Standing, Bugsby notes the object, and looks back at his friends still waiting to cross... and back to the object... and runs over to the object in a fit of undeniable curiosity.
In a bit of clarity he calls out to Sven over his shoulder, "HEY!Tieoffthatropesofolkshaveaguidetocross!!"
Bugsby slowly trucks his way through the snow, no longer enjoying the easy ride atop Scarab. As he closes in on the object, he sees what looks like a hand. Assuming further curiousity, you uncover a man dressed in tattered overalls, and long since dead.
Sven does find a tree nearby he can tie the rope to so anyone unlucky enough to fall in won't be dragged away by the current under the ice.
Bugsby pokes the body of the man several times, "It'sadeadman!" and goes through his stiff pockets, trying to keep an eye out for how he died.
Bugsby rolls over the corpse, and begins rummaging through its pockets. The frozen denim is stiff and difficult to move, but after a few minutes of searching, Bugsby gives up having not found anything of use. The famer seems to have died of natural causes, as multiple slashes across the chest and neck naturally cause someone to die. While disfigured in death, Bugsby recognizes the man as Farmer Kilis, whose farm is near the eastern edge of the Border Woods, and hasn’t been seen in town for almost 3 weeks.
Kalt sees Sven lead the way across the river, then calls out, "Hold on, let me anchor the line on this side to a tree, and we'll have a good solid line to hang on to. I'll come last, with the rope tied around me. I'm no particular hand with animals, so someone else should lead the beast across the river."
When Scarab crosses the river, Kalt will run the rope through his harness in a couple of places, so that that life line will stop him being carried away if he falls through. After everyone crosses the ice, Kalt ties the rope around his waist and strides smoothly across the river.
Bubsby gives a sad, soft sigh as he recognizes the farmer. Standing and moving back over to Sven, sounding subdued, "It's farmer Kilis, from town. He died of slashes here, and here and here, and here and here too." and draws his finger over his own chest and neck where Kilis was cut.
He gazes back across the river, waiting for the other to join them, thinking he should probably be the one to help Scarab...
Lachna looks wary of the whole frozen river thing and decides to work her way very carefully across, holding onto the tied-off rope the whole way.
She doesn't get very far before plunging through the ice into the frozen river. She comes up spluttering, thankful for the rope.
Lachna manages to pull herself out of the stream, already beginning to feel her legs freeze and cramp up. Making her way to the other side, she clearly seems drained and cannot stop shivering.
Avora and Ankih look at the hole in the ice and are forced to take a more dangerous path across the ice.
Bugsby gasps as Lachna spashes into the icy water, shivering despite himself. Pulling a torch from his backpack, he looks at Sven, "Can we get a fire going?" Leaving the torch there on the shore, he frets about Lachna before looking uncertainly across the flow, "I'vegottogohelpScarab." he declares, and picks his way back over the damaged ice.
Bugsby works his way across, managing to leap into the shore with Avora and Ankih just before the ice cracks under him.
Staring intently at the river, Ankih's brow starts to sweat. He nervously watches the others cross, wincing when Lachna falls thru.
Oh Dear Sarenrae, guide me now. I never learned to swim.
" Avora, do you see another safe way across? I don't think we can get Scarab across here. Not with that hole. I don't believe I can make it either." He continues in a chatter of anxiety.
" If you would be so kind as to talk Scarab into crossing it would be wonderful. I've been told that druids have a way with animals.
Tho I have seen a farmer blindfold a horse to get it to go where it wouldn't. We might try that."
Avora looks on the ice with concern. Prior to the holes being made, it hadn't seemed that difficult, but now...
"Sven!" she calls out. "There, along that ridge. There may be a cave where we can shelter."
But how will Ankih, Scarab, Bugsby, and I get across? Oh, for the means to freeze the water into ice again...
Avora paces nervously, realizing that with each passing second of delay, the odds worsen for both Lachna and the remainder of the group.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, Avora steps gingerly out onto the ice. She carefully studies the surface, working her way across avoiding any spot that appears to be weakened.
The frigid water rushes over Avora, freezing the air in her lungs. The rope goes taunt as the current tries to whisk her away, but slowly she works her way to the other side and joins Lachna in shivering uncontrollably.
Bugsby scurries across, and calls to his new friend Scarab, giving the mule confidence to join his Qadirian master and Gnomish rider.
"T-t-told you that I w-w-wouldn't m-m-make it." Avora says through her shivering.
Sven heads up the trail Avora indicated and does see a cave in the distance. However he sees the shoulder of a man sized humanoid poking out of the cave, and the flicker of a fire within.
The man turns around at Sven's call, and seems flabbergasted to see someone there. For a minute you see his mouth moving, but do not hear anything, then he calls out "Hail! Are you two alone? Cold weather out there."
With everyone across, Bugsby points out Kilid as they pass him on their way up the trail.
The man steps forward and waves you up. A second man dashes out of the cave and begins hurrying further up the hill.
As Sven hurries the group towards the cave mouth and the warm fire, two other bandits step out from the crevice, bows in hand. The one who originally spoke to you yells out "Sucker! For Rokhar!" then all 3 loose arrows into your group.
The bandits, having caught the group completely unawares, fire again before the group has time to react.
Avora trudges forward, unable to do much at range.
Ankih struggles forward 15', then looses a bolt at the southern most bandit. Too cold to speak, and angered at the attack on weakened friends, he is elated to see the bolt punch home. Albeit with less force than he could have hoped for.
I begin to fear for our success. This has been a most unfortunate quest so far.
Kalt staggers slightly as the arrow grazes his leg, then mutters sourly, "Damn. Should have seen that coming. No one friendly would be camped out here in the snows." He then joins Sven in moving as quickly as he can through the snow towards their assailants.
Lachna, shivering, shrugs off Sven's attempts to get her out of her armor and clothes at the riverside.
"This-s-s n-n-not th' p-place," she sputters, teeth clattering.
She does accept offered help up the hill as she is having trouble moving. When the bandits attack, she groans as an arrow pierces her. Moving slowly, limbs already stiffening, she retrieves a crossbow and bolts from the packs again and loads it.
Bugsby stands up atop Scarab, affronted by the nerve of these ruffians, "What? 'Sucker for Rokar'!? Whythinkabouttreatsatatimelikethis??" and launches a bolt their way.
Bugsby's bolt flies past the bandits, clattering off the stony ledge behind them.
The sight of Sven barreling up the hill towards them gives the bandits a moments pause before they all fire at the imposing man, hoping to halt his advance before he can unleash his rage upon them.
A few of the arrows punch through the ulfen's armor causing crimson blood to stain the snow. With wounds that would fell a normal man, Sven continues onward, much to the dismay of the bandits.
Fighting to struggle forward, Avora scoops up a handful of snow. With frozen fingers, she carefully shapes it into a ball, chanting as she does so. "Liathróid beag de oighir agus sneachta, a aimsiú do rian agus reo mo namhaid."
With that, she flings it at the man Sven is facing down.
Bugsby drops the crossbow and runs forward as far as he can, trying to get into range to bring his magics to bear, but stops sooner than needed so he can watche the badduns warily.