"She was killed by a goblin arrow, one shot it seemed clean" Carrow is surprised by Xolkins answer, it couldn't have been mere coincidence they had an agent on the ground. 

"I want to believe you, but it appears all too coincidental, Kella was promised reinforcements, your organization must have known a Giant attack was coming, if you didn't personally then somebody above you sure did" he studied him further for a second before speaking again.

Insight: 3 

"If you had no idea about the attack on the village, what would you have done having arrived to find it untouched, besiege it?" 

Xolken chuckles. "Your appreciation for the Zhentarim's ability to gather information is flattering. I assure you, however, there's not a faction in the North that can foresee what the giants are up to. They're causing mayhem everywhere, and they certainly don't bother telling us little folk when and why. Believe what you want, orc. Coincidence is a reality." 

He ignores Carrow's last question. 

"Then maybe the Zhentarim are not the organization I once thought human" Carrow turns away from him and heads towards the pile of Zhentarim dead. "Any final words for your men before I commit them to the earth?" 

Looking at Andor, Vigan, Rixton, and Ladrian, Xolken offers no response to Carrow. "Are you bored with this little game yet?" 

Rixton:

I lead a horse up to the tree Xolken is hanging from. "Yeah," I say. "If you care, Xolken, and I understand you to be the type of man that exudes apathy, I can contact some associates in another faction. They might protect you, for information."

"Not sure I'd trust such an arrangement," he replies. "I prefer to place my hope in a fast horse."

Rixton:

I nod. "Alright, Vigan. Let him down. We'll leave the manacles on as a souvenir, though."

I left Vigan to set Xolken onto the horse and headed back towards the cave where I sat down under a tree. My body was winding down from the fight and I wanted a minute to clear my head. I fell more easily into a trance than last time, recalling my lessons with Brother Harnam...

Vigan

"Fast horse it is then..." The goliath releases his hold on the rope, resulting in Xolkin landing roughly on the ground at the party's feet. He unties his feet and repacks the rope, watching the man intently all the while.

Ladrian

Approaching Xolkin, he helps him standing up and to sadle his horse.

"We're not heartless monsters, we just had our mission, like you. You may leave now, if you wish, as it was promised. However, should we meet again, please consider the opportunity to join us, you now know how we work. From our part we have no interest in spreading the information that you're alive so you have a second opportunity... Use it wisely.  Kella helped us greatly against the goblins, so it is only fair. REtribution you can call it"  Ladrian gives him a pouch of 30 gp (from his own cut) " No man should starve." he says, making his goodbyes.

Xolken narrows his gaze, focusing intently on Ladrian. After hearing the words "no man should starve", the captain of the Zhentarim nods a few times. Then with silence, and with a confused look on his face, Xolken digs his heels into the sides of his horse and rides off.

Andor

As he watches Xolken ride away he aims his crossbow at his back "I wonder if that potion has worn off yet..." He smiles and lowers the crossbow turning away "maybe next time" 

Vigan

"An honourable gesture, although one I hope we don't come to regret", Vigan says as he claps Ladrian on the shoulder. He bends down to pick up his greataxe where he discarded it, hefting the weapon across his broad shoulders.

"Now we give that cave our full attention. Let us proceed, and hopefully determine the fate of Nightstone's population."

The skirmish with Xolken and his men has consumed what little remained of the day's light. The sun has vanished behind the hills, and darkness has taken over. The mouth of the cave--approximately 30' wide and 10' high--looms, black as ink, like a doorway into nothingness. 

Vigan

"While I would never intentionally place someone in harm's way ahead of myself, I believe keener senses than mine are required to lead us in here."

Vigan lights a torch and attempts to pick out salient features of the cave ahead. Securing his greataxe to his back, he brandishes a battleaxe previously harnessed to his backpack.

Perception: 10

Rixton:

I rouse from my meditation feeling calm. The sunlight is fast receding and I see Vigan preparing for the evening by lighting a torch. With my darkvision, I hope to maintain some advantage in the cave. I move to the mouth, place a hand on the stony wall and peer inside, listening intently as well.

Perception: 26

(ooc: hey, let's save those 20s for when they are important, am I right?)

Rixton and Carrow, making use of their darkvision, peer as far as they can into the cave. The passage immediately turns left as it makes its way into the heart of the hill. 

The walls are rough but damp, and Rixton can hear the distinct sound of dripping water from deep within the cave echoing softly off the stone walls.

Rixton:

"Hmm," I say. "It is a dark and possibly wet cave."

With that insightful observation, I move forward into the tunnel, taking a position at a sharp turn (D12) and peering around the corner to the northwest.

Perception: 13

Ladrian

"Well... now we face another dilemma" Ladrian muses for a while "Almost half of us can seee better in the dark, but me and Vigan and Andor are blind as bats inside that cave. Do we light torches and stick together? Do we dare to split the party?" Ladrian continues "Then again, we don't know exactly what's inside. If it's villagers, stealth is not needed and they are blind in the dark as well (unless they also lit torches). If it's goblins or similar, they don't need light and can easily ambush us if we split the party too far" after thinking for a while "I say we stick together, even with torches. If we risk having a scout 40+ feet away, we can't reach him in time if there is an ambush" he then turns to the rest of his companions "What say you?"

Vigan

"We stick together, I agree. Caves are no place to get separated, regardless of whether they contain friend or foe."

Vigan makes his way through the passage at the rear of the group, battleaxe at the ready, the light from his torch dancing along the damp walls. Hopefully these passages remain as wide and high as they currently are...

Rixton, from his new vantage point, can see that the tunnel continues in relatively straight line to the northwest.