While many in the group are still reliving the battle with the trees, Ula (Perception 15) and Ethel (Perception 22) manage to notice a rut in the road that would have likely destroyed an axle and later, just at the edge of the magical light, a loose shoulder that would have taken time to get out of.

After another hour, the group comes to a halt and quickly lights a fire and gets a meal going.

Tas and the merchants are still a little shaken by the encounter, but after the fire has caught and the cold of the night is kept at bay, they begin to relax.

"Bandits and thieves you expect," says Tas. "But not animated, evil trees."

Soren has been lost in his own thoughts and has not said much since the caravan continued on its way.

"Let's keep the fire high tonight," he finally says.

---------------------------------------------------------

There's time for conversation before the others will turn in if anyone wants to chat. Otherwise, we'll try a second round of perception checks from whomever is on watch.

Jan Perception: 16

Jan, not wanting to be without her familiar any longer, calls K'oshash back to her. Either Mister Highhead came through, and her elemental has his letter,  or they'll be paying him a visit next time they are in town to discuss following through on one's word.

She'll debrief K, and bring them up to speed on what the party has run into.

She'll take the early shifts, and trance during the four hours before dawn breaks.

"Honestly, I've stopped trying to guess what I will run into anymore. Bandits and thieves would have been a nice change of pace."

She'll strum out her new tune, testing it out and trying out some lyrics while they sit.

She'll comment back to Soren, to try and cheer him up,

"And burn a lot of wood so they know what we're about, I'm with you."

She'll take the before dawn watch: 15

Avaria, full of unrest after being attacked by a tree, joins Jan in the first watch.  She's glad they fell both of those abominations and hopes not to see another one again.

Perception: 21

K does show up when they are recalled and they have a crumpled and dusty letter with them when they do. From what Jan can gather, K was en route but wasn't making much better time than the carvan was.

The print on the paper is remarkably neat, though the lines are heavy. Gorik Highhead spends much of the opening thanking the part for their help, and cordially invites everyone to attend a re-engagement party if you are all back in town in time (it appears to be a date 10 days from now).

He does apologize that he doesn't have more to share on the Hargroves. He confirms that a ship did come in but that there was more than one Hargrove on board. Godrick, the slim, creepy, bald son didn't speak to any of the longshoreman nor to Highhead. The mother and father, Gillian and William were more talkative and were persistent negotiators in getting a good rate for the berth they used. Shortly after they arrived, a unit of what Highhead assumed were mercenaries arrived. They were all dressed in black. Though there was one splash of colour. Each of them had a crest in the shape of a red hand on their uniforms. They looked dangerous and Highhead kept his distance, but the mercenaries helped unload the Hargrove gear and they headed out right away. He can't guarantee it but he heard mention of riding hard to Icelace Lake.

------------------------------------------------

Soren laughs with Marrin and tunes his own instrument.

"Stick to deadwood if we find any," he says more seriously. "Do not cut anything down from either of the forests."

He looks quickly both to the south and north. Despite the darkness and those forests being miles away in either direction, he still seems to be watchful.

-------------------------------------------------

The night runs quietly until an hour before dawn. Marrin spots two wolves just outside of the campsite. But she spotted them before they got too close and was able to scare them off without too much trouble.

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Morning comes, and despite the fire that has been going all night, the icy cold morning dew has left everyone feeling damp and cold to their core.

"We should be able to make Bezentil by nightfall if we push hard," Tas says. "We run the risk of tiring out the horses and wrecking a wheel, but we won't run into any more of those creatures if we get to the town."

She looks at each of you, hoping you agree with that plan.

Marrin nods to Soren's suggestion,

"I'm not going to get the trees more riled up than they already seem to be."

She'll report the wolves and then agree to Tas' plan,

"Best not to longer. Maybe ask around there if anyone else has run into aggressive shrubbery."

Ethel confirms she is in agreement with Tas.

"How common are those creatures supposed to be in the forest, proper?" she asks of Soren.  "One or two are a manageable threat.  Should we run across a dozen of those monsters, I doubt any of us would like to tell the tale."

Soren nods his agreement with Ethel.

"I don't really know," Soren says. "The Rawlinswood has gotten darker this past year. For the longest time I thought the treants where the only mobile tree beings in the forests. I've never met one, but I spotted one a couple of times, watching me when I made a crossing of the woods. You behave and don't harm the forest and they let you be. Now I haven't seen any this year, but I've spotted a few of these zombie tree abominations across a ravine or down in a valley. I hope the treants are still there. Because if they're not, I don't know how much longer the Rawlinswood will last before it just becomes a place of death and darkness."

Tas leads the merchants away mid conversation, not wanting them to get too freaked out. Though needless to say, they are already completely on edge and all agree to get going as fast as possible to Bezentil.

The wind continues to howl relentlessly into everyone's faces as you continue to travel east. The road slowly matches the rise of the landscape. You almost don't notice it, but anyone looking back the way you've come is surprised by the elevation gain. You've easily climbed 1000' feet above sea level the past few days.

