Mercy sizes up the group. "Okay, I'll bite. Why help me? I'm off to kill some monsters. Think you're up for it?"

Quote from Adaxter >>

Mercy sizes up the group. "Okay, I'll bite. Why help me? I'm off to kill some monsters. Think you're up for it?"

 “Well, we were hired to, but besides that, why not really? As the King of Heroes, endless glory is fitting for myself alone. The world and those beyond should know my name. Saving a town is an excellent step toward that goal.”

Luthok marches up to Mercy and tries to pull her in the direction of where they came from.

"You are not doing any defending today lassie! I am old, I am tired, and I am not in the mood for heriosm. You're coming back to the village right fricking now, so i can go back to bed!"

The dwarf is clearly serious about the matter of getting his beauty sleep. And it looks like he needs it...

(well, okay then)

As Luthok approaches, Mercy snarls and turns tail to run into the woods, disappearing into the shadows and moving entirely silently. 

Stealth: 24

When Mercy dissapears into the darkness Luthok sighs. 

"Ugh. Why does everyone have to make everything so bloody hard. FINE! You win lassie.  Lets go huntin' some gnolls. Aye?" 

Dyoken runs with Mercy into the woods, following closely behind. She can't hide from him while she's being observed, but he doesn't make any attempt to stop her. In fact he had asked her to lead the way.

Dyoken is as stealthy as ever laughing loudly as he stomps through the brush.

After a bit of useless bobbing and weaving, Mercy turns around. "Right," she pants, "I'm not getting rid of you, am I?"

She tucks the slim dagger back into her sleeve. "I'm hunting gnolls. The one I want is a big bastard, notched ear. You wanna help?"

As Mercy disappears into the darkness, she hears a voice next to her.

"There you are!"

Mercy looks down to find a wide-eyed energetic kithkin at her side, keeping pace with her. "We've been looking all over for you! I'm glad you're safe, are you all right?" The kithkin walks silently with her, stepping over small branches, tiptoeing around leaves, and managing to somehow be as quiet as a mouse even while speaking to her.

Without waiting for an answer, Merrick grabs the tiefling's hand. "You don't look hurt, but I'm no expert, Luthok is really good at knowing this kind of stuff. He looks scary but don't worry, he's all bite and no bark, as my nana says. Hey, that's a nice dagger. I have one too, but don't use it much.

"People are worried about you, you know. That poor old man was crying looking for you. I promised him I'd help, and Gaddock said it was important. It broke my heart to look at him like that. We should tell him you're okay. Are you hungry?"

Merrick pulls a biscuit out of his pouch and offers it to Mercy. 

"Oh so rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Merrick. The big guy tromping around behind us Dyoken. Luthok is the dwarf, and Muireach is the elf. He has a really cool talking blade named Caligula. And there's Vivi, we helped her too. You're Mercy, right?"

Merrick appears to be forthright and completely without guile.

"Oh, wow. You don't even take a breath, do you?"

Mercy looks at the ragtag bunch of unnaturally helpful adventurers. "I suppose I could use a hand in tracking the bugger down. I've been at this for days, now, and I can't seem to land him. Everyone in the village is either off praying or burying their heads in the sand, but someone's gonna wind up dead. Sooner than later, I'd bet, too."

She sizes up the kithkin (who isn't that much shorter than Mercy's 5 feet) and says, "Do you have any ideas where we might find him?" 

The party remembers that the elder told them the big bad gnoll leader seemed to be making the ruins of the old village into its base of operations. Mercy has visited this location many times whenever she needed space from her overbearing father. It's located just a bit west of the river (aka up on the map).

Mercy, you have some extra knowledge:

Here is the map elder gave you guys:

Muireach follows up, “Not even close on the name there, Merrick. Good try. Anyway, Mercy, it just so happens that killing the gnolls was our second mission. They’ve made their camp, eh... that way.” Muireach vaguely gestures North, “So, what do you say, interested in killing them all?”

 "Yes, we were actually expecting to find you in the ruins." Dyoken adds, "That is where we expect we'll find the head of this pack." 

Mercy shakes her head. "That's where I'll find him. You lot are free to come along, but that thing is mine to take out." She hefts one of her curved swords and attempts to cut a dramatic stance. "It's... my destiny."

Muireach nods approvingly, “Can’t argue with destiny. I look forward to seeing you attain your own glory. I feel like you could aim higher, but baby steps, baby steps.”

 "I'll hold 'em down for you." 

Merrick nods at Muireach. "Yes, the last time I got in an argument with Destiny, she talked so much my head spun! I think it was about whether dandelion wine is stronger than beer. She started reciting all this stuff about specific gravity and boiling points and stuff like that, I couldn't understand half of what she said. I didn't know you knew her too! Did you meet her at the Angry Harpy?"

Muireach blinks, astounded that the halfling can still confuse him, “... Yep.”

As everyone is conversing and sharing strange stories that had equal probability in happening or not, Vivi holds out an arm suddenly for everyone to stop. She points to the clearing ahead of you and presses against one of the trees. If you look where she pointed, you find three gnolls and a large, canine creature walking with their bows at the ready. They don't seem to be tracking anyone or anything, but they do seem alert. They are roughly 60 ft away.

What do you do?

 "Let's 'sneak' up on them." Dyoken suggests as he draws his weapon, and starts moving out into the open.

"Can't promise he won't perish to some breathing problems before you can snuff 'im Mercy-girl"

Luthok grips his staff tight and follows Dyoken.

(I presume that the 10 minutes of Luthoks Symbiotic Entity class feat from the previous combat is finished by now)