Sera swallowed hard, her gaze trailing up the jagged mountainside where the caves loomed like dark, watchful eyes. The wind whistled through the rocky terrain, carrying the scent of dust and dry grass. She tightened her grip on her sword, the weight of responsibility settling heavily on her shoulders. This was it—no turning back now.

She glanced at the others, then at the cave entrance ahead, where danger undoubtedly waited. "Kasi, you’re up," she said, her tone steady despite the nerves twisting in her gut. "I trust you can handle whatever nasty surprise they’ve set up for us."

Kasi smirked her usuall crocodile grin and seemed happy to help.

Meanwhile, Sera turned her attention to securing the wagon. She worked quickly, helping the others conceal it behind a cluster of rocks and making sure the horses were properly settled with water and food. The poor creatures were still shaken from the previous chaos, their ears flicking at every distant sound. As for the Strider, it remained tied a good distance away, shifting uneasily but not fighting against the restraints. She wasn’t sure if Merkas’ taming efforts would work, but at least—for now—it wasn’t trying to eat them.

With the preparations handled, Sera turned back to the group, adjusting the straps of her armor as she moved toward the entrance. "Let’s stay sharp," she said, letting her gaze sweep over each of them. "No doubt there are more traps waiting for us inside, so watch your step. I’ll take the lead, but if anyone spots anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to call it out."

She inhaled deeply, steeling herself, then held her swordhilt and new shield. She not light it up yet. Maybe the caves had some light? She doubted it and she would need full light to find any hidden traps. 

"Let’s do this," she murmured, stepping forward into the unknown making a short prayer to Paladine for guidance and protection

( cast guidance on the ones who goes first. Sera never ask anyone to take the lead but if Hastos insist in a act of chivalry she will protest hard. But it might be wiser have the healer at the back. So he get the Guidance spell to help him detect traps ; ))

Hastos helps gather food for the horses and hide the cart. 

As Sera begins to enter the cave, Hastos touches her shoulder. “If you want to go first, fine, but…” he gently taps on the plate aroot he’s wearing “… perhaps I might make a better target.” He smiles.

Sera watch him. She feel the urge to shower him in protection spells and she strap pillows all over him to deflect any danger. He look silly but be safe. She erease that image from her mind. But steps up and give him a deep, warm and long kiss Merkas for sure will make gagging sounds to. 

She just nods and step back. She the party healer and cynical as it might be. Her place is perhaps best further back. " but if you get hurt I will be upset!" 

Chatting with Barkly as they move along too keep the strider at ease, Merkas looks over the Newt bones and claws as they travel, trying to distinguish uses and what valuable parts they were able to salvage. After the crafting session the night before he is inspired to look for anything that can help his friends in any future battles, whether physical, spiritual, or political. (18 - arcana for the newt bones/claws)

When Kasi awakes and start giving direction, Merkas pulls out his map to double check their position and asks 'Gramma' Kasi to help him locate the area on the map so they can keep it up to date. "Ok Gramma but be careful, right, I can help if you need as well ok"

Patting down Barkly and trying to sooth them, Merkas makes sure to leave some water in the shade and removes the muzzle. "Ok girl, we gotta go and try get some stuff back, I can't share that food with you but we can do some hunting when we get back ok? I am taking this off so you can protect yourself while we're gone. Now don't you go hurting the horses again. We need them to take us home."

The Kender moves over to stand with the others, "So,Sharn you wanna go up front? I can if you all want me to?"

Sera watch Merkas remove the muzzle. She try imagine what the kender is thinking but give up. "Merkas...you know it can just bite over the rope and get free? It is NOT tame. It is still hungry!" Sera already worry it is too late. 

“But Sera, it’s cruel to leave something out in this heat without water, we gave water to the horses….” Eyes get wide as something dawns on him and he rushes back to re-muzzle Barkly “You don’t mind the heat do you, it probably feels good, I bet it’s the cold that’s harder on you being tgat your rider was basically a furnace and fire snd hot stuff heals you!”

