As the last cart passes, Kanon waves goodbye to the children, pretends to fall backward on his ass, and sits on the ground as he continues to wave. He feels good after brightening someone's day, but his expression turns grave when Portia approaches. He stands and dusts himself off as she speaks. When she's done, he un-loops his horse from Orst's cart and mounts it.

Looking in her direction he says, "Sounds like they could use our help. I have a feeling Malark knows more than he lets on, and this errand he sent me on is part of it. We'll see what help we can provide, but I fear he'll stress the importance of helping Neiklot over defending your temple."

Portia takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"One, the temple does not know what the hobgoblins were looking for, but somehow know that it was not found in Beregost. Probably why they razed the temple because they were angry and trying to get someone to tell them something. That is only my guess.

"Two, I think the goblins and half-ogres were only the tip of the true issue when we decided to head off to the Gate to get our money and see about a pirate who has a bounty on his head now. He's a small fish to fry for someone else. So they had scouts all around Beregost trying to get the lay of the place for the big attack. We also know a dragon was flying over us a few days ago and he's been seen and heard by others per the refugees.

"Three, it could have something to do with the scrolls, but what we know can happen is things home in on the book Zina is carrying.

"Four, they would need a much larger army to attack the Gate, but who knows what they are doing next and we are going right through where they were not long ago. The thing we don't know is if they are still there after the refugees up and fled. I'm glad they were not chased down unless maybe they think the group heading west to Candlekeep is more important than this one going to the Gate."

She looked around.

"So heading south leads to a ruined city that everyone fled that may or may not have enemy around it still. At least the turn to Candlekeep is a little north of the city. Considering everything, we need to decide which way to go and what we really want to do knowing this information. And all this make me realize I'm way in over my head, but I can't be a selfish child and cry in my milk about it being too hard."

"Way over your head!? Portia, you could use a dose of confidence," Pettilaen teased. "We are all-powerful sorcere... adventurers! Everytime we've thought we were in over our head, we still came out on top." He winks at her, turning to Kanon. "Was that a pretty good speech? You're the social-expert."

"I'll be heading to Candlekeep, then." Orst says. "They'll need a mighty army indeed to breach that place. I'll do some communicating with my folk from there and decide when I'll continue on to Amn. I'm in no hurry and the brothers at Candlekeep make a fine stout ale with toasted walnuts."

"We can always turn around and head back to the Gate..." He lets the silence that follows set in.

Kanon eventually breaks the silence, "In that case lets see what awaits us in Candlekeep." He spurs his horse forward. 

Portia managed a genuine laugh. "Thanks for the encouragement, but you missed my ending. I'm not gonna go cry in my milk because people confuse me or I don't understand things enough. Not anymore. I don't even have my home anymore. Some smelly hobgoblin probably pooped on it before he started the fire. I say we go to Candlekeep as I'm not taking Orst on a reconnaissance of a razed city. We can learn more there and then decide on going on to Amn or if we need to do something else first." She nodded her head. "That sounds good to me amazingly enough."

She winks at Pettilaen as she says the word 'amazingly'. Then laughs more because Orst and Kanon chime in with wanting to go to Candlekeep.

"Hey, Orst, I'm thinking I could use some of that stout when I get there."

Pettilaen nods his head in agreement with Portia. "You're right!" adding in Gnommish, "We can't risk Orst getting injured and another one of his sons dying." Switching back to Common, he suggests, "Let's go to Candlekeep first, drop them off, see what information we can gather from Melrak, and then punish these hobgoblins, and steal all of their treasure!" Pulling the bridle back on Clusterfeet and making her rise up on her hind legs, he shouts, "There will be a ton of loot!"

Seeing none of his allies cheering, he casts Minor Illusion to mimic the sound of a crowd roaring and cheering with applause. "That's more like it!" He starts high-fiving the air around him, continuing, "Yes! ... Mhmm! ... Of course! ... Thank you! ... That was inspiring!"

You pass more and more groups of Beregost refugees as the day wanes. Some you know more, some you know less, but all tell the same story. A highly organized, small army of hobgoblins attacked the city at night, went straight for the Song of the Morning, and sacked it. The priests defended their home bravely, and scores perished, but eventually the temple fell and the hobgoblins put it to the torch on their way out. Some of the surviving priests reported the force was lead by a powerful chieftain who was clearly searching for something, though the impression is that they failed to find it.

Among the additional groups of refugees are many wounded...

Portia asks one of the groups near the end of the day. "So where are the hobgoblins now that they haven't found what they wanted, the temple is razed and many have been allowed out alive?"

They pretty much confirm they left the way they came, but believe they will be back much like the cooper at the head of the first caravan of refugees. So Beregost was pretty much vacated in the hopes to get away before they come back for another attack. Might as well go to Candlekeep where it seems she would find Malark and others of the temple that knew more than the few she had seen this day heading north.

Kanon tries to help out when he can.  With no training in medical he feels his skills are sorely lacking. When he does find those that are wounded to the point of near-death, he has no problem casting his cure wounds spell to help. (4 slots of cure wounds and 2 slots of lvl 2 cure wounds) Whenever there's a cart in need of repair, Kanon asks to stop so that he can mend it. 

Whenever there are children on the road, Kanon picks up his lute and attempts to entertain them. He'll cast light as many times as he can to get a smile out of the children that are being displaced by this war.

She moves up to Kanon. "Seems no use going to Beregost as it is empty. I can help with the wounded. I see they are far worse in this group. And thanks for the lute playing with the children."  She manages a smile for him despite the news weighing her down.

