Zefla listens in silence to the first song, unsure of how to react knowing it meant something so close to the woman.  But as she breaks into the other song, Zefla hums along with her, the uplifting song making the trudge through the misty area much more tolerable.  

She's surprised to see so many wolf prints.  She knows Soren mentioned them when they left this old mansion, but it still gave her the willies seeing them all and how they appeared to follow them.  She walks over to where they appear to disappear, trying to see anything else of note.

Perception:  10

Soren:

Examining the wolf prints, you confirm that while there are dozens of sets of tracks, following them carefully reveals it was the gray wolves from the night before.  They were just circling, doubling back, and generally making a mess of tracks all over the road here.  But when they depart the scene to follow your morning tracks, it is as a set of 8 animals.

From what Zefla can tell, they definitely look to have been following your earlier tracks, at least for a little ways.  No sign of any wolves now.

Ireena shakes her head at Burr's question.  "It has been abandoned since before I was born.  There are many abandoned homes, farms and hamlets in the valley, I am told.  They say that once, in forgotten times, it was safe enough for families to live outside of the protection of towns and villages, but no more."

"You travelers... you come from a land beyond the mists.  Is it like Barovia?  Beset by monsters and shadow?  Or is it as the Vistani claim?  That the lands beyond are full of mirth and wealth?  Like a child's fairytale?"

Quote from Bartjeebus >>

 

"You travelers... you come from a land beyond the mists.  Is it like Barovia?  Beset by monsters and shadow?  Or is it as the Vistani claim?  That the lands beyond are full of mirth and wealth?  Like a child's fairytale?"

Ireena's question stops Soren short for a moment.  He attempts to answer as he re-doubles his pace to catch up.

"Many parts of our land are, beset by monsters and shadow.  We four were serving in the militia for the town of Daggerford, led by a knight and a lady to rally against reported attacks by werewolves emerging from the mists in the nearby countryside - the very mists through which we were pulled to arrive here after catching these werewolves mid-slaughter.  Other areas of forest, mountain, ocean, desert and swamp are known to have fell monsters and dreadful magic.  I myself was driven from my forest home when it was destroyed.  And yet, our home seems different than this land of Barovia."

"We have mirth and joy.  I have heard that some have wealth, though I have never experienced it.  More than anything, it is a mixed world, with at least a little of everything.  But there are no boundaries holding us in as there seem to be here.  No singular malevolent ruler of the land like Strahd.  Not sucked dry of life, at least not everywhere" Soren points at the dreary woods surrounding them, and then up at the clouds.  "And never forget, we have A SUN."

Rousing himself from his stream of consciousness, Soren looks around, a little embarrassed.  He lets the group know that the tracks appear to be from just the the same eight or so wolves, doubling back and forth.  The ones that had tracked them to the haunted house the previous evening and had sat surrounding the house during the night.  Apparently, they had followed the party in the morning but then given up the chase.

Once Soren believes they are within an hour of Tser Pool Camp, he summons his owl Wild Companion.  Nettle settles on the druid's shoulders and gazes impassively at the others.  Her way of greeting.  Both Soren and Nettle begin scanning the woods for threats as the evening darkens.

Soren Passive Perception:  16
Nettle Passive Perception:  18 (+3 and +5 due to advantage from Keen Hearing and Sight.)

Burr nodded sourly as they pushed on, life had been hard back home but there had been some hope at least....there was none here...

“Mirth and wealth?  Yes, Ireena.  Or at least the possibility of mirth and wealth.  Generally, hard work, taking risks was generally rewarded.  Soren sums it up rather well, there is no overlord such as Strahd there that is sucking the land dry and robbing the people of mirth.  Maybe, if we can figure out how to get back there, we can take you with us.  If you would like to go.. maybe even your brother too.”   As he walks he keeps rolling the coin off of his fingers, then he puts it back in its pouch.  He pulls out a coin given by Ismark, and then another from when they started this adventure, and compares the currency.  He walks next to her, showing her.  “See, this is a coin from Daggerford, when we were hired for the werewolf hunt.  This is a coin from Ismark.  The mists hold us in….”  He says, considering, then he starts rolling a coin from each realm down his hands along the knuckles, considering as they walk.

Ireena listens to your descriptions of the Sword Coast of Faerun, asking a few follow-up questions as you walk.

