The small woodland creatures battle for their very being, unleashing upon the wraiths with all they've got, while Heidi shields her mouselings behind the sled. The specter of Erhard also attempts to steal from Blackbur's vitality, as he passes straight through him with an intense cold, causing an eerie chill on the patrol guardsmouse's nape. Attack: 13 Damage: 10

The specter of Kilmorrow screams as he suddenly dives through Dixie, sending a shudder through her from tail to nape. Attack: 8 Damage: 10 Blackbur moves to distract the undead apparition...

The specters do not succeed in their profane pilfering, nor do they stop, but rather pass through the party and into the trees with the wraiths. Dixie could track them for a time, with her mark, but she knows they could never keep up.

The sky is lightening somewhat, heralding the arrival of what passes for daylight. The twilight of the everlasting rime grants them four hours reprieve, from those soulless abominations who cannot abide the day. The weary patrol suspects the undead apparitions had been fleeing the light, rather than their own prowess, despite their capable efforts.

Hurdrak stares as they flee further out of sight.  He turns his head to the sky and blinks at the daylight.  "We got a few hours.  If that is what comes in the darkness ilof night, let's make haste."

Dixie attempts to make an opportunity attack by throwing her light hammer at the retreating Wraith.

Attack Roll: 15 Damage: 5 Magical Damage: 5

As a bonus action she will try to inflict further damage by her dagger if the undead creature moves close enough.

Attack Roll: 11 Damage: 8(Gamelog) Magical Damage: 4

Dixie's hammer strikes true, but the apparitions quickly disappear into the wood. When she retrieves her weapons, she is surprised to see Erhard's feathered capelet lying in the snow, near the edge of the clearing.

Blackbur keeps his sword tightly gripped in his trembling paw.

”K-keep going!” He urges the others onwards to the respite of town.

"Let's go. Daylight should offer us some safety, if not from the snow," Anspec says, holding his thin blade in a tight fist. He follows Blackbur.

Whiskers, clearly disappointed at not being able to do any damage to the wraiths will fall in line again with the rest of the party as they head back toward the village. On the way back, he ponders what they might be able to do to better protect themselves against the wraiths if they encounter them again. 

Sirithal frowns, looking worried as he watches after the fleeing wraiths.

’Something has changed, something fundamental...’ he whispers quietly...

Dixie picks up the feathered capelate which reminds her of the heroic quests of Erhard, also his dedication for the welfare of the adventurers. She whispers softly recalling his fate, "Poor Erhard! He shouldn't have ventured outside all by himself."

She continues to find out the position of the Wraith that has been marked earlier. The effect of the spell will be gone within an hour which will result in the mark getting fainter with time. Thus she hurriedly searches for any clue left behind, frequently wiggling her nose to catch any scent.

Wisdom (Perception): 17(rolled with advantage)

Whiskers believes his attacks did have at least some effect upon the undead, though the blows passed through the apparitions as though going through water. He knows that as he masters the teachings of his order, perfects control over his body and mind, his Ki, he will one day be able to strike such creatures to full effect.

Sirithal is unable to shake his intuition that something else is in play here, something new... Not Auril, but perhaps something just as dangerous, capable of rousing the restless dead. But who, or what? And to what end..? 

Mistral, too, is troubled by this shift in balance.

Dixie finds neither sign nor scent, beyond the cape. 

Travel back to Lonelywood takes nearly all of the meagre daylight, in their current condition, but they arrive without further delay or horror. 

"Blackbur.. Can it be..? But you are dead?! All of you..."

It is not the welcome any of them expected, upon approaching the Mouse Guard entrance shaft, leading down through the snow pack, to the town beneath.

"Don't be foolish", chides Mistral, not in a mood for games, "You can see very well that we are alive and were successful in our mission. But it was not without a heavy cost, and we have grave tidings to report".

Ranger Fierypaws finds a cozy place to take a seat, preferring not to interrupt any discussion among the serving guards and their captain. But the words of the mouse surprise her a bit. She closely inspects his expression and verbal signs to detect any kind of peculiarities that might have influenced him to make the bizarre comment.

Wisdom (Insight): 16

"Why, exactly, would you assume that? Have there been more of the wraiths?" Anspec asks the mouse who spoke.

Insight: 23

Blackbur bites back an angry retort before standing at attention. 

“Patrol Guardsmouse returning with a successful, albeit extended, mission. As you can see, Healer Heidi and her mouselings are with me.” 

Black it’s fur starts to bristle a bit. “I understand we were gone longer than anticipated, and times are... uncertain. Still, why the assumption that we’re dead? Unless you saw Erhard and Killmorrow!” He snaps his fingers in realization. “They fell on the mission. But we just saw them making a ghostly wail just beyond Lonelybark!”

Sirithal stays in the background for now, watching and weighing...

Whiskers understands why the guardsman might think that him and Anspec were thought to be dead. The monk was not at all sure how long they had been in that cocoon the spider wove around them. He had no clue as to how long had passed since he was last in Lonelywoods.

The Guardsmouse at the entrance seems genuinely bewildered by the talk of wraiths. "No, no. His Eminence had a vision. Your patrol, Heidi and her mouselings. All dead by the talons of some terrible birds. It is good to see you. All of you."

Arriving before their Captain, Trevil listens attentively to Blackbur's report. "Stand at ease. Well done, returning the mouselings to Healer Heidi. Your losses are regrettable, but I am glad you made it back, mission accomplished. Whiskers, Anspec. It seems you have completed your mission as well, though Tenzi the Pika will require further healing, before he can deliver his message."

"I would like all of you to stay here in the barracks, until we get this vision business sorted. The shrike attack... It's just too much of a coincidence. Rest this night and the next, but I fear I will need to send you right back out."

Blackbur scoffs. “A vision... psh... more like a plan. ’His eminence’ is more snake than mouse.” 

"Whatever you had..either a vision or some kind of prophecy remains unfulfilled. You can see it by yourself"- Dixie waves her hands to indicate the presence of the party who are still sustaining the winter in mint condition, only a bit traumatized by the Shrikes' attack. On the other hand, if it was planned, it had certainly misfired. "And I believe this cape belongs to one of the late mousguards"- she puts the feathered cape down while seeming discontent at the thought of death.