She starts looking for someone Kanon is not already helping. Most she had seen so far were hurt, but not in a critical way and bandaged well enough. Some were propped in carts around what goods the family could take. At least, some priests and priestesses had managed to survive and mix in with the refugees to help out. She sticks to using her medicinal skills saving her spells, but calling Kanon if she thinks someone needs a spell until he runs out. She sure hoped they did not wind up in a fight during the night.

The day's travel turns slow and exhausting as the group goes about the noble work of tending to refugees. Orst share liberally of his stores, as well, even giving away nips of fine spirit to those who seem in need of calming.

The Cloakwood still looms over the western edge of the road as you prepare to camp again, but the wood no longer seems like the most significant threat. Partly because you're surrounded by camps of refugees and partly because larger events have overshadowed it, the dark wood that brought horror and trepidation the previous night now feels mostly insignificant.

Sleep comes and goes throughout the night. It is quiet and uneventful, but the ramifications of the attack on Beregost haunt each of you for your own reasons...

---

Orst rises late and slowly, in little hurry to continue south. He is speaking less and less and clearly has a lot on his mind.

The new day of travel feels a lot like the last - full of refugees, tragedy, and sadness. That is, until the group spots a banner they easily recognize. A column of priests and paladins from the Song of the Morning is approaching.

As they continue to travel south, the thought keeps on coming to Pettilaen: When is this train of refugees ever going to end? "Everytime we pass one group, another group is just a few minutes away! The sadness never ends!" he complains, brushing Bedazzledhooves. In short, he was a little disappointed at himself. He saw the joy Kanon and Portia were bringing to the wounded and weary, as they mended both wounds and heart, giving the people hope. He didn't have any such capabilities, and every new group of refugees reminded him of that.

Seeing some of the Lathandery clergy off a ways, he quickly grabs Portia's attention from a mother and daughter. "Hey! You have some more friends coming this way!"

Portia jolts a bit as Pettilaen abruptly gets her attention. She looks the way he is pointing to see a well organized column from the Song of the Morning. It makes her smile to see them, but the smile doesn't entirely reach her eyes. She turns back to the mother and daughter to finish affixing the bandage she is working on. She accepts hugs from them both being sure to return them reassuringly.

As they move on, she straightens her attire some and waits for the column to reach her. She was too tired to remount the horse again to close the distance faster. A quick look around told her she was a bit ahead of Orst's cart. She could not remember where she was all the time while helping people, but she had kept the cart in sight to keep moving the right way.

"This is probably the last force to have left." She looked down at Pettilaen for a moment. "It's still hard to digest."

"They look more like they're going to petition for assistance from Baldur's Gate." He smiles to Portia, the weariness clear in his expression. "It's a good thing," he adds.

Kanon slings his lute back on his pack as they approach. Calling out he asks, "Dawnbringers and Awakened, what word do you have of the roads ahead, and what news do you deliver to the roads we've passed? Bear in mind, as always; In the dawn, beauty reigns, and the way is clearer." 

As they near and Portia can make out the banners with more specificity, she notes a white standard with gold edging and trim that makes her breath catch in her throat. It's Kelddath Ormlyr's personal banner.

The Governor of Beregost and Most Radiant of Lathander is in the midst of this column.

She's not quite recovered from her stunned daze before Kanon calls out his greeting.

"The governor and Most Radiant of Lathander is in this procession." Her voice is closer to a whisper. Her gaze lingers on the banner a moment. She waits to see if Kanon's greeting is answered though she knows she already stepped closer while examining the banners. Beregost had to be a desolate ruin at this point. She tries to get a grip on this despite knowing it already, but knowing the core of the city's governance and temple were in this procession made it fully hit home. 

Two mounted paladins ride forward from the column. Their demeanor is stern until they catch sight of Portia, at which point their pace slows and they close the distance at a trot. She recognizes one of them as Jaralin Uthrador, the Most Radiant's youngest nephew and formerly the armorer for the Song of the Morning.

"Good day, stranger." He raises an open palm and calls out to Kanon. "I am sure you've heard the gist of Beregost's plight. Some are staying, though without the support of the temple, we have advised against it. We must rally support from Baldur's Gate before we attempt to reclaim our city. They cannot continue to ignore us after this."

He glances back at the column.

"For our part, we are escorting the Most Radiant of Lathander, Kelddath Ormlyr, to personally conduct the negotiation."

He looks past Kanon to Portia and addresses her directly.

"My lady Portia, I can report that Dawnbringer Malark is safe at Candlekeep. Short of an attack by that dragon we've seen flying about in the region, that stronghold can stand against anything they can throw at it."

He pauses to take in the entire group, including Orst sitting atop his cart.

"What news from the north? Have they quelled the unrest in the Gate?"

Kanon shakes his head and responds, "While we were there, the Flaming Fist were struggling to maintain control of the Gate. The shadier groups have been more active than ever lately, and there's talk of bringing in the Brotherhood of the Blade to help. We had a run in with a group of shady characters ourselves, and we were only there for a night."

She manages to smile as she recognizes Jaralin as one of the two riding towards them. "Dawnshield Urthrador, good to see so many manage to survive, though I'm not sure how things will be at the Gate. As my friend, Kanon, here pointed out, there seems to be a tenuous hold on the place. Your presence will change things, of course." She waved a little to indicate the entire column. "I was returning from doing various business items there. The Cloakwood is oddly quiet on this return trip unlike when we went north a few days ago." She looks at her companions. "We were headed to Candlekeep and possibly to Amn on another mission, but I'm not sure what the plan is now due to every time we turn around the plans change due to greater things afoot. That is about all I know.

"Thanks for telling me about Malark. I had heard that he traveled there, but it is good to know he is safely there for sure. The majority are going to the Gate it appears. We've been trying to help them as we can."

Seeing the column was both shocking, but comforting at the same time. She felt in her element even if they were along the Cloakwood watching refugees from her destroyed home.