Johnathan jumps off Spirit and looks around for the monster. When he can’t see where it is he pulls echo out of his pocket and uses his sense to echo locate it. Blast, thought that would work. Johnathan drops the connection after failing to sense it and moves towards Ward. He reaches down and tries to pull the net off his Druid friend. Here, let me get that. We need to find this thing.

Strength check: 19

The net shatters as Johnathan pulls at it, freeing Ward. 

The Thri-Kreen, having set the net down, takes a springing leap and lands next to its blurred partner.  It looks up, scanning the overhead where everyone is starting to look, but doesn't appear to see anything. 

Kerwyn gathers his senses about him and he looks for the creature.  He does see the trail of greenish blood that apparently came from the creature and he has an idea.  

“Ironsides.  You roll forward and I’ll follow.  Track the blood from that thing and flail down the tree that it is hiding in.  Follow it!”

Kerwyn holds his glaive ready in case he sees it, he will throw it if he spots it.  Otherwise he points out the blood trail to Schmoopy Ironsides.  He crouches behind him and follows.

Ape Ward gives a nod and chest bit to Jonathan, and after noticing Kerywn following the creatures rolls his arms back and wild shapes again into a large, green creature looking like a combination of a tiger and panther. Jumping forward Ward will sniff from the blood trail to try and find the invisible creature.

It's easy for Ward, wild shaped into an Eternian Panther, to pick up on the smell of the thing that was leaking green blood everywhere...

Seeing what he was up to, the blurred Thri-Kreen trots along with Ward, while the other one leaps to Ward's side and lays her hands on him, blurring him as well. 

There is another popping sound from high overhead, and a second later a net flies past Delphinium from overhead and falls to the ground without hitting anyone... 

Green Panther starts pointing towards the mushroom tops and starts roaring at them as he tries to get onto the top of the mushrooms as well

Shavaris takes a second to look around, Kerwyn, in really bad shape, Delph, bleeding from their wound, herself, bleeding as well and the nets that this creature flings out like nothing.  This just might be more than they can handle and it is running.  Honestly, she's not even sure they could catch it if they wanted to.  The question remained, do they want to?  She wasn't so sure anymore.  How could they accomplish their mission if they were all dead?

"Guys, do we want to follow it or let it go?  I worry it is too much for us and that we have a mission we do need to stick to.  Thoughts?"  she looks around at her friends, worried for their safety as well as her own - she was starting to enjoy being part of a group, no matter how disfunctional they were, and dispite the situation, she found herself smiling.

After Delphinium throws a few fists into the air and they start to hear it go away the tiny fairy yells out towards the direction it sounds like its going "NEXT TIME SAY HELLO!  DON'T JUST ATTACK PEOPLE!!"  They pause for a little bit and seem to add on as an after thought "TRY SAYING HI AT MEAL TIME!!!  IF YOU APOLOGIZE I'LL SHARE SOME FOOD!!!!" Delphinium listens for a bit longer and looks to their friends trying to gauge what the group will do.  Delph sees Ward is following a scent in their animal form and at Shararis' question the tiny fairy says "Oh, do we need to follow it?  I could fly after it.  I'm not too worried abtou them though we beat them once already.  Oh!  Do you think they will apologize?  I kind of don't want to share food with someone that attacked us but... it just seemed rude not to offer them something if they apologized."

As the creature recedes and the forest is quiet again, a very wounded Kerwyn sits bolt upright, looking like he is listening, and his mouth is moving like he is talking, but nothing is coming out.  

Afterward, he looks at all of you and confirms what you were thinking.  “I received another message.  And replied.  I heard from Greko, these were the words.”  He tilts his head back and the following comes out of his mouth.   The words and ways he speaks - it is apparent these are not his own.

”Hello there. This is Greko the green speaking. The Great Deku Tree is near death. We are trying to save it from the Darkness. Many creatures of evil harbor themselves inside the tree. Gannon and the Darkness are headed to Hyrule Castle, we believe. Darkness itself is hidden in a cart protected from the sun. Good luck on your journeys"

Darkness, Darkness is on the move. Johnathan completely forgets about the monster and stops to listen to the rest of the message. No he mutters as he hears this and looks towards Delphinium. He knew what this meant for them. The bands were losing. The forces of evil are 3 steps ahead of them and no matter what they do it won’t be enough. Johnathan eyes become red as he feels the rage consume him. He felt like this was another kick in the face. How can we win when there is so much going on? Even if we find the unicorn the darkness will just find victories in other areas. Johnathan stops his chase for the monster. He smells it, blood. Blood from his allies wounds and it’s at this moment he starts to realise that they are badly hurt. He calms himself down, remembering that the other bands have a job and so do they. They must find the mare and save it. If the sun is gone, then this would make the darkness win. And there is no way that’s gonna happen.

Johnathan remains quiet as he reflects on what just happened. They were still in great danger and they need to decide what to do. You’re hurt, he looks to the others. We need to regroup, I say leave the monster for now. We have too many injured to fight it properly, we can always regroup. He looks at Delphinium, We won’t let them win. We will find the mare and save the tree. I promise you, we won’t let them win.

Ward sees that the group stopped following and bounds back over to them before turning back into regular Ward. “You say a Great Tree is dying, is there any way we might help or is saving the Mare most important for now? As for keeping watch I would be able to do that whilst you sleep, I cannot transform myself at the minute, but I can make sure to keep anything off of your backs.” Ward says rearranging some things in his bag. 