More than an hour later, you are still following the Old Svallich Road without any sign of danger or pursuit.  The sky is beginning to darken, however, and despite Ismark's assurances and consultations with the map, you begin to worry about reaching the Vistani before nightfall.

Up ahead, Soren and Nettle spot something in the road.  A bit of color against the dark mud.  As you approach, you see it is no threat.  You find a mud-soaked doll, her colors bright, her smile sad without her friend.  It is uniquely out of place here, miles from any sign of civilization and lying in the middle of a forest road.

As you contemplate its meaning, a distant voice is heard up ahead.  It is the old woman you encountered briefly this morning, the one with the hand cart.  She must be on her way back to whence she came from the Village of Barovia.  Her cart sits in the road while she has parked herself upon a broad, flat rock just off the path, rubbing her back.  There is no one else around but she is definitely talking, though she is too far away to make out the words.

Burr picks up the doll, " Ireena? Do you know that woman?"

Zefla keeps to the front and side of the group, watching for any threats as they continue moving along.  She hears the rest talk as they move, but she has nothing to contribute, she hopes they won't be in this new area? world? realm? for long.  This just won't do.  

As they reach the doll, Zefla watches as Burr picks up the doll, but doesn't wait to hear Ireena's response on the woman, and continues up to the woman, keeping an eye out for anyone she seems to be chatting with.

Perception  12

Soren stands puzzled for a moment, then dons his wooden shield.  Is she speaking with someone or something we cannot see?

He follows behind Zefla, reaching out to Silvanus' guidance to help him arrive at a natural explanation for the situation.   He begins to look for traces (prints on the ground, other disturbances) of anyone or anything hidden or invisible with whom the woman may be conversing.

Soren's Perception plus Guidance:  21 + 4 = 25

Ireena shakes her head.  "I don't know her, but I know of her.  Morgantha.  A bit of an enigma.  She first appeared in town several years ago, and since then she visits every few months to sell her doughnuts and pastries.  Father didn't care for her.  The townfolk rave about her wares, and some were selling off possessions to Bildrath in order to pay the exhorbitant prices she charges.  Father was convinced she was lacing the food with something, as her customers claimed her pies and cakes made them feel joy, happiness, or the embrace of lost loved ones.  He didn't ban her from town, however, and people have kept right on purchasing her goods."

Zefla continues to walk purposefully toward the old woman.  She gets close enough to hear her say something about the 'Vistani' though there is still no in sight.  Then the old woman hears or senses her presence and startles, wheeling off the rock spryly and taking a defensive stance.  When she sees the halfling girl approaching, she gets a concerned look of recognition on her face, then looks past her to see the rest of the group.  She walks over to her cart and raises her hands to show she is unarmed.

"I seek no quarrel.  Whatever business you have with this land or its master, it is no concern of mine." 

Soren, you don't see anything like prints to indicate an invisible person, but for a moment you would have sworn you did hear a second, quieter voice answer the old woman before Zefla approached them. 

Zefla listens to Ireena talk of Morgantha on her way to the old woman.  She looks around confused not seeing who or what the woman was talking to.

When Morgantha raises her hands to show she is unarmed, Zefla repeats the gesture saying, "We seek no quarrel as well, but I do seek a donut or a pastry if you perchance have one on you?  I hear they are most delicious!"

"Then you have heard right, little woman.  In this forsaken land of cold gruel and stale bread, you'll find nothing like my baked treats.  I do happen to have a few left... the good people of Barovia lack the coin in these trying times to buy all of my stock."  She moves toward the cart and moves to open the hatch on top, but with a side eye toward Zefla.  She keeps her body between Zefla and the cart and opens the lid just enough to reach inside, like a card player peeking at their hand, fearful of prying eyes.

She withdraws her hand from the cart and holds a loaf of sweet bread the size of brick.  "You should try this.  The locals call it 'orechovnik,' but where I come from we just call it a nutty roll.  There are no pecans in this valley, so we have to use walnuts.  It's very good."  She takes a step toward Zelfa but then pulls back the baked good.  "I must warn you... the cost is 1 gp.  Expensive, I know, but it is a luxury.  Its taxing on an old woman to cart these across the land, not to mention the risks to my personal safety.  I'm sure you understand."

Soren:

Zefla watches the woman as she side-eyes her wondering why, but as she almost hands it over and requests the gold, Zefla is curious and she digs out the requested amount.  She hands it over to the woman, "Well, you've got my curiousity peaked, and after the day we've had, I can use a bit of luxury."

