Caledon rushes to the horses looking for any signs of what happened to the rider/riders.  

 “I would love to eradicate gobs but perhaps we get our delivery completed first, don’t wanna enrich goblins with our employers supplies.  Nephira, Cressel, Latimer, do any of you require some more healing or should we find a place to rest a bit?”

Caledon gathers any loot he can see worth a silver or two.  Retrieves his hammer.

Cressel - You comb through the surrounding area with ya wizard eyes and ears. You do not discover any more goblins, but you do discover a much-traveled path leading north into Neverwinter Wood. You cannot determine how many goblins may have passed this way, but you recognize goblin tracks.

Nephira - You draw back the lip of a dead goblin. Its teeth are larger than you would expect and bear the signs of being chiseled into serrated weapons. There are crude runes carved into these teeth - likely in goblin-speak - but the teeth and the warcry are enough to confirm these were in fact from the Cragmaw Clan. Strange. 

You cannot recall much about the clan itself, but you do know that goblins are naturally impulsive and often lack organization. These goblins would not likely have put up such a fight unless they were frightened into obedience by something or someone fierce. 

Caledon - The horses are unremarkable. They carried enough supplies for two riders, but they have been pilfered or spoiled by exposure. What interests you is a discarded leather scroll case. You turn it over in your hands. It bears the seal of Rockseeker & Co. 

[+1 Scroll Case]

Searching through the corpses, you discover (4) goblin scimitars worth probably three silver each (the cost of the iron), a considerable amount of bird bones, rodent bones, and other goblin rubbish. Lastly, you discover a very smudged, very grimy piece of paper with a drawing of a familiar looking dwarf, likely to help the goblins identify their quarry. 

It is now midday. 

[You may draw the wagon to the side of the road and rest here for the night, explore the trail leading north, or continue on to Phandalin which you ought to reach just before sundown.]

Looking down at his arm, he looks to Caledon, "Uh, I could use some healing, unless we're planning to take a rest. Nephira, there seems to be a trail leading north with Goblin tracks. I'm all for making things safer for future travelers." Watching Caledon search the horses, "Any sign of the riders?"

Nephira, hearing Caledon's sensible words, swallows her infernal lust for revenge. She nods in agreement. "Fair enough." 

Even as she says the words, she can't help but find herself examining the goblin foot path, marking the location in her mind, determined to return here once their task is complete.

 With her eyes still on the path, she responds to Caledon's offer while pulling the arrows out of her body. "I've seen better days, but I should be well enough to move on without healing... As for rest, I leave that choice to you folk. I'm itching to get where we're going, but if you all got needs, I'm happy to oblige."

Quote from MAOShea >>

(DM: Anything I need to roll for marking this location in my mind? Just for the fun of it, here's a roll for Survival: 17)

(Good question. You will all be able to identify this location again.)

Caledon reaches out to both Nephira and Cressel using lay on hands to restore 2 hpts to each of them.  “I’m afraid our mission has a new sense of urgency.”  He shows the Rockseeker sealed scroll case, “I can only hope Gundren and Sildar survived their encounter and made it to Phandelin, otherwise I will be returning to find and hopefully rescue them.  I speak for myself even though I sincerely hope you all feel the same, and that we stick together.”

He also shows the goblin picture, “It seems they were targeting Gundren or perhaps this is me?  A little hard to tell.”

As Caledon is about to heal Cressel, he braces himself and quickly uses mage hand to pull the arrow out of his arm. The holy energy washes over him, and he pops back up, moving his arm around testing it. He breathes out a sigh of relief, "Thank you very very much Caledon." 

Caledon's words at first have no meaning, then his mind catches up to what he's heard. "What?! The Goblins could have Gundren and Sildar? Nephira, can you see any tracks heading to town? Of c-c-course I'd come with you Caledon, they are our employers, and I would not leave them to these foul creatures, nor would I allow you to go alone."

At Cressel's prompting, Nephira examines the tracks along the goblin path carefully to see if there's any indication that goblins left this location with prisoners...

She's also going to search for tracks along the main road that might suggest Gundren and Sildar survived their encounter and continued toward Phandalin.

Nephira - You can tell by a half footprint that at one point Gundren must have taken a step of his own free will and a sweeping mark near the edge of the path could be a movement made by Sildar with a longsword. There is old red blood, which differs from the black goblin blood. Someone was hurt. But the goblins made attempts to cover up signs in order to set the ambush. Perhaps Gundren and Sildar escaped into the woods or down the road to Phandalin. There's nothing more to find here.

A new breeze exhales down the path. Latimer watches the treetops shiver, the grass sway, and he bows his head for a silent prayer. The breeze seems to wrap around the party a moment before dying away. Latimer returns to the wagon slowly, speaking as he does.

"The signs are not clear. Phandalin or goblins? As a servant of Akadi, I am graced with a small measure of her influence upon the Weave. I... I need to rest and meditate on the winds before her healing power is available to me again, but if the goblins have Gundren and Sildar..." he trails off, shaking his head. "There's no knowing how much time we have. I will follow where you lead, friends."

Caledon makes his decision known he would like to rest in Phandalin tonight ASAP, but if it is necessary he will comply with a majority decision, with some grumbling and dirt kicking.  If he had any liquor left it will be finished off quickly.

As Nephira finishes studying the tracks, the addresses her companions.

"From the tracks, it looks like our employer definitely put up a fight... Whether or not he survived, escaped or was taken hostage, I can't say..."

She looks up, turning herself fully to the others. "I'm with Caledon. Without knowing for certain that they were taken, I don't think it's worth the risk to pursue. Let's set our feet to Phandalin in haste, deliver the goods, see what we can learn of Gundren and Sildar's fate... Then return prepared to enter the hornets' nest if we must." She looks to the others for their response.

Considering all of the information. "Yes, I have to agree, I feel quite drained from that scuff, we will be able to do our best work once we've taken care of the shipment and the oxen in town. Then if the worst has happened and Gundren and Sildar haven't made it to town, we can head back here and follow the trail."

With that, he'll walk back to the cart and get the oxen to move up to the rest of the group. "Would anyone else like to lead them and rest, I can walk."

Caledon will lead the oxen, “Carrots and apples for you two good bovine, never mind those horses.  Ya ya get em up now...”

Handing the reins to Caledon, he'll hop down and walk slightly ahead of the cart on the left side of the road.

Nephira prepares to resume her position slightly ahead of the others, (Let's say just 30 feet this time). As she moves into place, she looks for an opportunity to address Latimer away from the earshot of the others, saying, "You saved my life." 

No "thank you." Just a direct statement of fact. In fact, there's a coarseness in her voice and  fierceness in her eyes that's almost... accusatory.

Nevertheless, she manages a respectful, appreciative nod, then immediately averts her eyes, moving into her scouting position and continuing on the road ahead.

And so the party continues down the Triboar Trail, troubled but resolute!

The sun draws near the horizon before you catch the first glimpse of Phandalin.

The rutted track you travel emerges from a wooded hillside, and you see it in the distance. The town consists of forty or fifty simple log or wattle and daub buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. More old ruins—crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars—surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside at the east side of town. (I am adding this map to the public notes on our campaign page for later convenience).

There are still a fair number of people coming and going through the street and sidetracks, visiting neighbors, tending to business, or silently watching the four new strangers trundle into town. 

Everyone roll a Perception Check.

Nat 20 (24)

perception 5

Caledon looks for business signs or hopefully either Sildar or Gundren.

Latimer's Perception: 18