A heavily bundled shape steps away from the bucket brigade towards Caydee and the restrained Tengu. Crouching down next to her, Gnosh gives Caydee a curt nod before leaning in close to the Tengu's ear to whisper a quiet combination of insults, curses and - mostly - threats, trying to get the creature to reveal where his friends would be heading.
From cresent harbor fubar arrived in Camlin looking as fierce a fighter as any half-orc and rarely speaking to any.
Caydee and Ahz begin the meticulous task of trailing the tengu through the streets and back corridors of Camlin. Though the town is somewhat small, the poor light and shadows help to hide the avians' tracks. That said, proceeding slowly the two begin to pick out sign of the intruders' passage and begin working their way north.
At Gnosh's words, the pinned tengu's eyes contract for a moment in fear before the creature steels itself once more. It turns its head slightly upon hearing Sioned's inquiry, and what sounds to be a hacking laugh issues from the creature's beak. Lady Raven told us where to find the bauble, the gift for her son. She told us the bareskins would have it. She told us you had stolen it from her metal man, and we found it as she told us.
The tengu glances fearfully at Gnosh before continuing. My rookery brothers will take the gift to her son, deep in the mountains. You will not catch them; the mountains are our home. Lady raven has blessed the Frost Talons with the presence of her son. The gift will be delivered to him, and we will be granted dominion over all in the mountains.
"What's the bauble, Feathers? Lots of trouble to go to for a pretty rock."
As soon as I see one in shouting distance, I get the attention of a guard. I explain that we are tracking the tengu who attacked earlier, but we expect they are going to try to slip out of the city to the north. I suggest that the guard at the northern gate be added to or at least on alert, and ask that if anyone can be spared, to send them back to Shae to appraise them and the guards there of the situation - that we will continue tracking, but expect they are trying to leave the city to head back out onto the ice.
"What is going on here!"
"Ive been waiting for something to happen!"
Sioned nods to the half-orc (Gnosh)
"Can you button this one up for the guards? I need to find Covaut and figure out what he brought into town."
She stands off of the Tengu, leaving Gnosh to secure him. "I'll be back once I find out what that gasbag swiped."
She sprints back in the direction of the Scion guardhouse, Rusty's beady eyes peering out from her cloak.
Producing a dagger from the sheath at the back of his belt, Gnosh hauls the tengu up onto its feet and tries to drag it back towards the guardhouse, following Sioned.
"Sioned who be sioned!"
"Oz sended me to be tellin you tha tengu might tryferan escape through the north gate"
K travels alongside her friend, still tracking. "You know, cleric, if we go after them it might involve some camping."
Beginning to feel surrounded by half-orcs, She comes to a halt outside the Scion's guard house, Gnosh and the bound Tengu in tow.
"I'm Sioned...Oz? Ahz! I gotcha...uhm..."
She chews on her lip, torn between checking with the Rector and lending support to cutting off the Tengu.
"Dammit! Give him to the Scions," Motioning to Gnosh "then you two come with me. Who knows how many more Tengu are waiting outside to support these ones..."
Sioned then dashes off to towards the north gate, flanked by some 500lbs of receding forehead and jutting brow ridge. Rusty voices his displeasure at being jostled.
Muttering "If you don't like it then walk...
"I am Fubar snafu!"
"What err we alookin fer?"
Depositing the Tengu at the feet of a pair of Scions, who quickly take over custody, Gnosh turns around and follows, swinging past the Bearded Elf to grab his gear. Taking a minute to buckle on his armor and throw a warm cloak over his shoulders, he heads out into the dark in the direction Sioned indicated, hoping his speed will help him catch up.
K turns in mild surprise to the newcomers, slackening her pace slightly. "More to chase after the tengu even out of town, Sioned?"
"Evil cannat hide from me neather in dark nor light I can smellem"
"More chasin an less talkin!"
Sioned shrugs with a half-cocked grin at Caydee's question.
"If you can smell them...then get...to it..."Sioned gasps, out of breath from running."And what happens...if they hopped the wall...or went to ground in town...or didn't come out this gate?"
She takes a deep breath then soldiers on "Too much time inside avoiding the cold...I'm glad my Ma can't see me..."
