"I think they'll just keep looking for us here. We need to engage at least a small group of them. Let them see us. And then lead them away from here. Loose them in the tundra and get back to the ship." Vishal suggests with a slight frown, "I can get a message to the Trailblazer. Let them know our status. I can even get one to the Captain." He lets out a sigh, "They will need to send a team much more prepared here instead. We cannot deal with both a dragon and soldier at the same time." 

Taran shakes his head, "En-Engaging them i-is a r-r-risk, w-we c-could use th-the w-wand, s-send up a f-flare. Th-They'll b-b-be s-suspicious though, ei-either th-thinking w-we a-are l-luring th-them into a tr-trap or th-thinking w-we are tr-trying to d-distract th-them. M-Might m-make them s-search h-h-harder."

"I-I c-c-could a-a-always l-lure th-them a-alone. I-I'm th-they h-hardest to c-capture i-in th-the m-mountains."

Caelius shakes his head,

Akuma thinks for a second before frowning. "I can probably provide about 3 hours of advanced hidden travel,  as long as my concentration is not interruped, before reaching the cut off point of overusing my power for the day. Ideally enough time to lose any tail we have while sneaking away."

"I kn-know M-Mister Caelius," Taran says, "N-No on-one w-would app-approve of m-me d-d-doing that." He turns to Akuma, "Th-Three h-hours of n-no tr-tracks w-would be pl-plenty to m-make th-them l-lose our tr-trail, m-maybe br-break it up, l-leave tr-tracks r-r-randomly. Af-After using th-the f-firew-works to al-alert th-them t-to our pr-prescence."

Taran thinks, "W-We w-w-would h-have t-t-to be c-c-careful a-about s-s-setting off an a-avalanche though. An-And m-make s-s-sure w-w-we a-are f-far e-enough a-a-away to a-avoid th-them."

“Nobody is doing anything alone, this is a group. Let’s stop suggesting the alone card because it’s never going to happen. If this was meant to be a solo mission you’d be sent by yourself. I agree that we gather their attention. I’m not opposed to fighting a small group if we have to. I’ll message the Captain and Trailblazer so they know. Unless I send up a ball of fire I don’t thing we’ll cause an avalanche. Getting rid of our trail for a little bit every so often is also good. When we need to camp we have to be extra careful this time. We don’t have a lot of time, is everyone prepared to move out?” 

"I-I am r-r-ready," Taran says, "Th-Though, th-the w-w-wand c-could c-cause an av-avalanche."

Carou nods, then pauses as one of the massive yetis he was talking to before comes up through the hole in the floor, climbing out of the tunnel with little effort. The yeti speaks rapidly to Carou in their harsh language, to which Carou replies before turning to you and switching to Common. "I apologize, but I would ask your help on a matter. We have just found a young woman in the mountains, fleeing the patrols. She is too afraid of us to say anything, and I feel you may be able to calm her. And perhaps, if she agrees to it, take you with her? She will not be able to escape alone, though we can take her with us into our tunnels instead."

OOC: Carou is saying the group just found a woman on the slopes running away from patrols which is totally not Books panicky way of putting in an NPC she was expecting you to meet after beating the dragon, and is asking you two things. One, will you calm her down now, so that she'll explain who she is and what she's doing here, and two, provided she's not a spy and is willing, would you take her with you to the Tundra.

Caelius nods,

Taran gestures to Caelius, "M-Mister C-Caelius s-says th-that w-w-we w-would b-be willing t-t-to h-help, an-and I a-agree, a-at th-the v-v-very l-least w-w-we c-can tr-try an-and d-d-determine i-if sh-she i-is f-f-further b-bait f-for the trap."

“We can talk to her. I’m pretty good and calming people down once they’re scared and I’ve been working on magically breaking charms on others if that the problem.” Vishal says with a smile and a nod 

"Thank you," Carou rumbles. "I will have Seraz bring her in now."

A few moments later, the other large yeti lopes in through the tunnel you entered from, gently shepherding a young woman ahead of her. The red-haired woman is dressed in a simple tunic and leggings under a cloak. Her hair is pulled back from her freckled face in a ponytail, and her light blue eyes stare around nervously, though she isn't a complete mess. Upon seeing you five, Carou, and Luiri, her eyes widen slightly, and she sidesteps so that her back is to the cave wall, her eyes flicking between everyone in the cave.

Taran stays where he is, hoping not to spook the woman, gesturing in the sign language as he talks, just in case the woman was silent because she could not speak.

"W-W-We w-w-won't h-harm you if y-you d-d-do n-not m-mean h-harm t-t-to us, i-if th-that i-is w-what w-w-worries you. Wh-What a-are y-you d-d-doing in th-the m-mountains? A-Are y-y-you fl-fleeing Riedra?"

The woman hesitates, then says softly, "Yes. I'm fleeing Riedra." She doesn't relax.

Anyone with a PP of 12 or higher:

Taran points at her side, "A-Are y-y-you in-injured? I-I'm a m-medic. I-I c-could b-bandage you, ch-check f-f-for fr-frostbite or an-any in-infection. I-If y-you a-a-are c-comfortable w-with it, ob-obviously.

“He’s really good. And we’ll get you home safely. That’s our speciality. Getting refugees to Adar safely.” Vishal says with a smile not offering up his services since most Riedrans are scared of him to start with. 

The woman glances down at the blood on her side, looking almost surprised. "Oh...I guess they did get me with that spear." She sounds almost confused at the thought. Her eyes fly up with slight panic at the mention of Adar. "No, I don't want to go to Adar. We're...closer to the Tundra anyway, right?" She gulps.

Taran moves closer, pulling out his medical kit and beginning to bind her wounds, slowly to hopefully prevent spooking her. "W-We a-a-re, an-and th-that i-is the d-d-direction w-w-we a-a-are h-headed t-to a-avoid the s-soldiers, b-but a-after... I-I w-w-would f-f-feel un-uncomfortable l-leaving y-y-you a-alone in th-the w-wilderness, m-ma'am."

Her eyes flash with brief, momentary determination. "I can take care of myself once I'm out of Riedra."

Taran and anyone with PP of 15+:

Taran finds that the wound is a long gash, probably from a spear thrown from behind. He's able to easily stitch it up.

 "P-Possibly, b-b-but the T-Tundra is a-a d-d-dangerous pl-place, th-there w-w-will b-be l-little f-f-food and l-less sh-shelter."  Taran says as he ties of the bandage and applies the poultice, "I-It m-m-makes m-more s-s-sense t-to st-stay w-w-with us, h-head t-t-to A-Adar, an-and th-then f-f-find y-your w-w-way i-in w-w-warmer, m-more h-hospitable cl-climates."