am unsure what prompted her to set her trap tonight, but I believe she genuinely wanted to move to Avalon - probably because people around here grew too aware of what was happening. I fear that she may attempt the same trick on someone else, though...play the innocent girl and fool others. But I suspect she may lay low in the woods for a while now, and we have to make our way to Restov and she knows - I fear the best we may do is give a detailed description of her to the authorities...to prevent any future tragedies."
Noah stands. "Right. Wigglin, stay here with your missus. With her in such delicate you should stay near. Who shall we search for then? Your fairy, or the werewolf?"
"Erevenywg the fairy please." Illthir injects without hesitation. "It doesn't sound like the werewolf will do more harm *right now* but there may be other dangers one could run in to."
Alia hesitated before answering, only managing to reply after Illthir spoke: "Or what is easier to do for you to accomplish. You are already willing to help us ..."
She half-turns to Illthir:"Ilvah will probably do no harm right now until we are gone, but she may kill others until someone stops her. Not dealing with her now may cause tragedies and grief to many others until she is stopped. On the other hand I agree we can't depart without Erevenywg and she should be kept save - but she is Fey - the wildlands should not be a danger to her if the Werewolf and Worgs are in check...maybe she just went to sleep in some tree or something - I...I don't know - "
It felt that the sensible decision was to find and take care of Ilvah before she murdered others. The reasonable decision was to find and keep the Fey safe from harm - who only got separated trying to fetch help for Zokon - and let the local authorities deal with Ilvah.
Alia looks to her future Husband for his input.
Fergus interjects in the conversation, giving time for Zokon to collect his thoughts. Stroking his jeweled beard as he does.
All things considered... if your fey friend takes her leave of us permanently I have no real objection to that. It would be one less wildcard to account for. And, unless you want a pack of werewolves to form I would suggest dealing with her now, than later... Sir Noah, could do you have any means of seeing if someone has been infected with Lycanthropy?
"But not if that 'leave' is because she got lost in the woods and eaten by a worg! Animals live in the forest too but if you drop a fish there I don't think it'll last very long ..." The skald protested. Their weird companion didn't strike her as someone who wouldn't wander up and put her head in a wolves mouth just because she was curious about how it looked on the inside. Also - she'd rather look for something where she would be happy to find it.
Alia hesitated before answering, only managing to reply after Illthir spoke: "Or what is easier to do for you to accomplish. You are already willing to help us ..."
"I hardly know you let alone your wayward companions. It would be a matter of guesswork on my part. Perhaps we could move to the last place you saw either of them and see if there are any signs first?"
Fergus interjects in the conversation, giving time for Zokon to collect his thoughts. Stroking his jeweled beard as he does.
All things considered... if your fey friend takes her leave of us permanently I have no real objection to that. It would be one less wildcard to account for. And, unless you want a pack of werewolves to form I would suggest dealing with her now, than later... Sir Noah, could do you have any means of seeing if someone has been infected with Lycanthropy?
"I assume you mean your friends here, and not this 'Ilvah'. Unless you have someway to see the future we won't know for sure until the next full moon. Just make sure you are somewhere sturdy just in case."
Fergus looks to Illthir.
To be honest, I'm not her babysitter. Nor do I feel obligated to find her after she ran off leaving our companions to fend for themselves. Especially if she had healing magic. He gives a quick involuntary glance to Alia.
Also, fey, as a point, rarely actually die. Even if our companion were to perish, which I have my doubts she would, she would most likely merely end up back in the first world. At least according to the accounts I've heard and read... He stops and ponders for a few moments.
Though that said, I suppose its hard to ever really tell with the fey. Besides, after my suspicions about the girl being trouble were proven true... Well, I suppose just call me a grumpy, untrusting, cynical dwarf. He says shrugging.
and for that matter, I don't fully trust our druid friend here either quite frankly.
Zokon takes Alia's cue
"Erevenwyg could call out to us if she wished, unless she was in trouble, but we have heard no sign of that. Ilvah on the other hand is a problem to deal with and as Alia pointed out she will kill."
Pragmatism over friendship, fair enough. Not what I would have chosen, but a sensible choice nonetheless. "Very well, then let's get what little rest we can and track the pack down in the morning? That will give me time to prepare more appropriate spells as well."
Unless something demands his attention, he makes his way back to the web shelter and settles in for the night.
I would caution against resting, if we are to hunt Ilvah. For one, the longer we tarry, the harder it will be to track them, and the further away they could get. Two, Well, I suppose two is a mute point at the moment but she could attempt to ambush us again. Though if we are going to rest... I have a spell to prepare. He hesitates to see what the decision will be. Swift vengeance, or patience.
"I and I assume Alia need a rest after that fight, I was in a desperate battle to save myself and there was nothing I could do other than keep fighting. If not I will continue and do my best. "
He takes a second to straighten his back and stretch out.
