The cackling turns Utar's head away from whatever daydream he had been in, "That doesn't sound good."

Knowing the nature of hemocraft as he did, the sudden and uncomfortable change in atmosphere hadn't truly register as a concern for the stoutling. Though he does nearly fall over from instinctively trying to steady himself on his bad ankle, the pain and awkward moment almost immediately get pushed aside as he watched with wide-eyes the rapid transmutation of Pipyap. Confusion soon turns frustration as he looked about the immediate area, and strained just about ever sense available to him in trying to pick up physical traces of the hag.

-Perception: 29.

Even if he should find any however, proving to himself that the distant cackle was little more than misdirection, the stoutling could think to do little more than point and growl in the direction he sensed her. But in the event he she wasn't or he failed, the stoutling would still let out a long, exasperated sigh before motioning for Denae to hand back the last parchment. After all, his supplies were limited at best. Left to his own devices for the next couple of minutes, Doozey eventually passes the parchment off to whoever happened to be closest (likely Denae, if not Utar) at the time, before attempting to pick up Piyap's shrunken form and half-heartedly study it.

The note reads:

||It's the hag. I should've figured when I felt the wind stir up as it did earlier. But much like the day before that other Half-Orc bastard assassinated Utar, I ignored my instincts, and-|| The rest for a while trail off into scratched out words and several half-starts before the halfling eventually finishes the passage with. ||If I had to guess, she was either being annoyingly petty in coopting the pact or making certain since he was bound to me that he too wouldn't escape unscathe from my deal with her. Either way, I'm not learning much more from him anymore. Maybe.|| 

"I think it also is her unique way of letting us know she's watching."

Among all clear signs of powerful magic surrounding them, it is the distant cackle that gets Utar's and Neya's attention. Denae joins in to remind everyone: "We are in her territory, and we are not doing ourselves any favors by still carrying that sharp hair pin along." The half-elf is then interrupted by Doozey, who is attempting to pass her yet another piece of parchment (even if it is the same one being passed around several times).

Denae reads it and passes it on to Utar, who, in turn, passes it to Neya. "No use worrying too much about it now. What is done, is done." She points to the newest figurine to join the hunter's collection. She then turns to face the two villagers, who are now shivering and crying silently. One of them, a red-haired man in his early thirties, finally breaks that silence a minute later, resuming those frightened murmurs they have been uttering. "More... witchcraft," he sums up what he just witnessed. Denae clicks her tongue and updates her proposal: "I guess I'll escort these two back to Serelis now. No point in inviting the imp anymore."

"You are a powerful lot," Seranolla adds from the background. "I am glad Phlan can count on you."

Ignoring the old tree whisperer's comment, or perhaps failing to hear it altogether, Denae continues: "I'll catch up to you. If anyone wants to wish me best wishes, now's the time."

@Doozey: There is no clear visual cue of the witch's presence in your vicinity.

"Good luck, Danae. Stay safe."

Utar shoulders his pack again and looks ready to make way with the other two CRAPpers towads Greenhall.

"See you when you are able," Neya nods as she bids Denae luck.

Doozey sort of does a double take at Neya, prior to then quirking a brow as if to ask, <Wait! You're still carrying that thing around!?> Yet he could no more deny Denae's claim of what was done being done than he could deny his own lapse of judgement over the past several hours! So instead, he lets out a soft sigh in acceptance, before giving Denae another small but thankful smile.

At Seranolla commentary Doozey immediately grumbled and huffed, not seeming really to believe her words in their entirety. But with a growl from Biscuit practically right in his ears, Doozey grumbled again before relunctantly bowing his head to Seranolla in apology. In the next moment Biscuit snatches Doozey up by the back of the collar and practically throws the halfling onto his back in his eagerness to be well and truly gone from far too unnerving area.

"We should probably try and find out how to best unload ourselves of the pin, then." She contemplates the best way to get rid of it..

Intelligence: 11 (if arcana applies, +8 more) (11)

DM's Screen:

@Neya: With all the indications pointing to the pin being used as a scrying focus or something similar, you figure a simple approach to dealing with it would be to leave it behind. Perhaps you could throw it as far as you can manage, or bury it somewhere along the path ahead? Figuring out a way to break it or disenchant it is probably not worth your time.

Denae accepts the goodbye wishes and waves at Seranolla: "I haven't known you for a long time but it is clear you are a good person. Thank you for protecting the people of Phlan." The old gnome smiles in response and wishes the half-elf a good trek. Denae then leads the two rescued prisoners up the narrow animal trail that serves as a path back to Serelis's place.

Seranolla offers one more simple farewell wish to CRAP, including a last minute scratch behind Biscuit's ear, and sends the group off. The next several hours are spent traveling down the path to Greenhall for a second time. The area's eeriness persists, but CRAP has been in the forest for a few days now, so it begins to feel normal, expected. Before the end of the day, the group reaches the spot where they fought the displacer beasts, before they went off trail on a hunt. CRAP instinctively takes a pause, as to consider options.

(OOC: If you'd like to continue down the path toward Greenhall instead of going off trail again, we can safely fast-forward to the end of the day proper and begin long-resting. If this is what you want to do, feel free to roll for your watches.)

OOC - I think that was the decision Doozey made at the Seranolla clearing.  I don't think Utar is going to offer an alteranative view to the halfling on this.

Doozey's Usual Watch Time: 24.

(And unless Denae shows up just before making camp or here's Biscuit's roll during her original watch time.)

-Biscuit Watch: 10.

Doozey remains adamant about sticking to the path, though would suggest to Utar before the group rest to distract himself with some sending. Perhaps to better instill a warning about the hag's renewed interest in him, or even inform someone important back in the city about the current tenuous nature of the Pact? Regardless, the ranger sets about installing the usual alarms, has his supper, and eventually goes to bed hoping the fey and forest would be kind that night.