Delphinium flutters down to join the others listening to the message from Greko.  Delphinium's wings seem to sputter and slow as they listen until then land on someone's shoulder.  They didn't even pay attention to who and it was just whoever was closest.  At the end of the short message Delphinium can't help but say "but... but... it can't die!  That... I don't...." the fun and mirth seems to be draining from them and the normally talkative fairy seems a bit lost for words.  They look around to the rest of the Dawn Guard for words of hope as Johnathan tell the down heartened fairy they will find a way to save the tree and stop them.  As Ward asks if there is a way to save it Delphinium seems to get a bit of hope back as they look to Kerwyn and they ask "Can you send a message to Greko for me?"

Shavaris is glad they have all decided not to pursue whatever that creature was, she's afraid what the outcome would have been.  Greko's news though?  Like a punch to the gut.  It's hard not to let the despair wash over her, but as she sees Delph, she knows she can't succumb to it.  "Kerwyn, you said you replied, what did you say?  We should give them an update on the red bull and kings and Schmedrick and all.  Unless you have already?"  she turns to the little fairy, "what message do you want to send?"

"I want to tell them how to find my mother... she's a druid of that forest.  A really powerful one that worked for the Deku Tree!  She's responsible for the entire southern part of the forest.  If anyone would know how to help it she would.  She speaks the language of the elements too.... I don't really want her or my sister to come out from hiding but...." Delphinium looks really worried and doesn't seem to like the idea of putting their family in danger but says "...a lot more people would die if the Deku tree dies... I'm friends with a lot of the forest.  I know my mom was making a safe haven for creatures and friends of the forest... a place to hide them... keep them safe.  I know where it is... and what someone needs to do to show them they are a friend to the forest." the fairy pauses and also adds onto the end saying "I'd like to ask about my friends from Kokiri village too... I want to know if they made it out safely."

The sky overhead was growing cloudy, and the shadows were lengthening and pointing east.  An eerie silence falls as the Dawn Guard stops to regroup, and it seems like the thing, whatever it was, is gone.  

The Thri-Kreen look nervously around while the band works out what to do next.  The wagoneers have the decency to stop the caravan when they see that the fighting as stopped, and one of the men is ringing his hat while he watches to see what the Dawn Guard will do next.  

“Yeah, uh,” Kerwyn scratched his head and rubs his chin.  “I was so surprised, I replied already.  This thing, you can use it to reply every 24 hours.  I’ll send a follow up message tomorrow.  But here’s what I said.”  He looks at you sheepishly then his eyes get the far away look and he repeats what he transmitted through the Auryn.  

“Hello, this is Kerwyn. We have defeated an evil harpy creature and were just ambushed by some Super Predator” like creature. He are making our way through the mushroom forest and we befriended the myconids. We are making our way to the labyrinth and we believe the mare may be imprisoned there. Good luck to you, we have a fairy with us named Delphinium who is from the Kokiri forest and will be very sad to hear about the Deku tree. If you see any of Delph’s family look out for them. They are very hyper fairies, very distractable.”

He looks over at Delphinium but can’t quite meet their eyes.  All of a sudden he’s polishing his glaive with his rag in his pocket, whistling a tune.  He goes and lies down, exhausted.

During the rest Johnathan will keep watch around the others. While on watch he will remain in Echo’s senses, sensing all creatures nearby with echo location. He remains on the wagon as he do this so that he can keep up with the others while on watch. If the monster tries anything again he will sense it this time. No way they gonna fall for that trick again. What was that thing and why did it attack us? It seemed intelligent enough to mimic talking and knew when to retreat. This thing was a hunter, and I’m sure we will have to face it again. 
Johnathan tries to recall if he ever heard stories of such a monster and how they are killed. It’s difficult because he didn’t get the best look at it with all the invisibility, but he tries anyway. 
History: 15

As Kerwyn answers Delphinium about sending a message the fairy begins to seem anxious and unnerved.  The unmistakable look of someone worried.  Even their normal blue glow seems to dim to nothing.  Delphinium nods to Kerwyn and says with a lack of their normal energy "Oh, I see... umm... thank you for asking about my family.  Can you let me know when the next one can be sent?"  They flutter off after that and go to sit on top of the dawn guard carriage.  Their tiny form made smaller as they pull their knees into themselves and just sit on top of the vehicle.  They don't seem to be looking at anything as they just sit up there.  Thoughts of family, friends, home and worry plaguing their mind.

“Delph, do not worry for your family. If your mother is half what you have described I am sure of their safety. For us, now we must get to the city. We will need a few days to get aquatinted, but after that it seems we will need to liberate this city from its usurper. Rest now, I can recharge once everyone has slept; I need to prepare some other spells. It is time we give our allies a bit of breathing room wouldn’t you say?” Ward says before moving onto one of the carts to keep watch. 

Shavaris watches in silence as the fairy hears of the words spoken to Greko.  As they fly up to land on the top of the carriage, "Wait, Delph!" she calls and tries her best to climb on the outside of the carriage so she can see the little guy sitting on the top.  "Please, Delph, come down with us.  I'd love for you to sit with me while we try and get some rest.  You need healing, that thing hit you pretty good...though I think you hit it harder." she tries to get him to smile a bit, "I'm sorry your message won't get to the other group until tomorrow, but know that that group is doing all they can to save the Deku tree and as Ward said, your moms got this.  Put trust in others friend, you can't do everything yourself."  she hopes he follows her down as seeing him like this is actually worse than the annoying manic fairy they could be.

Seeing that Ward is taking first watch, Shavaris settles into their cart trying to relax and get her long rest.  Worried she's going to dream of the creature that almost killed her.