Varinth, Dekhan and Incantis, you are intent on your meal and your conversation, but Scupper and Strix, you notice birds - an unusual number circling or flying in to land at a point maybe two hundred feet away, hidden by the curvature of the land.

(did we notice what kinds of birds - i.e. Carrion,feeding corvids, giant Vrocks we might not want to approach, a bunch of sparrows?)

Carrion, probably vultures it looks like.  Not vrock, and nothing unusual for this part of the world.

Strix shakes the rain from his hair, points to towards the birds and then takes off in a low crouch to check it out.

stealth : 14

Strix, you creep up the little hill and peek over the top, finding a nice hiding spot behind some bushes, and peek out.

You see about a dozen dead bodies lying in the grass, birds picking at the flesh.  From this distance they look human or humanoid, they are wearing armour and uniforms, and they are peppered with arrows.

(So a dozen bodies peppered with arrows in a dip in the landscape off the road - What kind of shape are they lying in? Are they arranged in a manner that suggests they were dumped there rather than killed there (i.e. clumped together and on top of one another), is there evidence of a camp (e.g. a fire in the middle) or that they were marching (bodies in rough lines) - or fighting (bodies close and roughly describing a circle maybe?))

Based on his observations, if it looks like they were killed in situ, Strix will look around for likely ambush spots, then scoot back to the group to update them.

Perception : 9

and if needed *gulp*

Investigation : 18

Strangely, you struggle to perceive the details from this distance, but are able to work out a bit more from the context.

This looks like the aftermath of a battle.  The corpses haven't been lined up - you can't tell from this distance if they've been searched, but it's not a camp, that's for sure.  Not even a circle, really, just a haphazard mess.  You would need to get closer to see more detail about how they were killed, whether they were moved etc.  However, there's no sense that this is a pile of bodies, they're too randomly scattered around.

The bodies are in a little depression in the countryside; potentially the surrounding elevated land could provide cover for ambushers, just as you are hiding from onlookers down below.  You don't see anything from where you currently are though.  There are a few clumps of bushes and rocky outcroppings dotted around, enough to provide a hiding spot for a small group of no more than six perhaps.

Varinth watches, with a dried piece of meat half way to his lips, as Strix points at the sky and then disappears into the shrubbery.

Vaz, who on more than one occasion was designated Shooer of Birds back at the Tannery, squints at the sky.

Vultures. Probably just a dead dear or somthin'

Vaz takes a bit and chews knowing full well that a flock that size would not gather for just one dear.

Strix returns to the party to report.

"Birds eat peeps. Dead. Bout 12. Ambush mebbe? Wanna see?"

Scupper decides he should check it out. 

"Right...bodies it is..."

Dekhan will follow along with Scupper to see the carnage.

You'd tink those guards 'a mentioned any recent battles, though. Must be fairly recent but they were jest in the neighborhood. Maybe not the best at their jobs.

You all approach the scene, and the carrion birds fly away, but resentfully; they hover, and clearly plan to be back once you have gone.

There are in total thirteen bodies.  Eight are wearing uniforms of the Waterdeep City Guard.  Dekhan, you recognise the people you were talking to and drinking with before; the captain, Drewer who also came from Amphail, and the others you exchanged stories with.  They've all been cut up with various wounds across the body, and have arrows sticking out of them.  There are five non-uniformed bodies - they are wearing rough and battered leather armour.  You don't see any weapons lying around, but you can make the appropriate checks to investigate further if you wish.

Strix will check the bushes he identified earlier as potential ambush spots - before entering the clearing, I might add :D - looking for signs of the attackers, and where they might have gone.

Survival - 26

Perception - 22

Strix, you find a lot of breaks and snapped branches in two of the bushes, indicating that someone was here, for some time, and not too long ago.

On the ground, you see tracks headed east away from the High Road.  Perhaps a dozen pairs of feet, mostly human.

Dekhan surveys the bodies and then slams one mailed fist into the other Godsdamn it! I knew there was something making them uneasy! I should have tried harder. He kneels next to the bodies one by one, placing a hand on their foreheads and closing their eyes. May you be sheltered safely in the Light or the Ancients, rest now, your duty is done. He stands and dusts himself off. These guards knew something was amiss. Perhaps there is some thing here that could tell us why. Dekhan will try to remember how many guards he spoke with, if there might be survivors anywhere, and try to suss out who the men in the battered leathers are.

Dekhan, as you only met them a day or so ago, you have a clear memory of the group.  There were eight; you spoke with some more than others, but all of them at some point.  And they are all accounted for among the carnage you see before you, plus the five that you have not seen before.  

You can make an Investigation check to inspect the five and search their things for anything that will help you identify them.

Strix scrabbles back.

"Tracks - fresh. Ish. Force move east. Prolly killers. Follow? "

He surveys the carnage but leaves the looting to more experienced hands.

investigation 13 Dekhan examines the armor and appearance of the 5 non guards, does it appear to be uniform? Is the armor military issue? Well maintained? Are these organized fighting men or bandit rabble? He asks himself as he examines the bodies while checking for more tangible clues as well. He’ll also check the Waterdeep guards for any correspondence or other stand out evidence. 

Their bodies have been picked already; weapons are gone, tools and money are gone.  They look like bandits, at least the scars on their armour and their flesh suggests so.  You find some half-eaten rations in one pocket, and a strange little doll figure, maybe four inches long, in another.