Almost as soon as they set foot outside the city finding Gorm becomes obvious, at the nearest tree line sits a bear that fits her description exactly.  As Morg indicates the barge the bear waves and mimics the gesture pointing in that direction, or at least the direction of the water in general, then stands up and walks back into the trees.

Faith followed the group to the bear that could communicate, and stood by with her armor, rapier and gear. After the night of rest and cleaning, she looked like a new woman, ready to take on the world. She looked at the bear and shook her head with a smile. "I don't know what she is, but whatever that is, i'm glad she's on our side."

Makari followed along, in a mixture of anxious, sad and anticipation. It was an odd combination. He smiled, however, when he saw Gorm - a smile of happiness and relief. He called out quietly, "I'm very glad you're well, friend Gorm."

He walked along after Gorm had left and glanced at Faith. He nodded. "Gorm is great. A friend and great ally."

Ehrendil walks to the Womford docks, with a spring in his step as there was no potential danger surrounding them for the first time in days.
"With any luck we will have a quiet trip up the river."

Panic leapt to Zeb's eyes when Ehrendil mentioned a quiet trip. He dashed to the nearest tree, laid a hand upon it, and muttered something in his mother tongue. Then, looking much relieved, he returned to the group.

"Careful with your words, friend. Lest you summon the very misfortune you wish to forfend."

Faith looked at zeb with a snort. "Luck is for superstitious fools - we make our own luck." She adjusted her pack and nodded, ready to move out

"Make your own luck?" The gnome could not resist a smirk. "Is that how you came to find yourself imprisoned by cultists? Our coming by when we did was certainly a stroke of luck for you, but I fail to see how you made it."

Ehrendil chuckled, "Luck is a fickle friend at best. And Zeb, I was about to knock on wood to ward of bad luck!" the elf then tapped the side of his head with his knuckles.

Faith looked at Zeb and smiled. "That was not luck - that was us trusting people we should not have. We and the dwarves had camped when the monks came in, asking to share a camp for saftey. Little did we know they were the danger"

She shook her head. "Luck is something that isn't to be relied on - if it's in our favor, well and good. But to blame something on bad luck is usually someone made a mistake or did something wrong - often."

One of the dock workers, a dirty-cheeked dragonborn with bulging muscles, looks at the group of newcomers to the docks with skepticism. "You lost?" she spits.

"We're looking for a keelboat heading to Yartar, carrying grain. Bruldenthar sent us."

---

I don't see that Bruldenthar actually told us the name of the boat or the captain!

"We're looking for Juan Nightengale." Morg says

"Ah, not lost then. That's Juan there," she says before calling him over.

Juan turns out to be a dark-skinned human with a black hat and a rolling gait, clearly more at home on the water than on land. He gives a flourishing bow to the group, removing his hat to reveal a bright red bandana collecting his long dark hair. Placing it back atop his head slightly askew, he introduces himself as Juan. "I'm bound for Yartar, but it's always my pleasure to take on special favors for my generous employers, such as taking on passengers. The Sumber Hills are dangerous waters these days though, so we won't be lingering long. The ship is right this way," he continues, indicating the sole keelboat moored to the small dock nearby. "We've almost completed loading, and then we'll be off. Set yourselves up below decks and make yourself comfortable, or stay on deck if you like. Just be warned, there's been an increase in piracy on the river of late."

"I don't have any skills when it comes to sailing, but will help carry heavy things or fight off any pirates if you order it." Morg says as he nods to Juan, and heads down to stow his belongings below decks.

"Hello, Juan. I'm Ehrendil, like my friend Morg, I have no knowledge of boats. But I am more than happy to use my bow to drive off pirates, especially if they're from Rivergard Keep." Following the dwarf, Ehrendil will stow his pack and other gear below deck, keeping only his bow, quiver and rapier on his person.

Faith smiled as she followed. “I have a little experience, though not as much as you my young fellow.” she smiled and winked at Juan. “I have keen eyes and can help keep watch, even in the dark….and rest assured, any pirates come across this crew they will be sorry.”

Makari's eyebrows went up when the person assumed they were lost. He wondered mildly if they were about to have trouble, but it wasn't to be. He watched and listened as Juan was called over and spoke to them. He nodded at the Slumber Hills being dangerous.

"No problem. We'll stay out of your way unless you need help fending off..." He looked down and then waved a hand around, "monsters, pirates, whatever." He smiled and heading forward to do as bid and get on the ship and belowdecks.

Zeb did not cut the most intimidating profile, though he puffed out his little chest as he boarded the ship. "Any pirates shall rue the day they laid eyes upon this fine vessel," the gnome assured Juan, bowing deeply to indicate the depth of his commitment to protecting the ship and its passengers.

The ship's progress northward was slow but steady, and before the balance of the day was out the keelboat was anchored near the left side of the river bank, and a wide gangplank extended down to the water's edge for the party to depart.

"Ye'll find the monastery due west from here, though the hills. Won't be long until you reca-nize the area, seeing as though you've been there before." He punctuates his declaration with a flowery bow, shifting his long leather coat.

The sun shines brightly through the cold air above the western hills as the rest of the crew bids the group half-hearted well-wishes. The still air betrays little sound, beyond the odd distant call of birds, a quick call from a crewmember lookout at the bow, and a low murmur of the river's passing.

Morg bows to the crew when he disembarks.
~
Once the entire party starts heading west, he asks if they should wait for the cover of night before trying to descend again or try to get there as quickly as possible.

"Our thanks, Juan. I hope the rest of your voyage is uneventful." Ehrendil gives a nod and a wave to the crew as he steps onto the shore.

"Not the friendliest lot," he remarks once the party has started the trek westward. In response to Morg, he adds, "I think we should march until dark. If we arrive before then, we wait before entering."

Not long after the crew of the ship drops off the majority of the party a bear can be seen climbing up the next shallow bank in the down river direction.  Once up on land a great shaking and spraying of water happens before the bear sets off on an intercept course to the party.  Very nearly dry before she reaches them Gorm looks almost normal again as she silently rejoins the party on their trek with little more than a companionable nod to acknowledge their time spent within the walls of a city doing things she has no interest in.

"There, you see?" Zeb winked at the captain as he disembarked. "Our mere presence deterred the pirates."

"We've wasted enough time as it is," he answered Morg. "I would be in favor even of entering the temple under cover of night." The gnome looked then to Makari, suspecting he would have an ally in the elf.

Makari found that being on the ship brought up...terrible memories. The last ship he'd been on hadn't been on a river, of course, but the gentle rocking motion still made him...remember things he would rather not. So he spent most of his time alone and brooding.

He was one of the first off the boat, grateful to be back on land once more. He did thank the captain and crew as he left the boat, however.

He gave a shrug. He was good either way so he didn't contribute. He smiled at Gorm, "Good to see you again."

Faith was in her element on the ship - using her time to look out for danger, singing songs with her melodic voice and being generally bubbly....gone was the exhausted and dirty tiefling, Faith seemed to find solace in the new group.

When they arrived, she winked and hugged Juan. "Clearly your exceptional skills kept us safe from the brigands. I pray to every God known the rest of your trip is equally as uneventful"

As he left, Faith watched as Morg appeared, and she looked at the bear with hands on her hips, shaking her head with a smile. "You truly are a marvellous creature." she muttered.

Then the discussion of the task at hand. "There is no point in deciding if we enter when it's dark or not before we get there....it may not be until morning. it may be an hour or so before dusk. Let us get closet before we decide boys."