In reply to Justin,team (msg # 48):

Moving off the muddie road some twenty feet Justin parallels it. Trailing along until they creach a point fourty feet away from the closest Farmhouse.  Pausing he motioning for the arrows to diagonally opposite corners, there by observine the entire structire and be ready for anything. When the arrows are in position he hails the dwelling to notify any occupants of his presence.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Thu 09 Mar 2017.

In reply to Justin (msg # 50):

Reacting to the rollers signal Myranda hurries to a spot 60' from the corner of the norterly and westerly facing sided, her bow ready to loose arrows at any perspective target.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:47, Sat 11 Mar 2017.

  The three searchers , move back to  Lill's  house. The little girl is Bundles in  her  tiny bed.  Lill is making some tea  when the three soggy  folks come in.

  Oh..gods!..  got back behind the curtain and  take the wet things off, we'll dry them by the Fire...I have some things of  my Late Husband, you can wear until then....
   Gring  goes to a small box in the corner  and gets out another set of  ragged  slothign  and switches  out, bring his  wet stuff  by the fire, as Lill hands them eaxch a towel-like cloth, from a box  near her bed.

 there is a pair of   Night shirts  , she gives to the two Arrows...have some Tea and some sweetcakes i baked a bit ago... there is a bit of rum, if you want to warm up a bit faster?

Javal looks to Justin and nods.  Moving around the structure, he aims his bow at the ground where he can quickly raise it if needed.

Looking around, he keeps Justin in the corner of his eye as he waits to see what he wants to do.

  The People watch the three folks  come closer, one with  a bow ready.

 There is a younger  guy who is washing down some of the stacked stones with river water. He looks  towards the   folks  and  smiles slightly,..well, met... i suppose.. unless you intend to use  that weapon on is..then things  will go badly for both sides...

Javal went ahead and took it upon himself to speak up now, seeing as how his bow was out and for now he could spot one out as well.

"Hello.  We are with the Crimson Arrows and were here looking for two of our associates.  We are investigating settlers attacked by goblins or perhaps slavers and people disappearing.  Have you seen two other Crimson Arrows or know of anyone being attacked or disappearing recently?"

He posed his question and still had his loaded heavy crossbow aimed at the ground as he looked to the young man who had spoke and to their surroundings.

    The  Fellow  looked  and  stood up, aye, two fellows came by..talked to the stone mason a bit.... they went  down to the next patch houses....There's a widow there..pretty an'  all, but has bad luck with men... he husband was killed fighting Orcs... and she was  ta be married to  a younger fella, closer to her age?..but he..er..vainished.

 he looks  around and  sends the   kids near him for more river  water. When they went he says,..don't know how much the bounty is..can'[t be much, cause not all of us kicked in, in this strech..coin his hard ta  come by and all....but..there is  a nice lookin' young grils missin' too?... some folks think, they ran off ta Ironmound..or  maybe You or got a  workin'[ ride on a boar going  ta the coast?.... happens alot out here..or..any Patch house groups?

 ..any way?... you can see some  smoke  comin' from chimeny's that way... the woman is  name Lill....though, i think you folks would be better off huntin' cat folk..

In reply to Justin,team (msg # 56):

Justin signalled for Javal and Myranda to regroup, on him, as he approached the Man who had been speaking. Thankest Thee Master for Thy advice tis most welcome. Tis truly hard times when decent folks be threatened in their very homes. One be Justin Havslane, anst these be Myranda of the Glen anst Javal Enrouse be members of the Crimson Arrows. Contracted to seek out anst hopefully locate this man, by one doth surmise on behalf of Mistress Lill. Thee doth speak the truth of it about Cat folk; they be amongst those we seek out, whens they doth cross our path, such ilk be a bane to all goodly folk.

Javal hesitated for a split second, then nodded to Justin's command to move to him.

He didn't like this.  The further away from civilization they got, the more it seemed things got creepier.  The man speaking to them had said 'unless you intend to use that weapon on us..then things  will go badly for both sides...'  That statement alone begged a few questions in Javal's mind.

Do you have others out here armed and hiding?  If you are goodly folk, and tough and watch out for each other, then why aren't you protecting each other including a widow?  Unless one of you was jealous and it is an inside job being covered up?

Many things swam through his head as he moved to Justin, quietly moving in step as well as picking over the self imposed questions in his brain.  He stood a few feet behind Justin and kept himself turned mostly away from the conversation and watched their backs.

Always keeping his crossbow canted toward the ground, Javal was on watch and quiet as they waited for any more parley and moved on.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:36, Mon 13 Mar 2017.

    The people for the most part, were watching the  strangers. Its not like they haven't seen armed folk before....

