Act 1, Scene 2: Scouting out the Unknown!

[Yaztromo]

You ride until nightfall. Although you are eager to press on, your horses are tired and continuing in the darkness would be dangerous.

What do you do?

[Baldrick]

"We should rest here... The woods outside of Vestfold are rumored to be teeming with evil creatures at night," Grumm remarks, hopping off his somewhat ridiculous war-pony. A little sensitive about the sniggers that inevitably follow any attempt by the Dwarf to mount or dismount the stoutly beast, Grumm adds "Maybe we can find some firewood nearby and set up camp?"

[JesseOcasio]

" Let's set up camp then." Hororin Dragonsbane dismounts his horse." We most take much care, especially after receiving such a written warning."

[Baldrick]

Grumm assents with a nod, and, tying up his mount, shuffles towards the nearest copse of trees to gather some dry tinder.

[JesseOcasio]

Horrorin ties his mount to a nearby tree. Then he aids his dwarven friend in gathering sticks. "I don't know Grumm, I feel that the nobles cannot be trusted. I never was one to trust nobility, but the death of the page has left my uneasy. I feel that there is someone within the palace who is aiding the enemy."

[Ironwolf]

From up ahead, Ewart Oakeshott rode back towards the wizard and the dwarf. He dismounted his horse and tied it near the others', close enough so that the animal could drink from the little stream where the other horses were currently drinking their fill. After feeding his mount a handful of oats from the pack on the animal's saddle, he approached the place where his friends were gathering sticks for their fire.

"Hail, friends," he said to them as he approached, keeping his powerful voice low. "I scouted ahead a ways, and saw nary a sign of man nor beast. I think you've chosen a good spot for our camp."

He unslung the sheathed longsword from his back, laid it down next to him, and sat down on a fallen tree, his massive frame causing it to creak slightly as his placed his weight upon it.

"I find that I am restless still, despite my aching back. I know not if it is the Silent Lady's charm that makes it so," he said, and pulled the pomander from his shirt, regarding it at the end of its leather string "but in any case, I volunteer to take the first watch."

[Baldrick]

"Yea, so it is often, I find," Grumm replies, turning to face the approaching Ewart. "I am sorely relieved to be out of that palace, for that. I feel I can trust the beasts of the wilderness more than any king. The last king of the Dwarves, Namiirkill II, was the final ruler to bring justice and peace with him to the throne. So great was the jealousy of the petty despots on his borders that they conspired to bring a great sorcery and the Eye of Chaos over his realm... He finally fell in battle, fighting to rid his realm of the nameless shadows that spilled forth from the Inferno..."

As Ewart arrives, Grumm shows visible relief at the report and begins to build the fire while the others talk.

[Yaztromo]

You tether your horses and see to their feed. Lightning a small fire for protection, you settle yourselves down for the night.
While Ewart takes the first turn of guard, his two companions swiftly drift into a troubled sleep, after today's long ride. They dream of a leering face, floating gracefully in the air amid swirling clouds and cackling laughter.
For Ewart hours pass as gazes up at the constellations above him. He remembers Igraine the Silent explaining her pomander's power to arrest sleep and decides to let his companions rest. He is grateful for its properties when he observes several stealthy forms approaching from a distance.

What do you do?

[Ironwolf]

Ewart decides to wake his companions quietly. Longsword in hand, he approaches Grumm and kneels down beside him. He suspects that the dwarf would be the loudest to wake, and also, he doesn't want to chance finding Hororin's dagger between his ribs.

Placing one hand over Grumm's mouth, to stop the dwarf from shouting, he shakes the dwarf awake. "Wake, Grumm!" he whispers. "We have company. Wake the mage, and we'll rise with weapons drawn!"

[Yaztromo]

In his dream, Grumm sees a huge shape looming above him, his six sense clocks and he wakes up with a start, axe already in his hand and ready to fight. He finds face to face with his old and trusted companion, a inch distant, in the dim light of the campfire.