"They came this far," the ranger assures Sioned, still absorbed in tracking.
Caydee and Ahz continue to track the tengu as the others make their way to their position. Though the avians appear to have continued north, it looks as if they veered somewhat east in their trek, presumably to avoid the main gate into Camlin's Gorge. The town's outer wall is little more than a palisade: built sturdy, but designed to keep intruders out rather than in. The fleeing tengu should have little difficulty passing it.
The barking of his dogs awakening him when the bells of the city could not, Andreas peeks out his door at the Bearded Elf in time to witness Gnosh retrieve his equipment and hurry out the inn's front door. Curiosity overriding the urge to return to bed, as well as a slight hangover from the party, the paladin quickly gathers his own equipment and, after quieting his dogs, leaves the Elf in pursuit of the half-orc.
"Oz OZ"
"Mah apology tis mine orc tongue that keeps your name wrong in mah sayin o it"
"Oz"
"Ima tah seein ifin I can smell evil this way"
"smellin not always amatter o the nose!"
"Strange that the cleric should be the one tracking," K remarks in amusement, following. "Of course, I'm going to continue on tracking outside the town. I have everything in my pack that I can't get from nature."
"What wrong was done that we be ontha trail o them Tengus?"
"I'll put the gears to the Scions and Covaut. I can either meet up with the rest of you before you head to the pass, or else I'll catch up. Don't wait on me. I'll grab your things and some supplies before following you." narrowing her eyes "I think the Rector can spare some coin to fund this little adventure."
Tucks Rusty in and pulls the cloak around herself before making her way quickly back towards the Guardhouse.
"...extended holiday...?"
"I can wait fer yerselves by tha gate, jus when it goes excitin then it comes to a stop asudden like..."
Obvious disappointment abounds
"I think Ahz is right," K says. "But in I don't see how we could get to them if they beat us to their eyries."
As Gnosh catches up, he calls out, "No doubt it'll be a far haul to get there. Look, I understand: your townsfolk fell, and you want to avenge 'em. It's a harsh world, to be sure, but it'll be for naught if we die in the mountains as well. Now, I'm willing to help because I think the Rector will show his appreciation monetarily, and far be it from me to doubt your tracking skills, miss," he states to Caydee, "but I hope you know these mountains better than your own hands."
Andreas nods to Azh in response to the greeting. My head's been better, but I've got my wits about me yet. As to your question, I'm afraid my girls aren't too skilled at tracking; they're trained as guardians, but take them into an unfamiliar environment and they might as well be untrained pups.
The paladin quiets to listen to the events of the morning as Azh details them.
The Scions' Guardhouse is in poor shape following the blaze. Much of the second floor went up, and what wasn't consumed by flamed appears to have been damaged by smoke and melted snow. Rector Covaut is seated on an overturned bucket several feet from the main entrance, two Scions standing at attention by the man while a third appears to be questioning him.
"They'll be undone in time, an answer fer themselves an what they did!"
As she approaches the burnt out guardhouse, Sioned ignites an arcane light in her hand and ensures that her cloak is open, displaying her collection of eldritch talismans and other 'witchy' accoutrements. They are shallow tricks, but she wants to present a convincing display of authority to avoid dealing with the Scions.
Disregarding the Scions, she walks up to Corvaut.
"Rector, I think you need to tell me a story about what bauble you collected from the Icewall that brought those Vultures into town. It must have been something valuable for them to have killed over it and risked the inevitable retaliation."
She raises an eyebrow and regards him for a moment.
"I also think it would be a prudent display of good will if you funded the endeavour to bring these creatures to justice. You could be in need of all the good will you can gather once people start to question what led the Tengu to Camlin in the first place..."
"Aye and be quick with yer answer, fore I gets tired o waitin!"
"Likely thar will be blood"
Gnosh heads back to the Bearded Elf to see if Tully is still awake. If so, he procures 4 days of trail rations for each party member, claiming that the Rector will see to the bill in return for the group returning what was stolen from him. He heads up to his room to secure his pack and bedroll.
More reserved than usual, already with all that she anticipates she will need for the mission, K completes her tracking to where the tengu left the town from, scanning the sky ahead for any indication of the future weather.