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Ves efficiently rolls up her things and accepts the fresh milk and bread with a polite "thank you", and drinks the milk happily.

"Gods, there's nothing quite like food fresh from a farm! This is much appreciated. Stay safe and we'll see you in a few days."

Swinging her pack onto her shoulders, Ves opts to eat the bread as she walks. Taking her leave of Tom and his family, she'll lead them back out the farm and towards the north.

"Kroshav, you mind keeping watch at the back for us? Jaq, I can use your eyes up front with me. Jo, Jolly, you both stay near Lurn in the middle. We move as a group. No stragglers. If you need to stop, we all stop. Don't touch anything if you don't know what it is, and don't eat anything growing wild if I don't say it's ok. Stay alert and focussed. These woods are usually fine, but there's plenty'll hurt you if youre not paying attention. Don't want to be sending any of you to the gods on this trip! All right, let's go."

Ves sets of at a moderately slow pace, mostly for Jolly's she and to see how the group naturally settles into the walk.

((Pathfinding: 1d20+5 = [15] = 20 ))

Kroshav leans way, way down to pat Cap'n on the shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be fine, and excited to see you when he gets back."

((Can't Joe just summon him back to her? I would think she knows that?))

Ves gives some marching orders and good advice as they set out across Tom's field into the forest. Jolly falls into step and they set a reasonably good pace following paths and trails Ves is familiar with. Initially there are signs of people having been in the area but after an hour the forest appears nearly untouched. The trails Ves follows become little more than deer tracks in the underbrush but she is able to expertly guide them northward without needed to backtrack at all. Jolly is quiet, not complaining or really talking at all. He seems distracted.

As they walk the group are surrounded by a lush forest still drying from the earlier rain. The ground is soft with moss in places, hard roots in others. Patches of wild grasses and flowers appear where the sun breaks through the foliage. Animals are active all around the group and many a squirrel jumps from tree branch to branch as birds flitter in warming morning air.

After half a day's walk Ves spots a clear area for a lunch pause. The little sky visible above appears largely cloudless and things are getting muggy in the warm, moist shadows of the trees without a breeze.

((Can I get two d20 rolls from someone and if anyone wants to be alert give me a perception roll.))

Joe per [1d20] = 19
Joe quietly observes the land as they travel.


D20s [1d20] = 15 [1d20] = 13


(She can, and she knows she can, however since he's sending an important message she'll have to wait until she thinks he reaches the town. Does that make sense?)

Kroshav takes his job pretty seriously.

Perception: 1d20+1 = [16] = 17


((Kroshav doesn't pick up on that aspect of Ruby's ability to be summoned.))

Perception: 1d20+3 = [13] = 16

Jaq was watching as asked while there were walking, but now that they have found this clearing and are taking a bit of a break, he takes a break from being that attentive. As they ready for a short lunch he asks Jolly, "Have you lived in Stenrek your whole life?" If not he follows up, "What brought you to the city then? " if he has, he instead states, "Me too, city boy here also, which is why I now want to see a bit more of the world."

Jolly startles at being directly addressed and turns to Jaq.

"Ya, lived there my whole life but did some traveling too. Never been in a forest, something to look at from a distance."

Joe, Ves and Kroshav eat quietly listening and watching their surroundings. All three of them hear movement in branches that doesn't appear to belong to a bird or other animal and Joe thinks she hears a gentle sniffing above them in the trees.

Joe would place more in the trees than above them. It is hard to pinpoint exactly though. The sniffing-ish sound seemed like it was coming from directly overhead. Nothing is visible and there are more birds and small game that have appear to have become interested in the group's lunch making picking out a specific noise or movement difficult.

Kroshav has no goats to test his theory with.

((How thick is the canopy above is? You said clear area, how large an area, how close are the trees, how big are they, etc.?))

The area is irregularly shaped but is about 30 by 20 feet that are clear of large trees. There are still some smaller trees and brush are around. The sky above is more or less clear but a few larger trees have some branches that partially block portions of the sky. The older trees range in type, height and size though nearly all fall between 30' and 60'. The nearest large tree will depend on where you are standing but they aren't far away. The larger trees aren't tight and most have at least 5-10' between them but may have smaller trees trying to fill those gaps. Most of the trees are deciduous though a few shorter evergreen are mixed in. The trees look climbable and the larger ones would support Kroshav (at least lower down).

After Kroshav makes his comment he,Ves and Joe hear what sounds like an indistinct soft murmur somewhere to the west followed by a light snort of...laughter to the south. Listening the trio hears nothing more for several minutes.

To the group, quietly:
"Well spoons. I'm guessing a scout party from one of the local tribes might've found us. Get your weapons out and find cover. Don't attack unless they start it. They're not all bad out here, but the ones that are... They're sneaky."

Loudly (in goblin):
"All right we know you're out there and we are far more than a match for you! Speak if you've got an offer for us and we'll talk like civilised folk. If not - fight us or fork off!"

((Edit: hey, Ves totally speaks goblin!))

Kroshav settles his shield on his arm and thrusts his bundle of javelins into the ground nearby, except for one that he holds ready in his hand.

((Ready an action to chuck a jav at anyone who reveals hostile intent.))

Jaq will ready his bow, "If not goblins, some fey folk maybe, thinking we are here to be pranked with?"

Ves' shout evokes no response from the trees beyond the forest falling silent and a few birds flying off. After a few seconds the forest sounds return to normal.

Jolly looks around at people getting ready for a fight with something before standing and readying his short sword and looking at the birds hoping around the trees apprehensively.

"Goblins? What's going on?"

"Tribes? What kind of tribes?"

After Ves shouts in gibberish.

"Don't think they understood you either..."

"Some are traders, some... Raiders I suppose. Anyone see them? The tribes mark themselves differently round here. I know most, but they're always on the move so hard to guess who's be here right now.

Come on, if they're unfriendly I want to put some distance between us and them in case they're off to fetch reinforcements. Let's go."

Ves packs up and moves to lead the group out, keeping as fast a pace as they can all manage, and paying attention as best she can as they go. There's not much hope of covering their tracks with such a big group, but at least they will hopefully be able to avoid surprises and find somewhere a bit defensible to camp.

To Kroshav:
"You know your way around out here well enough. If you spot a good camp site or somewhere we can hide out to see if we're being followed, you let me know. Let's try not to worry the others, but I'm concerned about an ambush."

((Dex save from Ves please))

((Provided her talking to him isn't interrupted...))

Kroshav nods. "I'll keep an eye out. Still want me in the back?"

Joe will ready a firebolt, looking around. She's wary of the noises and the group reading attacks. (Sorry forgot)

When Ves warned the group to have their weapons read, Lurn would have unlimbered his mace and shield, but nothing more.

Dex save: 1d20+4 = [20] = 24

Not today, death!!