Sera mutters a Solamnic curse and rush after Merkas to help him get that muzzle back on and maybe help out if the beast decide do something unwanted. 

While Sera and Merkas get the muzzle back on the strider, Hastos puts his axe back on his back and pulls the covered Shield from off his back. He takes the cloth off and it’s a Dragon Army officers shield, its face marred with the history of the many attacks it’s thwarted. He puts the cloth in his bag in the cart and draws the long sword at his side. It also bearing the design of a ranking Dragon Army soldier and bearing the scarring of many battles.

He gets to the mouth of the cave and looks back to the group. “I’ll go first, Everyone ready?”

Barkly seems confused by the interaction and truly grateful that the muzzle is loose again. She looks at Merkas cautiously, then over at the water in the shade. She walks over to the water and starts taking a deep breath, calling on her innate powers. You can see her body begin to glow like it did when she shot fire into the camp!

Sera's desperate charge startles Barkly, and she looks up, letting out a loud squawk, stepping back and stomping the ground defensively. She clearly feels threatened, but doesn't want to fight. Angling her beak at Sera menacingly, she roars again, then finishes it with an angry hiss.

Kasi spins around and throws up her arms in frustration, the "sneak" part of her plan clearly under risk of failure by the rowdy bunch. In a rare, matronly act, she puts a finger over her mouth and shushes the three of you. Ready to get this business over with, and equally eager to be away from whatever was about to happen next, she tip-toes toward the cave entrance, tense with rattled nerves. Once there, she examines the cave wall, then looks over to see if Sera, Merkas, and Barkly have calmed down.

Larskolstad, Hrothbert_Neruca please roll Handle Animal checks. The closest result to 1 or 20 gets the result.

Sera just feel frustrated that this giant chicken cause problems. Her dismay clearly showing and too late she realize that the beast have noticed it too. At the farm you only got problems letting the animals get stressed. She should known better. A battle outside the kobold raiders will treaten the mission. 

A odd compulsioun hits her. One of Geas and her head hurts. " fine..fine..." she stops feeling a urge to solve the mission. Not battle this Strider. 

Sharn chuckled. He wondered for a moment if they would get counter ambushed, but for a moment only.

He looked at his new knuckles, conflicted about the pain they would inflict on the kobolds. Though, the fact they were acting as bandits reduced that a bit.

Then, he turned to Hastos. "It's odd, isn't it. Battle. I think we have a minute until they get the chicken in check. How long have you been a warrior?"

Hastos sheathes his sword and props his weight on his shield. “I haven’t thought about it in a long time.” He says as he wrinkles his face. “200, 250 years or so?” He replies. “Battle is.” Hastos agrees, his voice having a far off quality to it.

“What about you? Bourn a monk?” He asks chuckling. 

Sharn chuckled holding his belly. "Born a monk? I would hardly call myself one as is. The battle arts deep under the mountain were not intended to be used as this, before the cataclysm."

He took a deep breath putting his hands behind his back. "Sometimes I forget about the longevity of the elves. Who taught you?"

“Yea, well, it might be some time before you see many elves around here get to my age.” He says wryly.

“As for who taught me? Life, I guess you could say. At least, at first.” Hastos’ face turned reflective. “Grew up in the Sylvenesti Forrest’s. Hunted for food, then hunted bandits for a little coin. Then joined a group that patrolled the Northern border. Got a little training there… then… well, that’s where things get complicated.” Hastos said with a sigh.

”Where do you call home, Sharn?”

Sharn smiled, though he couldn't hide the melancholy of his expression or the mist around his eyes. Though, he shed no tears, there was no reason for them yet.

"Home used to be where my family was. We travelled. Nomads ever since we were exiled. I was born on the road, you know." He forced a laugh. "Born on the soil, in a way. But home is no more. Now the home is where the light of the stars will guide me. Be it with the Hachakee or with you." Then he looked at Hastos. "In a funny way, you could say I'm at home. Even if it's only been two days."

Hastos nods gently at Sharns comments. “Yea, I know what you’re saying.” Hastos’ slight smile seems to grim slightly. 

