With your group's scouring of the area, you find a few more things. You spot a tower cloaked in shadow in the distance, large bird circle over the top. Secondly, the small bits of weapons you find all seem to be of the same make, spears and daggers, both look expensive, you are pretty sure the riders that attacked you used the same weapons. Finally you find more tracks, although oddly they seems to be going in a completely different direction than originally the tracks were moving, instead going deeper into the hills.

Garth stares off into the hills. "Well ain't that odd," he says, frowning. He rests his right hand on the hilt of his sword, rubbing the shiny pommel. After a time, he walks a few paces following the tracks in the direction of the hills, trying to determine the species of the person that fled.

"D'you think the air-men attacked the delegation, and one fled into the hills? Or were these just more hapless travelers falling victim to the riders?"

" Unsure....lets follow these tracks.  We already know whats at the tower."

" This person may be wounded."

He moved to examine and follow the tracks if not advised otherwise.

Survival: 12

Garth glances up into the sky, and rapid movements of his arms signal Aelin to return. "We need to see where these tracks lead us. Your eyes in the sky will help, help me as best you can." He strokes the strange creature's neck briefly before it leaps aloft once more, circling slowly, searching far and wide for signs of their fleeing quarry.

Tracking/Survival: 17 in log (assuming help from Aelin)

After a bit more tracking into the hills, you come across a simple stone building in an outcrop in the hills. It has no outside decorations except for a set of steps leading up to a large stone double door.

Kalhiri, looks puzzled at the stone building. "You'd think they hide in here?" She takes a deep breath and yells, "Aye! Anyone here? We're here to help!"

Pyre-Minder is about to suggest some degree of stealth but the announcement cuts that short.

He waits to see what happens....

Fadi yells almost in perfect synchony to Kalhiri "Aye! Anyone home?"

Garth straightens his shield and walks up to the door, knocking on it with his fist, then calls out loudly. "We saw signs of a struggle against the warriors in the air. We also were attacked and thought you might need aid."

To the others he says, "For all they know we've come to finished them off."

A small panel in the monastery's front door slides open, and someone wearing a golden mask peers out. the mask is fashioned in the shape of a scowling gargoyle, but the hand that opened the panel seems human enough. From beneath the mask comes a female voice: "Yes? What do you want?" 

Garth lets out his breath in an audible, relief plain on his face. A good start: They didn't try to kill us. Bowing his head briefly in respect, he glances into the doorway before addressing the woman.

"We are travelers, and were jumped by some flying idiots who seemed to have declared war on all travelers. After we dissuaded them, we found the site of another battle, seemingly with these same folk, and it looks like a survivor made their way here."

He looks back at his companions as Aelin circles above, then turns back to the woman. "We seek only information about the folk that attacked us, and others that have gone missing on the road."

"You're talking about the Feathergale Knights. Rich idiots who worship the sky." The lady says with disdain in her voice. After a long pause she continues "Don't know about anything else. Go away." 

Garth glances back at his companions, wondering if they want to step in. He knows he's not the most persuasive of negotiators. To fill in time he asks, "So...you've not heard of any strange occurrences hereabouts, and no one from a recent attack fled here?"

Kalhiri steps up to the doors, "We're - ahem - sorry to disturb you," and tries a more careful tack. "Look, we're not entirely sure where we are, what is this place? We've been investigating the disappearance of a group of people and we found that they might have been assaulted not too far from here. A track of someone, who appeared to have survived, led us here. Did anyone pass by recently and - or - sought shelter?" 

The woman seems to be getting more agitated with you all. "No. We don't know anything about that. Go away or you'll face our wrath."

" Face our wrath?", Pyre-Winder says bemused. " People actually say that?"

" They sound as bad as the other lot, lets leave them to their business."

Garth chuckles, "This lot are as bad as that Feathergale lot. To hell with the lot of them, I say."

He turns away from the door warily, then circles at a distance from the hut, asking Aelin to help him recheck the tracks to see if they misunderstood the path of the lone escapee.

Survival/tracking: 23 (crit) in log.

On double check of the route Garth, before you were somewhat confident in the path leading to this building, but now you are quite sure whatever left that fight made it's way here. 

"Isn't it weird how unwilling to talk that lady was? Smells like hiding something, doens't it?" Fadi says, hesitant

Garth nods, "Embarrassed that the Feathergale folk got the best of them, maybe?" With a last glance at the hut he shrugs, "This is definitely a strange land. But we don't seem to be any closer to finding our lost delegation."

"Shall we retrace our steps to the road and keep searching for them?"