   As their comrades have seen..a battered  two wheel cart was used  to bring more River stone to be stacked,  for next time the stone cutter came.

   there  were sounds coming from the  trees near the river, either  folks  getting the stones, or  kids fishing..or..both.

  The fellow doing the taking  said,well... we haven't seen catfolk for a bit... found a body of one about a fortnight ago?...driftin' down the river. Its the damn  Human folks that are lookin' for slaves..lowest form of life outside of red Elves and Red Isle Halfings..

  ..Baily?  the older of the young ones..hot one in the  head  with a shot from his sling?... when the other s saw we knew they was there, they ran... we used that slaver  fellow  as serpent chum.. had some good eating for a week...

In reply to Justin,team (msg # 59):

Aye they be that, if Thee cans't recall, which way did the Slaver scum flee

  The Fellow pointed down the road, and swept his  arm to the   west , including the  wide grasses...

  They ran that way, towards the next patch, but then into the rgasslands, most flk think they come up from the Karth swamp..always nests of something in there.. Them Black Timber Eles  do sweeps through there everynow and then... Kill anything they think don't belong there... and I mean anyhtingStill?..Gobs..Orcs..Gnomes... slavers..Lizardfolk..the Bug people... there is  an old story of  a  death priest in there that brings  back the KArth Dead, ta do his biddin' ? But.. we ain't  seen no undead..

"Thank you dear lady.  The storm is indeed quite violent this evening."

  While the  men change. Gring  is Busy hanging  their things  by the fire. Once he is  down, she   double checks the bolts on the   window shutters  and  recloses the windows.

 then  drops  both bars into place ( with a very neat lever system, that even a smaller  child  could work ). he also pushes the little wheelbarrow that was used to bring firewood in, against the door..

 all buttoned up.The Cabin begins to warm up a bit.  Gring  sits a bit away from the fire  with a cup of  tea, that Lill put some extra honey in ( and a drop of rum) . The boy's shivers  are slowly going away.

 ..so?..how  far  down did  ye get then? Was there any sign that might  have been caught, by  yourselves, that folks like us missed?

In reply to Justin,team (msg # 61):

Mentally storing this information, unless they would be visiting it as part of the job, Myranda would prompt the others to pay a visit to this swamp after they finished it.

Justin glanced at the arrows in a do you have anything else you want to ask the Fellow, manner. If they did he waited, if not he handed the Farmer 2gp, for his and his associates assistance, bid them thanks and continued on towards the House occupied by their Patron.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:06, Tue 14 Mar 2017.

Giving the farmworkers a wave Myranda moved 12' to one side of the others as they headed towards the next farm houses.

"We went till the last house, from the lone hunter and his dog. The dog was slain in the house and no trace of te owner. We searched the house and the immediate ground around, but the storm was too fierce for us to search really good. We have to go back when the weather is better and the light of the day can assist us, although many traces and tracks are probably erased by the rain by then", answers Krwyn Lill. He knows this will be a new shock for her, but he sees no way to go around the truth.

   Lill   sits  down after putting the  kettle on the fire  to  ready fro more  tea, if they should want.

  ..They...Killed his ..dog?

   Gring, from his   spot by the fire  nods,..we know, well and proper..that he wouldn't leave his do  behind..nor  would the dog leave him...

"Unfortunately, we arrived for too late to be of assistance.  The poor creature had been dead for some time; any chance of finding a trail would have been long washed away.  I will go back in the morning and give it a proper burial before we continue our investigation."

  the   winds   had lessened , but the beat of the rain did not seem to want to stop..

  ..Please...  rest for the Night. It will do no one good , for you to die in a storm....or  because something was hiding in the storm...

  she looks over   and  smiles  slightly,  Gring was asleep  by the hearth stones.

Javal was quiet and had given Justin a small "no" shake of his head.

Moving into the woods, he quietly walked scanning their surroundings as they approached the next set of thatch houses.

"Very well, but I insist that at least one of us stand watch.  There's something out there, I'm certain, and I'd rather it not get the drop on us.  Krwyn, please, rest.  I will take the first watch."

"I agree with you; I'll take first rest and second watch," answers Kr'wyn. He makes himself comfortable in a corner of the room and sleeps sound in less than it takes time to string a bow.

  The night passes with no action, other then  , the passing  of  the storm.

    Lill is  up early washing up and such, Gring has the fire started. and the little one is playing with  the little  wooden/rag  dolls. She is peering around, still rather unsure of the   stangers.

 They can smell the oatmeal  in the kettle and the tea on the brew.

 Lill is a  bit more..'fixed up'. her hair a bit put up.