Assuming Crowbeak has pointed in the direction of the settlement, Kiafra will take one last look around for the former pirate mentioned by Vaalsh.

"Can't wait forever. Perhaps he wasn't interested in getting involved and left", he says as he searches for sign of them. If he sees and hears  nothing, he will head off as directed.

Perception: 13+7=20

The smaller figure with the cart tenses up, the one being born from the raven sighing and fluttering off. "But, wait! Wait! I... I..." The shorter figure covers its face out of embarrassment. Upon closer inspection, the cart is stacked high with corpses of various sizes. Seems the support wasn't too great, some bodies are strewn on the forest floor marking its trail. Suddenly, the cart rumbles, a small, purplish flame rising out of it as a voice echoes. "All right, nothing to see, stranger! Move along if you know what’s good for ya!" 

Kiafra, the clutter going on in the woods does raise your attention. It's fairly difficult to see... but in the distance, you can see a small shred of flesh at the start of the trail into the woods. Nothing special about it... something's not right. To your senses also comes faint voices. One of them familiar! The other... not so much.

Kiafra's keen senses spot the flesh at the start of the trail and he steps a few paces toward it before he starts to hear the voices.

"I think he went into the woods, I can hear him talking to someone. Someone I don't recognise, although that doesn't say much. Best check it out just in case", he says to the others that are waiting, before resting his warhammer on his shoulder and starting to jog over to see what is happening.

Bryskin grins and holds up his hands, twisting them in the air. He casts prestidigitation to chill the corpses, and thus the flame, snuffing it out if he can. 

Vaalsh nods to Kiafra, hefting her backpack and gripping her staff. Seems like the woods was where they would need to go to reach the witch anyway, so no time like the present. She follows the halfling to the trees. When she first sees the sign of the corpses, she keeps a disgusted distance. What was going on here?

Seeing the others head off towards the commotion in the woods, Flèche raised an eyebrow, then cautiously followed.

Bryskin, as you cast the spell, the purple flame dissipates for a small moment, before reappearing in a puff of hellish flame. That's no ordinary flame. "It's not polite to try and snuff out a soul, you know." The figure huffs, making itself fully visible. It... looks like some kind of... gremlin? No.. no... she's just short. However, that black funeral dress and pale, doll-like face are still out and available.

Kiafra, and to an extent, Flèche, the scene unfolds before you. A small woman dressed in funeral attire and the former pirate.

Not realising what is happening, Kiafra simply calls out to Bryskin.

"You coming to see the witch? We are waiting on you. Who are your friends?".

"Well, I was off to see a witch when I saw him," He points at the small figure with the cart, "Stealing corpses. Then this crow and this woman showed up, and now I'm wondering if we found the witch sooner than we thought." 

"Grave robbers?", Kiafra says with contempt. "Worse, not even giving the corpse chance to be buried", he says and spits on the ground.

Pointing his warhammer at the small woman who is likely the same height as him, he demands, "Explain yourself, and make it quick".

The woman taps her fingers together, looking between the two men and the pile of corpses next to her. With just a small eep, she snap her head around and puts her hands on the cart, attempting to make a run for it and keeping the bodies intact. She's... she's getting away!  Quite slowly, of course, the card is far too heavy and she's tiny. Putting all of her might into pushing the cart, she stumbles over herself, causing a hand and a head to fall out of the wooden cart.

"Please! It wasn't my idea, I swear! I didn't want to take these bodies, I promise! I promise!"  She pleads, getting on her hands and knees and praying like a choir boy. Talk about hysterics. However, it's unclear whether she's truthful or not. Those might just be crocodile tears.

Bryskin stalks closer to the woman, holding the rapier to her throat and keeping her distracted as he talks to her, "Listen, lady, the town just went crazy, all this mist is freaking everyone out, a prominent noble just turned into a monster, people have been terrified of this for a while now, you are not helping anything by committing your petty crimes. I've heard of grave robbers, but I've never heard of anyone stealing bodies or anything like that. So you better explain what you're up to right now, or I might just decide you're not worth it, alright?" As he speaks, he will attempt to pickpocket her for anything important with his off-hand. (Sleight of Hand check, 4+12=16)

Shaking his head at the scene, Flèche sighed, then walked up alongside Bryskin. "Look," he said to the woman, "we don't really have time to dawdle, so... just answer him truthfully."

(( The bard casts Suggestion; DC 17 WIS save to resist. ))

Kiafra watches the scene unfold, trying to determine if this person is even worth their time, and more importantly if they are what they seem to be.

His warhammer is still held at the ready in case the answer to that is no.

Insight: 20+7=27

Vaalsh stands next to this strange scene with Kiafra, having her arms crossed and the disgust slowly fading. Asking the corpses about their current state felt like a waste of time, given that these shells usually only cared about what was long past.

So the satyr remains close, but otherwise letting the others handle this.

Kiafra, from the information you've been able to grasp, this woman absolutely reeks of the same magic that took hold of Comstock... and her behavior is very odd. Her pale and fairly waxy white skin show as such, and the same symbol present on Comstock's heart shows on her clothes. What a subject.

Bryskin, the woman has nothing majorly important on her person, with the exception of her pocketbook. With a successful swipe, you snatch it right off of her without so much as a second glance.

Flèche, under the influence of magic, the woman is much more truthful to her word. "Oh... okay, I... um... I'm just delivering these bodies back to my home! It's through the woods. My mistress needs these bodies. I don't know why, she says I'm not smart enough to understand... just please! Don't hurt me! Or take my cargo! I mean no harm! " She keeps her hands clasped together, practically weeping and begging for her safety. It's... pathetic, really. Meanwhile, Vaalsh, a small rustling noise emerges from one of the trees closest to you. Not too close, but it's certainly there.

"Your mistress? Hmm... curious. Don't worry, we're not going to harm you. That would break the spell, after all!"

Glancing over at Bryskin, he chuckled as he added, "Well, might as well ask everything else you want to. She's charmed for the next 8 hours, so we can probably have her lead us to this 'mistress' of hers when you're done."

"Don't get too close, she has the reek of whatever foul magic overcame Comstock", Kiafra warns. "I have a mind to put her down right now, but it would be good to know who this mistress of hers is, and what she is for that matter. And I wouldn't want to waste your magic".

He comes a little closer and is fully prepared to put her down if she runs or attacks them.

Bryskin is going to discreetly pass the pocketbook to Kiafra without letting the woman see (sleight of hand 26[14+12]), and whisper, "might want to look through that," before loudly saying to the small woman, "who is your mistress?"

Keeping a distance from the woman upon hearing the warning from Kiafra, Vaalsh moves more to the side. She looks doubtful at Fléche, her eyes communicating that she's not comfortable of him using charming spells on people. And she didn't like the careless tone he used to speak of the charmed woman. The satyr, at this very moment, is reconsidering the alliance that she made, however temporary it may be.

Even if the woman was indeed infected with the same sickness as Comstock, she seemed to still be in control of her faculties.

"We can just ask her to lead us there, no need to use mind control.", she offers stiffly. "And if the sickness has taken a hold, we best make use of the masks. I will not harm her unless she turns into another monster."

As she hears the rustle, she uses her staff to shove some of the smaller branches and brambles out of the way to get a better look. What was that? [Perception: 19]