So no one else had made it even this far...Not that the kobolds' knew of at least. Kaelen records this and then returns to his post in the shadows to finish out his watch.

Perception: 16

The rest of the night passes uneventfully. The kobolds seem to have trouble falling asleep, eventually turning to some sort of rhyming/singing game in low voices to calm them and slumber takes them.

While breaking camp, Arglen will ask your group as a whole, "Do you want to take a fast route that will be more difficult, especially with the wagon, but reach the keep just after night fall, or would you prefer to camp a few miles short of the keep and get there early tomorrow morning? The place is much more active at night, so there would be more chance of a confrontation."

"I'm up for the easier route. If we need to flee we are more likely to be able to bring the wagon back with us." Asariel answers 

"We aren't in any rush," Brekka agrees with a gruff nod.

"If we get there fresh in the morning we're more likely to scout the place better."

"Agreed. Let's not tire ourselves out getting there since we can't be sure what awaits us," Kaelen remarks calmly.

Arista nods once, tightening the cinch strap on her pack. “Agreed. We’ll take the easier road,” she says. “Find us a spot a few miles out—quiet ground where we can pull the wagon under cover and sleep undisturbed. We’ll leave the mules and cart hidden there while we scout the walls at first light.”

Arglen responds, "I know just the place, the thicket we hid in the first day we left. Out of range of regular patrols, easy to hide your wagon."

You set out on the day's travel.

8

I would like a single survival check for the morning, with advantage from the kobolds' guidance.

Kaelen survival with advantage: 16

[[Advantaged Survival: 16]]

Your early travel goes smoothly, although the forest is thinner here and the hills and the general upward elevation very noticeable. It's getting a little hot, and the kobolds are complaining about the brightness of the sun, so you take a break for a midday meal. Anyone have any specific things you want to do at this point?

Kaelen frowns slightly, not exactly enjoying the increased temperature either. "Extreme heat is just as dangerous as extreme cold. Everyone be sure to drink enough and keep your waterskins filled." He glances at Mathias, knowing the druid can check the weather with a spell. "Does it look like it will be this way all day?"

Mathias casts his cantrip, to determine the weather for the next twenty-four hours. 

It's likely to stay hot for only a little longer, probably some thunderstorms but cooling this afternoon.

Arista slips away from the resting cart, scouting the slope listening for water over stone. (Survival: 12)

(If she finds a stream:)

Brekka seems to take a unique delight in the heat of the day. His orange, Dragonborn scales gleam in the sunlight and the warmth is not as uncomfortable for him as it may be for others. Rather than join them in cooling down, he finds a place to bask in the sun, not unlike a lizard on a warm rock.

"What a day!" he says in his loud, gruff voice.

"It is a good omen for the afternoon ahead."

Mathias offers a wry smile at Brekka's enjoyment of the heat. "Enjoy it while it lasts then friend, storms are coming soon and that will cool things off.  With that being said,  we'd do well to make sure we have stable ground for our cart and a place we can have shelter from the storms coming."

Kaelen gives a faint sigh of relief at Mathias' report, simmering in what shade he can find. "At least the storms will make it more difficult for any lookouts from the Keep to see us coming. I'll check the cart and make sure everything is in working order." He moves to look over it, but has a tough time focusing due to sweat getting in his eyes.

Investigation: 5 lol

You choose a good spot near a stream and some thicker tree cover to rest.

If you want to find someplace more sheltered for the storms, I’ll request a single survival check, still with advantage from the kobolds.

[[Advantaged Survival Check: 25 (Natural 20)]]