She happily takes the sweet bread, and after a large mouthful, asks, "We're hoping to reach a Vistani camp by nightfall.  Do you know if we're close?"

The old one is nimbler than she looks judging by how quickly she jumped off that rock.  And, if she makes this journey regularly and alone with a pack of wolves or worse nearby, she could be tougher than she looks too.  But she is hiding something.

Soren prays once more for Silvanus' guidance as he approaches beside Zefla.  He speaks politely as he and Nettle carefully observe the woman and the cart.  "You already know from this morning that we wish you no harm.  But what do you mean by 'this land and its master' and 'this forsaken land'?  You speak of the good people of Barovia as if you yourself are not Barovian.  Is this not your land too?  Or are you from a different world like us?"

He pauses a moment.  "And who was that I heard answering you as you sat speaking?  Is it the one inside the cart?  Did they lose a doll?"

Soren's Insight plus Guidance:  20 (dirty) + 4 = 24

Burr regards the old woman with hooded eyes, why is she not more frightened being out here alone.....

Still he says nothing, simply looking ahead eager to be off the road before night.

Giles walks up slowly to the scene and fans out to the side of Zefla, Soren and Burr, his hand up to his chin as he regards the old woman.  (Perception 15).  When he hears Soren mention a child in the cart who may have lost the doll found in the road, he straightens up.  Since he has an angle to be able to see the cart, he quickly casts a mage hand to move forward and pull back the curtain on the cart so that what is underneath is visible and bring this out into the open.  “Please be forthcoming with us… it has been a long day and honestly we don’t have time for it.  Is that a child in your cart?  Why?”

Burr swings around as Giles speaks, raising his maul to his shoulder, eyes suspicious as they regard the old crone.....

Zefla, the nutty roll is exquisite.  This must be the sort of thing little princelings are served after their suppers in high castles.  Its rich without being too rich and you feel like you could eat this whole thing by yourself if nobody stopped you. 

Relaxing ever so slightly, the old, squat woman nods at Zefla's question.  "Yes indeed.  The camp of the Vistani isn't much farther now.  Just around the next bend.  Be wary of those folk," she says with a wry look.  "They are not your friends.  They serve themselves first, the Darklord Strahd second... and then probably themselves again third," she adds with a laugh.

As Soren begins peppering her with questions, the raises a hand as if to beg off any answers, until he asks directly about someone in the cart, someone losing a doll.  She freezes, her eyes widening just a touch.  "A... a doll?  Someone in my cart?  Are you daft?  There's no on in my cart.  That's crazy." 

Soren:

 She backs away from Zefla, closer to her cart.  "I think I should be going now.  I'm not sure I feel safe with you strange folk."

Just then, Giles conjures his mage hand and throws open the lid on the cart.  Up pops a young girl, not more than five.  Her brown hair is frizzy and uncombed and she looks hungry, despite riding inside a cart full of pies and cakes.  She spots the doll in Burr's hands.  "Maisy!" she says and points at the floppy doll.

"Wha-wha-whaaaat!?" the woman hollers in surprise.  "How dare you, interlopers!"  She takes a long, deep breath.

When she speaks again, the nervous old woman act is gone.  "This is none of your business.  This child was assigned to my care by her parents.  She will come with me, and she will help me make my desserts.  If this concerns you, take it up with the parents who sold her for a huckleberry pie."  She glares at Giles.  "All of you, back off now.  I will be on my way, and she is staying with me."

Burr began to march forward, the doll tucked into his belt and his maul raised, " How much do the pies cost? Surely we can offer a like price."

His face indicated he really wanted her to refuse....though part of him was worried as to why she was so unconcerned travelling alone in this terrible place...

Intimidation: 21

Truly enjoying whatever the heaven was in her mouth, she almost doesn't hear what happens next.  When her new friends start accosting the woman that sold her the best thing she had ever eaten, she stands between them, not seeing the mage hand.  

"What are you guys doing?  Why are you so rude?  I mean, she even told us where we are heading... wait, so the vistani serve this guy Strahd?"  She says this last part turning back towards the woman.

But as the child is revealed and the woman's demeanor completely changes she holds up her hands, one still holding the sweet bread, "Now wait a second, I could care less about the child and whatever customs you crazy people have here, but why the act?  Why pretend you're this nervous old woman when you are so clearly not?"

Insight  11