About midday, to the east, you spot two wagons and two horse with riders in the distance. It's several minutes before you're sure that they're coming you way.

Tas pulls out a spyglass and looks towards them. She stays like that for several moments before lowering the spyglass.

"Looks like merchants, but I don't recognize them." She says.

"Not really getting me excited for the shortcut, Soren."

((And if Jan explains what was in the letter at some point.))

"But I guess we don't have a choice."

Marrin squints in the direction of the oncoming merchants.

"Is it a problem you don't recognize them, Tas?"

Ethel echoes Marrin's line of thought.  "Do you know most of the traders on this route, then?  Any chance this is a sign of trouble?"

"Perhaps a few of us should ride ahead and meet them while they are still some distance from the caravan.  On the off-chance they are hostile, it will give the others a chance to react and prepare defenses.  And if they're friendly, we can feel them out for any dangers on the road ahead while still out of earshot of some of our more skittish fellows."

Tas shakes her head.

"No, not everyone, but I know most" she says. "And there are only so many that travel the Cold Road this time of year. A lot of traders have collected what they can and have headed south."

She watches the newcomers approaching for a little while longer.

"It's not likely to be trouble but we should still be watchful."

Soren canters his horse closer and nods at Ethel.

"Ethlehyn has the right idea. A couple of faster riders can greet them and decide if they're a danger or not." Soren says, looking at Ula and Hammerdasher when he mentions faster riders, not apparently seeing the ponies as particularly fleet.

"Well, I am up for a friendly chat. Maybe see if they've passed some of our acquaintances."

She'll look over to the dwarves,

"You two hold down the fort while we're... slightly and momentarily ahead?"

If they agree she'll join Ethel, Soren and whomever else is part of team forward friendliness.

Avaria listens to the rest, still troubled by the foul trees.  She grew up in a forest and seeing one altered in such a way really unsettled her.  After hearing about the letter, she didn't think that the parents would be with him, that was good and bad news.  Hopefully they could rid the world of more Hargroves than they had planned.

Avaria rides up to Soren, "I'll join you up to greet them.  I'm sure it'll be fine."

 Anyone not going (of the four party members) - Soren will go with the group? And how close do you all want to get before stopping to talk?

((Soren is fine come along, unless someone thinks not?

If they look non-hostile as we approach, Marrin would probably go right to one of the outriders or whoever was in front. She'd give a friendly wave and yell "What news of the road to the east? Bit of trouble coming from the west!"))

"I think one of us ought to stay back with the wagons... I'll send K with you. Tell them to "Get Jan." if you need me and I'll come forward."

Jan will instruct K to go invisible and cling to Marrin's shoulder and to fly back to her as fast as possible if Marrin says "Get Jan".

Jan would of course have shared Highhead's letter with the others during some downtime.

((At some point we should open that black, evil box that I had mostly forgotten about.))

"Sure, will do."

Marrin looks down at the dirty patch expanding on her formerly clean shoulder, the only visible sign of her new passenger.

"Yeeaaahh. Welcome aboard muck pixie."

She says un-enthusiastically.

She'll then set off with Ethel and Ava to meet the other caravan.

Marrin gives a friendly wave and yells,

"Morning! What news of the road to the east? Bit of trouble coming from the west!"

A sound like some pebbles enthusiastically dancing down a hill greeted Marrin from her shoulder.

Soren joins Ethel, Avaria, and Marrin as the vanguard.

Whether it's a trick of this part of the road, or a change in the weather, the ever present wind drops to more of a strong breeze as the group approaches the wagon and riders. 

Uniformly gray clouds fills the sky, diffusing the light. But you can all see the always lurking forests miles to the north and south clearly.

Before you get too close to the wagon, the two riders trot their horses forward to meet the group.

The riders, both humans, both with the wary eyes and battle scars of experienced guards or adventurers eye the party carefully, taking a very close look at your clothing.

The taller one, a red-headed woman finally nods a greeting.

"Sounds like the Great Road is giving everyone trouble," she says. "How far are you going? If you're going past Kront, keep an eye out for a group of riders. About a dozen of them. Load of pricks they were."

The other one, a bald man, nods seriously.

"Nearly ran us off the road when we came across them a few days back. All dressed in black with some weird red hand insignia."

"What did you run into?" the woman asks.

They're not unfriendly but are watchful and their hands don't stray far from the swords at their waists.

"You're probably not going to believe it, but diseased walking trees. A pair of them ran after us maybe an off the huge stone cairn."

She looks back in that direction with a shake of her head,

"You're going to reach their husks tonight. We made sure both were dealt with, but there might be more."

She then looks meaningfully towards the distant trees.

"Oh, and good to know about the pricks in black. We heard about them in town actually. One was a woman, looked like (she describes Mamma Hargreave)?"