Marta offers Martha her hand, gives her a firm shake.

"Any warning our clan, anyone that might get in their way, can get will save lives."

She turns and departs with Ula and Hammerdasher, grabbing some cold weather gear and heading off in the direction the others went.

In dwarven she says to her dwarf companions,

"That went about as bad as it could have possibly gone."

By the time trio catch up with the rest she's resumed her half-elven appearance.

((So Von and Sol see a new person.))

Once back she'll wave Soren over for a chat.

Solomona dons several layers of furs, which makes him look even wider than he did before, but still doesn't seem to prevent him from shivering as he prepares to mount his horse.

Yeah, no worries, he says to the elf addressing him and Vonth. He's having trouble keeping track of who's who around here... But they all seem so tense, so they must be kinda desperate. We can help out if you want. Anyway... you guys are the only people I know...

Despite his bulk, he swings himself up into the saddle with surprising ease, and trots out into the darkness to join Vonth and the others.

Vonth...

     Vonth grunts his agreement when Soren suggests they need not go far from the prison—just out of sight, long enough to wait for the others. It is sensible. There is no sign of pursuit yet, no dogs, no shouting, no organized search turning their way.

     “I can help,” Vonth says as Soren speaks of chasing his quarry. “I do not know Uthmere. But I know mountains. And cold.”

     His eyes move over the gathered group, measuring without comment—who looks hardened, who looks soft, who will slow the climb or falter when the wind cuts deep. Old habits. Useful ones.

     He notices Soren’s glance linger on the red tattoos decorating his skin. Vonth makes no effort to hide them. The Ogelellum won the right to bear red through blade and blood. He earned his. There is no shame in the mark, and no goliath of his tribe would ever hide it.

     At the mention of a ship, his thoughts drift briefly. He knows of such things. Has seen them. Some of his people have learned the small boats, fishing the cold waters—but he never did. Stone underfoot is solid, calm, soothing. Water is fleeting, chaotic and unreliable. The idea of being carried upon it leaves him dubious.

     He notices Solomona shivering.

     Without ceremony, Vonth shrugs out of his fur-lined cloak and tosses it over. “Layers. Movement. Food,” he says simply. “All good for warmth.”

     His gaze returns to the others. Some faces he recalls from the first clash. Others are new. Curious—but Soren seems at ease among them, and that is enough for now. Vonth still does not know who most of them are, or why they stand together.

     Time will tell the truth of the matter, as with all things.

The snow crunches under hoof and foot as the icy crust on top breaks easily under pressure. Without even the faint rays of winter sun, the icy wind feels colder in the darkness.

The three soldiers have disappeared into the dark and there's no sign of the Hargroves and their retinue.

After half a mile or so, the lights from the prison disappear behind a hill and the group has little more than starlight to see their surroundings.

Between Avaria and Vonth the lead group is able to find what passes for shelter on the steppe. What appears to be a small copse of short trees and a slight ridge, perhaps from a summer creek, provide a break from the wind and enough protection to build a fire. It’s going to be a cold night, but survivable as long as the group keeps the fire going. Avaria’s a bit out of her element here, but Vonth finds some dried sod under the snow that should work to keep the flames going.

A now you see him now you don’t dust fairy is able to guide the ‘dwaves’ through the dark to the ones who left first.

Soren raises an eyebrow at Marrin and joins her at one side of the fire, near the horses.

"You can call me Jan, by the way.", Jan, looking like Jan says to the two large men.

Avaria tries to let the betrayal of Ethel leave her thoughts but she finds it impossible.  Ethel reminded her of Cookie and she felt the most akin to her because of that.  And she wonders if her leaving her gnome friend all that while ago... if Cookie felt the same way she does now?  But no.. they said their goodbyes and she seemed ok with it, right?  Either way she had to get out of those woods.

Focus.

She turns her mind to work and sees that the goliath seems to know what he is doing.  She follows his lead and helps build a fire by the small shelter they are in.  She turns to Jan, "Do you think this is far enough away from the prison?  I don't want to deal with those guards again... and that warden.  If she had listened to me when I told her not to let those soldiers into the prison, we would not BE in this situation." she practically seethes.

"We'll keep an eye out... If things go awry, K should be heading back to warn us. I know, I know. Things went pretty sideways." she lays her gloved hand on Avaria's arm.

((Pre-emptively leveled Jan, dropping her extra blast damage to extend her connection to K, she'll be able to communicate and make use of their senses anywhere on this plane of existence, and be able to speak through them. Shuffled some spells around, and she gained the ability to fly 3 times a day for 10 min at a pop. Thinking I'll drop fly, though having it means she could let a second party member have flight.))

H-Hi Jan, replies Solomona, his shivering slowly subsiding as they get out of the wind, and some colour seeping back into his cheeks. And I heard them c-call you Ava, right? he adds to Ava. Things were happening a bit fast back there for names and all. I'm Solomona Ata'ata Falavalava from the f-friendly island of Fa'auo. Real good to meet you all, eh. Next time you invite me camping, I'll try to come more prepared. Hehe. The big man's wide smile is almost as warming as the fire, and the his positive attitude makes the recent chaos feel almost like a distant memory (for just a moment, at least).

