Ulf points at a nearby bush, causing a deafening ROAR to emanate from it. Immediately, the dogs all sink to the ground, cowering in fear. Still, they don't flee. Seconds later, they rise back, continuing their slow, but cautious, steps toward the party. More drool drips from their mouth as a low rumble emanates from their empty stomachs. Their hunger is too great, great enough to risk a fight.

When Leftenant offers a ration, the one nearest to him steps closer. It stops just a few steps away, its body tense, watching him with wary eyes. [Could Leftenant roll an Animal Handling check?]

Like Leftenant, Surina offers a ration. Another one approaches her, slow and cautious. However, this one accepts her offering. It places the food gently in its mouth, before retreating back. It gently places the rations on the ground, sitting beside it. A desperate whine escapes from it as it looks at Surina with hopeful eyes, begging for more.

The pack grows restless. Their nervous eyes dart from the party to the bush where the roar came from, stuck between fear and hunger.

Leftenant tries to calmly offer food to the hungry dog.

Animal Handling:  17

Dawn isn't comfortable around animals, especially such hungry ones, so she stays back and watches. She's willing to share her rations if needed, but isn't up to try handing them to one of the dogs herself.

The dog near Leftenant cautiously steps forward, hesitantly sniffing his hand. After a tense moment, it looks up at him, its wary eyes softening with a bit of trust, before gently taking the ration and retreating.

The remaining dogs, left without food, begin snarling menacingly and barking fiercely at the party.

Their agitation is clear now. Without more food immediately, the starving pack won't hesitate to take it by force.

The old man breaths slowly, patiently.  As the dog looks sadly at the ranger, he returns the gaze with understanding.  

"Life is hard, isn't it feller?  Sometimes though, we can get by with a little help...and understanding."  He remains on one knee as the dog retreats to a safer distance.  Recognizing the impact his gesture has had so far, and the impending unrest from the others, he moves to retrieve two more rations from his pack.  He uses both hands, letting the bow rest on the ground.  He unwraps them each in turn, laying them out to his right and left front, allowing enough space for any dogs to not fear stealing from the other.

Animal Handling: 21

The dog finally steps forward, accepting Leftenant's offering. Its once-wary eyes now replaced by gratitude. As Leftenant lays out two more rations, the dog turns to its pack and lets out a short, sharp bark.

The remaining dogs hesitate for only a moment, then rush forward. They snatch the rations in their mouths. And just as quickly, they run away into the night, their newfound food held between their jagged maws.

"That works, we saved a little bit of time by not fighting.  Let's go save that child!"  quips Ulf.

"Lead the way," agrees Dawn.

"I am glad we did not have to kill them," says Surina. "Let's go."

The dragonborn continues to follow the trail she'd picked up at the farm.

"I would never have though of offering them food," admitted Dawn.

The old man watches as the dogs scamper away, a slight smile crosses his lips.  He then grabs his bow from the ground and stands, perhaps there is a small creaking of his knee.

To Surina and Dawn, "I'm satisfied with the results for the dogs as well.  I'm afraid though that with the night coming, I will need a light...eventually.  But I will follow your lead."

The veteran reaches for a torch and tinder box, waiting for any objections before lighting up.

Dawn said, "I can provide a light that won't occupy one of your hands." With a brief prayer, her shield started glowing as brightly as a torch. "Or if you prefer, I could have your torch glow without actually burning."

With a light source now available, the party presses on, following the tracks through the night. Before long, they spot a small cave entrance in the distance, partially hidden by the dense foliage and the dark.

[The party gains 75 XP! Current XP is now: 38 + 75 = 112]

"Cave up ahead," Surina says in a low voice to her companions. "I can scout up ahead, see if I can see or hear anything inside. One moment."

The dragonborn moves slowly and as quietly as possible to the entrance of the cave, trying not to be seen by anyone on the inside. Once she's at the entrance, she'll peek inside, just long enough to see if there's anyone near the entrance.

Stealth - 18

Perception - 7

The veteran worried more about giving the party's position away from a light source than anything else.  But it couldn't be helped if he were to not stumble around in the dark, which would give their position away by sound.  He was grateful for Dawn's light (the cleric, not the time of day).

When the group discovered that the trail led to the cave, his concerns grew.  As Surina steps away to investigate the entrance, he knew he couldn't follow.  He dared not risk exposing her with the light.  Still, he takes up a position to one side of the trail far enough away to react however necessary, bow in hand, arrow notched.  He waits and watches (as best as he can).

"Steady as it goes." He says a small prayer with a hope for the dragonborn's safety.

Dawn waits tensely, this is the first time she's been so close to an actual confrontation. So she doesn't know what to expect.

Surina creeps forward toward the cave entrance, doing her best to stay low and silent, while the rest of her companions stay behind. But as she moves, she steps on a branch. CRACK!

Suddenly, two guttural voices sound from the cave's direction.

[Draconic] 

[Draconic] 

Surina creeps back slowly toward her companions.

"There's at least two people inside the cave," she whispers. "Speaking draconic. I'm assuming these must be the kobolds."

Dawn looks excited, "So we've found them, what do we do next?" Well aware of her own lack of practical experience, she deferred to the others on the team. 

Leftenant listens to the report from Surina and ponders for a long moment before offering what he figures are the groups options.

"We could try to smoke them out, but I don't think that would be very safe for the young one that is probably inside.  Doing so though might make them easier to pick them off as they exited, though.  In war, a team well rehearsed could rush a compound with speed and ferocity to overwhelm a superior force by surprise...we aren't well rehearsed either though...and this isn't war."  The veteran pauses here, perhaps remembering the battles and horrors he's seen...or the atrocities he has perpetrated himself.

"No, I figure this is going to be a slog.  They are probably well entrenched, have traps ready for us, and they know the terrain (tunnels) better than us.  If we could capture one, that might provide us with some information."  Another pause here as he considers his own comment.

"Did you understand what they said?  Does anyone speak Draconic?"