As the group travels towards Greenhall, Neya takes a moment to take Jeny's bone hairpin and chuck it as far them as possible.

Throw pin: 17 (Thrown as if it was an attack, if other modifiers apply instead (these are relative to attack modifier); athletics/general Strength: -10, general dex: -4)

Watch: 5

edit: rolls

Sensing perhaps only the smallest amount of hesitation when the group reaches the spot where CRAP fought the displacer beasts, Doozey preemptively reminds the group that he is not going to deviate from the path this time. This brief reminder is, however, already enough of a break to give Neya an opportunity to do something she has been waiting to do. Wielding it like a throwing dagger, the Sister of the Silent Wood chucks the bone hair pin into the dense forest as far as she can manage after many hours worth of walking. Unseen critters scurry away wherever it was the pin landed.

Understanding Doozey's position on the matter, Utar then leads the team onward. Later that day, once time to camp is upon the party, the halfling prepares his usual wards while Utar raises the simplest of camps so the group can pick up an go swiftly, should the need arise. Neya volunteers for the first watch.

@Neya: The beginning of your watch period is as quiet as it can be. So much so that you can't help but get lost in your own thoughts instead of focusing on your surroundings. What if you had disposed of the bone pin earlier? Would the hag be able to stay one step ahead of the party for so long? What if you had brought up her captive villagers sooner? Could the party have sacrificed less and still achieve their goals at the witch's clearing? As overly self-critical as this train of thought may be, it nonetheless ends up eating away at your attention during the next couple of hours. By the time you decide to pass on the baton, you notice your lack of attention came at a cost, even if a relatively affordable one: one of your quivers is six arrows short of the number it last held. Those flying little fey buggers must be at it again.

@Doozey: During Neya's watch, your alarm mentally warns you of little thieves coming to pilfer the camp. If you choose to wake up, you and Neya quickly determine that some of her arrows are missing.

(OOC: Pausing here to let the group react. In the meantime, @MB can roll for his watch.)    

As much as Doozey wanted to growl, grumble, or even mutter a curse, too much training and natural caution instead compelled him to feign being asleep for a few moments before sensing things to be safe enough to get Neya's attention. And together they make that leaves the stoutling at least mildly annoyed, and only briefly reconsidering setting up wards in the future. However, if Neya still had a look about her of being troubled, Doozey offers to stay up a little longer and hear her out, if nothing else.  Otherwise, it's right back to bed for the stoutling, mumbling something about "rabawy rabbims".  

Utar's watch: 13

Neya is only slightly annoyed at the loss of her ammunition. This entire journey through the Quivering Forest has been nothing but a downward spiral ever since they took their first step. The theft of the arrows are just one more inconvenience in a string of poor circumstance.

Minor annoyances waved away, both Neya and Doozey return to the task at hand. The halfling goes back to sleep and the human finishes off her watch. Utar is up next.

@Utar: You stand vigilant at the edge of the small campsite, your silhouette barely visible in the flickering firelight (assuming the group opted to light one). Armed with a mace at your side and a shield strapped to your arm, you scan the surrounding forest with sharp eyes, listening intently for the rustle of leaves or the distant sounds of wildlife. The latter doesn't happen. The campfire crackles softly behind you, casting faint shadows on the ground, while tents and/or bedrolls cluster nearby. Alert and steadfast, you remain ready for any dangers lurking in the night. Luckily, they don't seem interested in you this time around.

Next, Biscuit has a big boy moment and is trusted with a watch turn of his own. No loud boofs are uttered and no wards are broken. By the time the mastiff begins to lick his master awake, Doozey notices that Denae must have rejoined the group at some point after his brief check-in with Neya. She'll have to deal with what will end up being a short resting period for her this night. The halfling then commences his own watch.

@Doozey: Half-expecting tiny fey creatures to come for your sling bullets or crossbow bolts, you keep a close eye on your surroundings. However, it seems the forest has decided to grant you a boring two-hour window. You spend your time mostly tending to the fire, which includes letting it die just at the right moment when it seems to you that the morning is arriving. It is hard to tell in this dense, magical forest.

As the group begins to prepare for their departure, Denae rises is a somewhat sluggish manner. She soon recovers, but it is clear that she got less sleep than would have been ideal. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen." She yawns. "Time for us to keep going."

(OOC: Would you like to do anything before proceeding?)

Rolling Hit Dice for Denae: 22 

Deciding it is simply best to keep on moving at this point, CRAP picks up camp quickly and departs. The second day of walking down the faint forest trail is not arduous. Each day within the Quivering Forest adds a bit of familiarity with the place to each CRAPer's experience log. A full blast of sunlight and a clear view of the sky would still be beneficial, but the constantly dim environs of the enchanted forest don't seem as nefarious as they did upon first entry. Whether this gradual familiarity will prove to be an asset or a peril is still to be determined.

Before the end of the second day of hiking, as evening falls, you enter a wide glade of surpassing beauty surrounded by a ring of tall trees. Small shelters have been built half way up, accessed by spiraling staircases that circle the thick trunks of the trees. A handful of elves meander about daily life here. Upon seeing you, some of them call out in alarm and flee into the shelters while others grab weapons and head in your direction. They stop 30 feet away from you and spread out, before one calls out in Elvish.

-> If you can understand Elvish, feel free to read the spoiler below:

 This welcoming party consists of eight elves in total. They are clearly intending to deter you from entering the village.

Despite not understanding the eloquent sounding gibberish streaming from the Elves mouths, Utar understands the body language. Hoping that someone else might translate our failing that, somehow diffuse the situation, Utar tries to help by not reaching for his weapon, yet.