When Marrin and Soren are bit off the side, closer to the sound of the horses she'll ask him,

"Not to sound ungreatful, you've been solid this trip, more solid that it seems other members can manage, but straight up Soren what is your deal? You're not just a wandering bard."

Persuasion: 21 (min value)

"Good to meet you Solomona.", Jan feels confident saying his first name, at least.

"Next camping excursion, I promise I'll give you more notice so you can pack accordingly.", she flashes a grin.

Vonth...

     Once things settle—once the group gathers and a bare-bones camp takes shape—Vonth sets to work on a small, serviceable fire. He builds it low and tight, mindful of smoke. His movements are smooth, practiced, the kind that come only from repetition across many cold nights.

     When names are exchanged, he listens closely. Each one he hears, he repeats under his breath three times, anchoring face to sound. When it is his turn, he offers no flourish.

     “Vonth of the Ogelellum.”

     Nothing more.

     Afterward, he watches. Listens. Weighs the others quietly—what they carry, how they move, where their eyes go when no one is speaking. He notes skills, habits, silences. He tries to understand not just what they want, but why.

     When darkness falls, Vonth leaves camp.

     He does not sneak away, but he does not announce it either. If asked, he answers simply: he is hunting, and he will return. And so he does—taking whatever the land offers. One large creature if fortune allows, several smaller ones if it does not. He supplements meat with what the terrain yields: edible bark, roots, moss, pine needles for tea. He ranges only so far, careful not to stray beyond shouting distance should trouble find the camp.

     When he returns, he shares what he has gathered without comment. He prepares it efficiently—competent if unremarkable. Food that fills bellies and keeps people standing.

     Through it all, Vonth listens more than he speaks. When he does speak, his words are plain and direct, stripped of ornament. Still, he answers questions when they are asked of him, openly and without evasion.

     When the meal ends and sleep settles in, Vonth turns his attention to watches. He does his best to arrange things so that Soren, Solomona, and he himself each take a shift. He would prefer fewer watches—one of the former prisoners awake through the night—but it will not work cleanly.

     Compromises are made.

     Stone endures not because it is perfect, but because it holds.

Thoradin

Jan:

 Vonth:

 Marrin:

Geffroi sits about as close as someone can get to the fire without actually being in it, shivering most of the night.

Hammerdasher has been quiet most of the night, thinking. He does finally say at one point "Even if they some how get to Ironfang Deep first, there's no way they're getting inside. Korda will be jailed on sight."

To Soren

Marrin sits close with Geffroi, her normally smooth features pinched from the cold. She watches Von with slightly narrowed eyes but doesn't ask him anything, Sol just gets an appraising glance. She doesn't really interact with either of them, lost in her own thoughts.

To Hammerdasher's declaration she responds sourly,

"Unless she doesn't look like Korda and they don't look like Hargroves. Godrick is packing enough magic to make both happen, especially now that they have Ethel helping them."

Avaria does calm at the gentle touch of Jan's hand.  She concentrates on her breathing as she doesn't want to lose control, not now.  As Solomona asks if her name is Ava, she nods and responds, "Avaria." loud enough for Vonth to hear as well.  She has no issue with the two of them joining, in fact seeing how well they carry themselves, it's a welcome addition.  She finds herself glancing at Geffroi as she thinks this, but then feels a twang of guilt.

She's about to voice the same as Marrin does in response to Hammerdasher's remark, but then winces when she mentions Ethel.  Would she really help hide Korda?  But honestly, does she even know the small woman with the scars?  Maybe not.

"I can help us beat them there.  I feel... I feel faster now and I believe I can help all of us move faster than the Hargroves." she says in a no nonsense, almost mystical way.  Almost as if Vonth's stoicism is catching.

Jan nods when Marrin mentions that the party they are seeking to get ahead of may well not look like themselves when they arrive at Hammerdasher's ancestral home. Her mouth twists at the mention of Ethel helping.

"Do we think Ethel has really cast her lot in with Godrick? She could be under some sort of magical influence... or be playing the long con and saw a way to get on the inside."

She turns to Von and Sol, "Speaking of not looking like oneself, ought to mention before it comes up that both Marrin and I have the ability to change our appearances as needed. Just don't want to alarm you if it becomes necessary for either of us to take on another face."

Ava looks down and grumbles, "She isn't under any influence.  She has been convinced by Godrick that they can bring her family back.  You saw her at the island, his magics were already enticing her then."

Jan sighs, but doesn't fight Ava on that. She still holds out hope that Ethel will see her way back to reason, but has trouble understanding the loss that the woman deals with on a daily basis.

Marrin gives Ava a sad look and just nods to her assessment on Ethel.

"As much as I would like to think she is doing a con on the Hargroves, her motivations were always her family."

She gives Jan a less nice look on having her best party trick outed to two complete strangers, but bites her tongue.

She is noticeably in a bad mood, for those that know her.

Vonth...

     Vonth listens to Jan with narrowed eyes, his head tilting slightly as they explain that both Jan and Martin can change their appearance. He absorbs the information in silence, turning it over once, then setting it in place.

     He gives a single, slow nod.

     “Try not to look like someone I want to kill,” Vonth says at last.

It might be a joke.
It probably isn’t.