Sirithal’s familiar fails to uncover the mystery of Loki’s disappearance, but Hurdrak’s wary eyes detect movement above. Looking up, there is the silhouette of a hawk circling high overhead.

"We should get moving. It is possible these stoats will rise like Kilmorrow and Erhard. That would not end well," Anspec says, his eyes searching the scene. Perception: 4

Blackbur looks around for a moment, but keeps the momentum of action going

“Who has that feather cape? I think we need to put it on or something to mark this for the owl.” If Blackbur has been notified of the owl, he’ll pull out the feather from before and plant it next to himself.

Whiskers will look around for a place where the entire party can hide from the circling wings of death [Tooltip Not Found] 18

Dixie observes the violent scene unveiled after the bloodshed and reconsiders the extent of butchery the party had to commit. With a haunted look in her eyes she stares at the corpses, chastising herself mentally for blindly trusting ranger Loki. The possibility of getting out of the hunting bird's grasp makes her wonder if they were actually the hunter turned into prey.

"Blackbur, the hawk will start scavenging the corpses right after the moment we leave this place, leaving nothing for the owl. Marking the place might not keep it away, rather it will seem like decoration for a candle-light dinner."

Wisdom (Survival): 19

> "We should get moving. It is possible these stoats will rise like Kilmorrow and Erhard. That would not end well"

Mistral gives an involuntary shudder at Anspec's dire prediction. He hastily scans around for signs of the errant otter's tracks (survival: 16).

“The shrikes knew the owl was boss. Who’s to say the hawk wouldn’t?”

The comment from Blackbur seems amusing to Dixie, naturally she can not help chuckling a bit at the adamantine will power of her friend when being challenged. "Here, take it and do whatever you like!" the ranger untangles the knot of the cape and passes it on then continues, "We need to talk about your previous assumptions about leaving the shrike to die in the spider's den, not to forget the one about ranger Loki and examine why all of these were completely wrong! For now, let's get out of here."

Blackbur recalls the Owl had specified the sacrifice be presented in the Locust Grove, on the tenday, by Dalereckoning; and also remembers the white feather that had been given him at the time, which he still carries beneath his coat.

While the patrol leader and ranger discuss the etiquette of blood sacrifices to greater beings, the Druid picks up Loki’s trail in the snow, leading away. It goes only a few yards before it abruptly ends, marked by a hawk’s feather. This usually means but one thing, though it must be a large hawk indeed to pluck the otter from the ground. (Nature or Arcana check from Mistral, please).

(Nature, with disadvantage for exhaustion: 19, 9)

When Dixie watches Mistral moving away from the party, she follows him to find out what's been bothering him. The scratching mark from the stoat attack is still exposed to the air, and her movement causes some fresh drops of blood dripping out of the wound. She comes to a stand still, trying to cover it with a tiny piece of cloth when she finds him picking up a hawk's feather off the ground. That prompts her to join the druid for observation.

"Does this feather have something to do with Loki? I should've put hunter's mark on him to track down his position during the battle. Who knows what's been going on inside his head!"

Arcana: 20 (rolled with disadvantage)

Mistral can’t shake the feeling that there might be more to Loki’s abrupt disappearance than a simple act of predation, but it is not until Dixie speaks that another possible explanation begins to form in his mind. Druids are no strangers to the concept of shape-shifting, and the sudden appearance of the full moon...

At the same time, Dixie reaches the same conclusion: Lycanthropy... but a Hawk..?

Hurdrak, having cut the tails from the stoats, bunches them up with a bit of rope.  He looks up st the hawk circling and makes a gesture with his arm like he was presenting the corpses to the bird.  He backs away towards the others but keep the hawk in his field of vision.

"Think it's time to leave," Hurdrak says.  He looks about, "where's Loki?"

‘It is indeed time to leave. We’re on thin ice here, and I can hear it cracking around us. Metaphorically speaking.’ rasps Sirithal. Steam wreathes his figure as Ssat'ral returns with its report. ‘Loki has vanished. Likely by choice - no signs of a struggle. We’ve been used in some way…’

Before leaving, Sirithal will check the bodies of the stoats for anything significant - helped by Ssat’ral, and also for any clue of what caused their feral condition…

Dixie has been trying to catch a glimpse of the flying hawk, squinting her eyes to observe the shapeshifter in order to reduce the chance of obscured view when her head remains tilted upwards. When Hurdrak asks her about Loki, she points her finger at the sky and answers, "Loki transformed himself into a hawk". With raged urgency, she hijacks the feathered cape from Blackbur and cries out, "We don't know his intention, so we had better take a cover and wait for him to come down". She grabs the robe of Blackbur and pulls him towards the crack of the boulder previously occupied by stoats, then tries to hide inside while leaving a trail of blood on the snowy ground from the open wound, seemingly reluctant to engage in another fight.

Dexterity (Stealth): 14 (disadvantage)

“He -is- the hawk? How?? And how did he get the password then? That can’t be right.” Blackbur goes with Dixie, but stares up at the hawk.

"Did Loki transform into a hawk...or did the Hawk transform into 'Loki'?", ponders Mistral, before observing with some alarm, "You are wounded, Dixie." 

Dixie has been feeling lightheaded and irritable lately and she wonders if it has anything to do with the loss of blood. She's well aware of the fact that the scent of blood might draw unwanted attention from unfriendly predators if they are lurking nearby, and makes her party an easy prey when they're not at their best condition. She slightly lifts up the wounded hindside and asks Mistral, "See if you can patch it up now? I've been waiting for the party to reach either Tourmaline or the safe house."

Mistral hands Dixie a handful of berries, "Eat these, they will work wonders. Trust me!"

Dixie consumes one of the berries offered by Mistral immediately after thanking him and offering another berry to Blackbur. (Hp restored by 1 point)