“It’s a fragile thing, life is.”  He says looking around the group.

Sera's approach quickly unnerves Barkly and she spews fire to create a barrier between herself and the approaching cleric, then backsteps into the shade, accidentally kicking over the bucket of water. She can't go far, with the tie holding her to the cart, but the horses are upset again and starting to scream their whinnying cries. Merkas is able to keep the horses from kicking again and quickly quiets them down with some treats provided by Glynnis.

Kasi's legs kick and dance in place in surprise at the sounds of distress and clutches her heart. She glares at the group with a mix of shock and anger for a moment while she catches her breath, then looks nervously at the cave entrance. Deciding to be cautious, she hides in a natural alcove to the side of the cave, covering her mouth so her nervous breathing doesn't belie her location.

The fire from Barkly's mouth roars into the sand and singes the wood on the carts. Splinters grow red and turn to glowing embers.

Hrothbert_Neruca, I'm assuming Merkas is close enough to Barkly and the carts to need to make a Dex Save (DC 12). 10 fire damage on a failed save. 5 for a successful save. Your handle animal check tells you that the fire was intended to warm up the water to make it suitable to drink, but came out facing you and Sera because she was startled. Barkly doesn't like you but she doesn't seem to want to hurt you... think irritable cat energy that issue warning bites when they don't want to be pet. But she still clearly does not trust Sera.

Rolled encounter probability...

You can't see Kasi very well from her hiding spot, but she seems to be preoccupied with something. She has put away her bow though, so her body language gives Hastos and Sharn the impression that she's working on the trap, rather than being captured. While Merkas is busy trying not to catch fire, Kasi pokes her head out of the alcove. She looks very angry, as she sneaks away from the entrance, cursing softly under her breath in Yip-yak. She approaches Sharn and Hastos, preferring to stay far away from the cart. "Trap disabled. Falling rock trap. Much nasty. Pressure plate trigger. Plate make noise when sneak too. Walk soft." She looks over to Merkas with concern. "Master Merkas burn? Is hurt? Giant Strider stupid. Much danger."

With all the commotion,Hastos cuts his conversation short with Sharn and re-arms himself and positions himself in direct line of site of the mouth of the cave. His shield up, and crouched low, sword drawn.

Sera's eye twitched as she watched the absolute disaster unfold. Merkas, in all his stubborn kender glory, was trying—again—to wrangle the damn Strider’s muzzle back on. How he thought his tiny frame would overpower the massive beast was beyond her. Maybe he planned to climb its back? Maybe he’d just throw it up there and hope? Either way, it didn’t matter.

The Strider, stressed and annoyed of the fuss, let out a guttural roar before belching out a fresh wave of scorching fire. In an instant, Merkas disappeared into the inferno, his silhouette swallowed by the blaze. The horses, already on edge, shrieked and reared up, their panicked hooves scraping against the rocky ground as they fought against their tethers.

Sera’s blood boiled hotter than the Strider’s flames. A snarl curled her lips as a string of curses burst from her mouth, the kind that could strip paint off a ship’s hull if you know Solamnic.

She took a sharp breath, fists clenched at her sides and switch to common. "I swear to every damn god listening, I have had it with this absolute firefart of a reptile"

Peeking out from under the other side of the strider patting the flames off his arm. “Gee, Sera, Barkly didn’t get you did she? I’m ok, just a little warm. If you want I’ll settle her down, looks like Kasi is ready to go. Gonna refill the water and be right over” Merkas says cheerily and rights the bucket, he takes out the jar of lava and sets it in the bucket before adding water to it while talking soothingly to Barkly “It’s okay, we’re not trying to harm you, just want you to get better and be comfortable with us. I won’t put this on you again but you better promise me you won’t hurt the horses ok?” Setting out some more of his rations before heading over to the group. 

Left sleeve half burnt off and the side of his face a little red, the kender asks quietly. “Kasi thinks we’re ready? Hope we didn’t cause to much of a ruckus out here”