Above & Below

"Ugh... away with you, mutt," Effort says irritably, pushing Blue away.  After getting up and preparing herself for the day, she settles at the table, a content smile on her face.  "This place is not so bad," she muses thoughtfully. "At least the atmosphere seems to quiet any unsettling dreams from cropping up."

Heavy bags sit under Kurama's eyes as he eventually shuffles his way towards the table to join the others.  Looking haggard and down, he mostly plays around with the food offered him, nibbling only on the occasional piece of boar while lost in thought.

Ava joins you mid-breakfast, smiling and taking her place at the table. "Good morning, everyone. I hope you slept well." After you finish the strips of boar and pile of fried potatoes, she brings some tea over. "Please, fill up your waterskins at the well in the back before heading off. And let us know if we can answer any other questions for you." She sips from her cup.

Gil looks out one of the windows for a minute and then, seemingly satisfied, goes out front with Blue.

"Thank you for your consideration," Effort tells Ava.  "Is it particularly difficult to come by food and water safe to drink in this land?"

"Oh..****y place I know, so I can't compare," Ava starts. "But yes, food is generally scarce unless you're a skilled hunter. Not a lot of crops to grow here - potatoes, mostly, and carrots and some cabbage when the weather warms up a bit. Though we never get much sunlight. A few water sources throughout the forests, though if you're heading north they freeze up pretty quickly. If you're heading south that shouldn't be a problem."

Kurama stays quiet during breakfast unless directly asked a question; his odd dream from the previous night affecting him more than he realized.

Brask's eyes dart to Effort very obviously when she mentions dreams, but he just scowls even more and keeps eating. 

This place sucks, he says to no-one in particular.  Really, it's a shithole.  Can't you leave?

Ava looks offended for the first time. "The cottage? Well, it may not be the fancy accommodations you're used to, but it's what we have here. We take great pride in being able to live out here on our own, not held down under the thumb of some power-hungry oaf." She considers the question further. "...or do you mean here? It's all we know. This is our world. No way to just travel away like you all did."

I mean here, says Brask gruffly, indicating the earth and sky.  The world.  Not the... cottage.  The cottage is... nice.  He feels and probably looks a little embarrassed.

Gil comes back in the front door and stacks an armful of firewood in the corner of the room. He surveys you all briefly. "You better get on the road if you're trying to get somewhere safe before dark." 

"Thank you both for your kindness," Pip speaks up. He's seemed a bit nervous since arriving here, but turns to you all now. "Should we get on the road?"

"Yes... we must travel fast and hard if we are to make it to Sicklerville in a timely manner," Effort agrees.  "What would you recommend as the best way to reach that town from here?" she asks as she packs her things.

"If you can refind that road, that's your quickest bet. Not exactly stealthy going, if that's what you're after. The thing is pretty exposed the whole way down into Sicklerville. But hey, daytime is still safer than night." Gil shrugs.

"To the road it is then?" Effort asks the others, shouldering her pack.  Turning back to Gil and Ava, she bows deeply.  "Thank you kindly for sheltering us, and telling us a little about your world.  I do not know if we would have survived the night without your assistance.  Whether we survive the upcoming days, that remains to be seen... but your kindness will be a fond memory for all of us here." 

Seeing movement from the edge of his vision, Kurama managed to shake himself temporarily from his reverie.  Now is not the time to wallow, he thought to himself as he saw the others packing up their items and quickly follows suit.  Once he was packed and had joined the others at the exit, he turned to Gil and Ava and said, "Thank you for the hospitality.  It was truly appreciated and will not be forgotten."  He then searches through his pack before pulling out one of his small coin purses and hand over 7gp "I know it is not much, but please take these as a sign of thanks, and to partially reimburse you for the food we had eaten."  

Yeah, thanks, says Brask gruffly, and he walks off.

"Oh, we can't accept that-" Ava starts.

"Ma!" Gil takes the gold from Kurama and quickly shoves it into a pocket. "Thanks. We'll take it. Take care."

Ava frowns at her son but then turns and smiles to you all. "Safe travels. I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for."

You leave the cottage, heading south back toward the road. It's faint, but you find it without too much difficulty nestled between the mountains and the forest. After a few hours, you find it slowly turning away from the mountains and toward the east. Here it finally runs along under the long branches at the edge of the wood. It's eerily quiet for mid-day. Even the woods don't produce many signs of life other than the occasional murder of crows announcing their presence. 

Everyone, give me a perception check.

Kurama Perception check: 25

Effort: 15 + 2

Cadmael: 17

Brask's unlikely-to-succeed Perception check:  17

Brask is picking bits of straw and mud out of his fur.

Haha, at least you know it's coming.

Brask and Kurama, perhaps still distracted by their dreams the evening before, walk quietly down the road, mostly with their heads hung low. Brask stops occasionally to clean off the fur from his lower legs, now soiled from a long morning's trek. 

As Effort walks along, she swears she sees things out of the corner of her eye. Dark silhouettes moving in the forest...although each time she turns or stops to observe, there is nothing to be seen. Calling on Cadmael to help her look out for anything, the bird doesn't see any threats either. 

Cadmael does, however, hear something. Footsteps - most likely human - coming through the woods in your direction. They're hurried, snapping twigs and branches haphazardly. Further back, more sets of footsteps coming from the same direction. Then, dogs barking.