Big Blake, you're shaken awake by Bryn, who warns you of extra horses before slipping off into the shadow as you're struggling to wakefulness.

Bryn looks around the horse for tracks or other indications of where it’s rider has gone. 

Investigation: 20

As Bryn gets closer, what looked to be splotchy patterns on its hide resolve themselves to be smears of what he suspects to be dried blood, the faint scent confirming his suspicions. The horse trembles a bit as he gets close, but nudges him weakly, turning big eyes to him. Bryn recognizes the Duke's emblem that they'd previously seen on the knights that had passed them the other day. 

Frowning, Bryn leads the horse to where the others are so he can get it some drink and food. Then he goes to find Storm and Ayen to brief them on what he found. 

Ayen takes a moment to wake up, pretty sure he doesn't have another watch tonight. "Wait," he whispers, "don't wake the commander up because of a horse. Did you find its rider?" He also takes his shield and dons it on his arm. Then, he tries to listen, can he hear anything but breathing and snoring? Steps, for example? 22.

Sounds like your unit sleeping. Snoring, farting, the like.

No rider was spotted.

Bryn and Ayen would both note that the horse had run hard, lather and blood drying on it. Had any members of the Foundry treated their mount such, except in the most dire of needs, they would have been busted down to menial tasks for weeks.

"I don't hear anyone. I'll ask Stables to check on it in the morning, but I don't think there's any risk in a horse." Being tired and all, he hesitates before saying the next sentence. "I'm going back to sleep. Shall anything happen, wake me up immediately. In the meantime, I think you can put that horse with the rest of ours. Just makes sure you're alert while you do." He doffs his shield and crawls back into his bedroll. He needed sleep and was fairly confident he'd have heard if anyone was around. If not, there's not much he can do until morning comes, without waking more people up.

Bolt takes next watch. When being woken and informed about the happenings of the night, she wonders... "Do you think, the group of soldiers that we spotted, do you think they have been wiped out by the giants? Maybe this rider fled, injured? Or maybe just the horse got away? They all looked pretty strong. We should be prepared for anything in the next couple of days!"

((how close are we to the giants area?))

Perception for watch 9

Keller... continues sleeping?

((The city the refugees came from you might reach tomorrow evening.))

Bolt's watch is uneventful and Bryn briefs everyone on the arrival of an extra horse in the night over breakfast. 

Storm looks over the new horse but doesn't say anything else. He nods when the group gets ready, and is set to move out. "I want two forward scouts, and see if we can get a scout in the air if possible." He looks over his two squads. "Something is happening and we need to be ready." He is concerned there might have been a fight with the knights that passed them earlier. If something took that force out, then his crew might be hard-pressed as well.

Ayen nods to the commander. "I'll be out in the front as usual."

Perception: 23.

"Red fly up, stay within 100ft of Ayen and fly down to him when you see a fight, giants or a group of people in the distance. Would you like a notice for anything else ayen?" Grandpa says "1 jump on his shoulder will be a fight, 2 jumps means giants and 3 jumps means a group of people"

Red perception: 24

Your day of travel goes by quietly, the new horse seemingly relieved to fall into routine, and follows along unless you run it off.

Ayen spots a smudge of smoke on the horizon in the late afternoon, and Red loops ahead a bit, returning to hop up and down on the scout's shoulder five times.

"Five jumps?" It taken Ayen a moment to do the math. "Giants and a group of people? Go! Tell the others!" He hops the mechanical can understand him as he himself pulls his horn and blows it so only the commander will hear. One long blow, as long as his small lungs hold. Storm know this means "Danger".

Red understands common, so understands Ayen and flies back to the group jumping 5 times on Grandpa's shoulder. Grandpa pushed black to the front where Storm is riding

"Storm, we either have multiple fights ahead or we have both giants and a group of people ahead, my guess would be the second"

Storm, you hear the blast before anyone spots Red winging their way to Grandpa, so you're awaiting his report when he rides up to fill you in.

Verne insists that the new horse be allowed to join them. Well as much as he dare. He mostly just makes suggestions that an extra pack horse would always come in handy, or a fresh set of hooves may come in handy if there is need to send riders off.

Storm would have brought the new horse along regardless. Another mount might come in useful after all.

As he hears the horn blow he glances up sharply, likely drawing attention from the others. As his squad leader fills him in he grimaces.

"Ready yourself for battle." He barks to the group around him. "We will defend ourselves, and aid those we come across." He looks them over with a nod. "We do not pursue fleeing giants, let them go if they wish to run. Any that stand against us go down though. Understood." He sees the agreement in his soldier's response and nudges his horse forward.

Grandpa readies his crossbow on Black, while Red sits back on his shoulder, and moves back to the middle of the pack as they continue forward.