"But she ran away because Zokon told her to! And she isn't in this camp right beside us; what other signs do you want? Cracks of thunder and rains of blood?" The skald oozed anger and disbelief. "I agree with Ironmug on the urgency to act. If we are not to bother looking for our lost companion, we should at the very least not idle and let the beast slip away and cause more mayhem. We have healing magicks and some silver; let us use it."
"The last I'll say on the matter is that I believe it folly to track a pack of Worgs and a Werewolf at night with only two of our group able to see in the dark. They'll see our lights a mile away. Ultimately, I'll do as the I'm bid, but I'd be remiss not to at least make the point," Balzeros concedes.
"I agree with Balzeros. Hunting lycanthropes by night with half our party unable to see in the dark is bound to be fruitless. They will easily evade us. And to hunt them by day might allow us to catch Ilvah in human form, where she may be more easily handled." Serena makes no attempt to hide her meaning.
"I like Serena's point and i'll follow along with what is decided." he states
The party votes to return to the site of the ambush with Noah to look around, while Noah's friends keep the campsite safe.
Illthir makes sure to keep her silvered hammer at the ready. "If I were a cursed werewolf that just failed in my endeavour to eat my former friends, where would I go?" she mutters to herself and wanders around the site, trying to put herself in the mind of Ilvah. Might not find any tracks that way - but could figure out where they should look!
Much like Illthir, Durgan also has a silvered hammer. He keeps it in hand while he looks for any tracks.
"I know it is dark, but we do have lights." For those of you who are not dwarves, anyway...
"Ilvah was wounded, right? Should make her easier to track."
"We should look around and maybe skin the wolves, that will bring her out if she's about." Zokon says with a bitter line in his mouth. He looks around a bit to see if he can find anything
Balzeros helps look for tracks, but a frown sits on his face all the while. Once tracks for the group have been found, he motions for their attention. "I completely understand why you wish to search for the werewolf, but I cannot join you. My gut tells me that a lost companion is more important. I've been a wanderer of the wilds for almost all my life and my gut is what has kept me alive. Ramita and I will search for Ervenywg while you deal with that menace," he promises. "With her, I'll guide her back to you in the city where I will submit myself for treatment of possible lycanthropy. If you don't wish for a reunion, I'll submit myself after knowing she is safe."
Serena sighs, still not convinced that going after Ilvah in the dark is a good idea, but definitely not wanting to be left behind again. She tightens the straps on her armor, puts on her weapon belt, and picks up her shield. "I'm ready."
"Balzeros go find her and keep her safe, your woodscraft will help you were we would hinder, be well." Zokon moves to Balzeros and handclasps with a half hug pat on the back gesture of comradery.
"Farewell, Balzeros, stay safe for now - I dislike that you go alone, but I understand your decision and that we would slow you down.", Alia says her farewells to Balzeros, hoping his story does not find a suggen end at the receiving end of some fangs.
"We know Ilvah travelled all day with us, she didn't get more rest than us and likely does not expect us to search her now. I'd say we have a good chance that she found herself some place to hide and rest for the night - there is little she can hope to accomplish."
But by the gods, let her keep watch and put up a fight when cornered. As the monster she is. If we come there and find a sleeping girl, I'm not sure I could...
I CAN. And I WILL!
"Oh... " The skald shifted from foot to foot, uneasy at Balzero's words. Though she *wanted* to help search for the fey, she wasn't sure if she would be helpful. And she certainly wouldn't be if he turned into a werewolf as well... Darn it. "I can't say much but thank you. Please stay as safe as you can."
---
"I don't think Ilvah cares terribly much about the Worgs. Unless this was a *very* cunning contingency she wouldn't have known them more then a few hours." Illthir scratches her chin. "Where could she go? I don't think she has anywhere to run, so that's not a hint. But she does know where *we* are going - so the opposite of that and then hope we don't have time to stick around?"
"...It's just a shame *this* is the way she decided to deal with it all ..."
Durgan looks at Balzeros.
Does he fear that Ilvah could control him, if he is infected? I don't think that's how it works, but maybe...
"May Fate favor you, Balzeros. Stay safe."
Fergus gives a nod. Best of luck to you lad. Though... Hm. Nevermind.
Fergus lets the others do the tracking, nature skills were never his strength.
"Ah tracks!" says the old man suddenly, standing over a pool of semi-congealed blood in the tower. "An elf lay here."
Noah moves around the battlefield describing the back-and-forth to those who where not there. Finally he says "Your werewolf. She went this way."
He moves down the eastern face of the hillside and into the wood.
Zokon follows bow in hand, not wanting the man to get taken in an ambush
Serena hustles along behind Zokon.
Unerringly, Medwyn leads the party through the dark forest.
An hour passes, and then two....
Durgan is actually as fast as Zokon... he follows.
Illthir hurries along as best as she can. Dammit maybe Walker should have come along! She casts a quick glance at all the low branches she'd surely be smacking her head against - but maybe it would have been worth it?
"Your little wolf girl is leading us a chase, but we won't stand a chance of catching up to her before dawn at this rate."
The party presses on deep into the night until finally morning birds begin to rouse from their rest chirp to one another.