-----"Some went through the fields." He said quietly; "Maybe dwellings, maybe crypts on other hill." His throat tickled, and he spent a moment swallowing. "Small wooded area, further south. Hill to the South East."
-----With that, the Wood Elf slithered back down the slope a ways before standing up, and returning to where he had left the spears. There, he lowered the scarf, and took a mouthful from his wineskin.
-----Likewise, Jeilin rejoins the others down the slope, putting her spyglass away and cloak back on, despite the heat. She waits for Raven to return and see if he has anything to add about the tracks.
-----Raven’s expression is grim, almost angry when he rejoins them. “Some of them definitely came through here,” he says looking down at the ground, though his mind is turned inward instead of focusing on anything the ground may reveal.
-----“Whisper’s right,” he adds, “they tore through the fields.” Sighing he says, “Something tells me they’ve moved on. I would be surprised to find any orcs or hobgoblins down there.” He raises his head and says, “It’s possible they may be hiding out on the next hill.”
-----Looking at the Star Priestess, he says, “I have a feeling that if there were black riders left they took off to this . . . Black Bog. Maybe some of them were heading on south to alert the Lord of this forsaken place.”
-----"Black Bog and the riders are key, I believe." Jeilin says looking up at the others. However, the priestess stops short of making further suggestions. Glancing briefly at the overcast sky, she exhales and awaits the reaction from the group.
-----It is mid afternoon now and the air feels hot even with the gentle breeze that moves along. The gray clouds continue to hang overhead with no sign of breaking this day.
-----Raven remains grim as he looks up toward the crest of the hill. He shakes his head once as he turns back to his companions; the expression on his face unsatisfied.
-----“I’d be surprised to find anyone hiding out in the village below,” he begins. “We could wait around here until nightfall and see if there is any movement then. Or . . . we could go explore the village before nightfall and if we find nothing start toward the other hill.”
-----Nodding back to Kulendra, he adds, “By the Hunter I hope I am right, but I don’t think we’ll be attacked from this direction tonight. We could go back to Ku and even scout in the country in the other directions around it.”
-----"Let's move through that village now Raven, then ont' th' other hill. I want t'make sure none o' those elements are close t'Ku a'fore we head back." Apparently stealth isn't on Sol's mind as he mounts back up on Thunder and prepares to move out.
-----Somewhat back in her own thoughts, Jeilin follows the group as they descend into the valley. She glances back occasionally at the surrounding landscapes even as they close in on the village below.
-----Even though they rode cautiously down the hill, it was now a matter of carefully making the way down the incline than it was for trying to sneak into the village in the valley. Still the gentle breeze felt better if the horses picked up the pace rather than let the heat of the summer afternoon do its work. It seemed as if the horses could sense this too and the riders did not slow them.
-----As they reached the base of the hill, the adventurers could see a trail leading from around the eastern side of the hill through the farm fields toward the center of this village. They still had many yards to cover before they reached the village proper. For now they could take the trail, which led them past fields which by now should have been tilled and planted. Weeds now stood among the remnants of crop plants left over from past seasons or perhaps they sprouted miraculously surviving their neglect.
-----They seemed to pass dozens of fields; each featuring a small farm house somewhere close by. These small structures were obviously deserted as they were either too small to hide an army or somewhat burned or torn down. Some fields had been used as pasture lands and barns stood near the small homes. The barns caused somewhat of a concern because of their size. Raven and Whisper checked out three of these as they slowly approached the village. Each time they would return to report that nothing dwelt within these structures and the humanoids or the forces of Ravenhold had been very thorough in stripping them of anything that could be used as supplies.
-----Within the hour, they reached the first buildings of the village proper. The trail took them between the home/workshop of a cooper on the left and a house with a large open market stand attached to it off to the right. The cooper’s home and workshop had definitely been broken into as doors were smashed open and barrels had been busted out in front. A strong foul odor seems to come from the house with the market stand. Investigating it, a few dried fish heads were found thrown about while two long wooden boxes were found to contain rotting fish. The entrances to this home were also found to be left standing open.
-----Beside the cooper’s residence, a smaller cottage is found. Through the shattered door, a large vat of dried melted wax is found. Hanging up on racks, candles are displayed and a few that had been broken are found scattered about the floor. Next to the smelly market house is a large building which looks to be an official government headquarters of some sort for this village.