Zeke watches Wolf-Tarja as she sniffs the air, the barbarian ready to follow her as soon as she locks onto the scent, ready to hunt down their escaped friend.

Elra stands around, not really what to do and in a panic without thinking takes hold of her amulet and begins asking, "Where are you? Are you okay? We're really worried about you. Why'd you try to hurt Gundren? Please just tell me what's wrong..."

Wolf-Tarja thinks back and recalls smelling Arvel's true scent in the cellar and caves below Tresendar Manor.  This smell is definitely different.  She follows it out the front door of the hall and left down the road.  If she keeps going she finds that it cuts into the grass and then behind a number of houses, eventually emerging onto the road between the Sleeping Giant and the hill upon which sits the Manor.  Nearing the bottom of the hill she finds the scent not on the road up the hill but on a much smaller side path heading north towards farmland and some small hills.  Just before reaching a gap in a stone wall that would lead out into the fields Tarja suddenly stops.  The wolf's nose suddenly picks up new scents, that of Arvel and of the Glasstaff.  One scent trail continues north through the stone wall while the other heads back into town behind such buildings as the Sleeping Giant.

Elmar finds similar confusion at the forefront of Elmar's mind that she did with Harbin Wester, minus the defensiveness about it not being his fault.  Thoughts such as 'but everything was fine' , 'he was still all tied up' , and 'why would he think it was me?' fill his mind.

When Elra casts her spell, she immediately gets a somewhat relieved but somewhat scared response.  "Elra!  They took me!  Killed Krikket!  Carried long way by spiders.  Through forests, hills and up a river.  Now underground, dwarven ruin, Black Spider!"

Fae would hang back with Elra and the group of citizens while Tarja followed her nose with Zeke close behind. Ethan must still be crafting? She wasn’t the greatest fan of them being split 3 ways, but the wizard would settle for a ‘buddy system’, at least 2 of them together at once. Ethan had Quinn with him at least. 

Fae would bounce her attention back to Halia as it was the most calm of all the minds as she’d try to converse. “Harbin appears to be okay. Though he seems quite shaken. Was he like this when you left with him earlier?” She’d inquire. “How long were you separated before you heard the commotion?” The wizard would pull out her notes as if to try to create a timeline of events. 

Halia chuckles a little at Fae's questions.  "No no dear, he was just fine until we separated and he went home.  It was only a minute or two before I heard him yelling and started back this way.  By shaken you mean he simply doesn't want to be blamed for this mishap."

"I am not searching for who to blame." Fae would smile politely in response. "Simply looking to understand the chain of events. We are concerned for our friends well being and the safety of the community."

(She's still listening for Halia's surface thoughts if anything interesting comes forth in their conversation.)

"When?" Elra asks him, "I don't remember any of us leaving you alone for very long? Are you injured? Have they done anything to you?"

When Fae mentions blame, Halia chuckles a little at Harbin's frantic state and says "you should tell him that."  Regarding the chain of events she shrugs and says "we saw Mr. Barthen leaving the townmaster's hall just before we parted ways."  "He seemed to be heading back in the direction of the Inn, or perhaps his own place.  Only moments later Harbin comes yelling, and apparently says Mr. Barthen was back at the cells?"  Her thoughts seem to also be trying to resolve the order of events that do not fit, and she is much, much less concerned than Harbin as clearly she was not involved.

Arvel replies to Elra:  "Hour or two after manor.  Went for a walk.  Big mistake.  Good bump on head, but ok.  Not sure where I am.  Underground."

Elra goes to tell him don't worry, they were going to find him, before realizing she didnt have the power to send him another message, before running around to tell everyone what she found out. "They got him! That wasn't Arvel... The Black Spider has him." Her eyes go wide and she starts sprinting back to the inn. "Gundren!" She goes to check on the dwarf.

Upon seeing the scent trail leaving town, Tarja returns back into dwarf form to relay her findings.

That was never Arvel! I don't know who it was, but smelled totally different, and didn't meet up with Arvel's scent until this trail here. Looks like Arvel got taken by Glasstaff - the trails of all of them lead out north into the woods. We have to go after them!

Zeke stays with Tarja as she reverts to dwarf form and returns to town.  'Yes, we need to rescue him.  Let's gather what supplies we can and what we need and move with all haste.'

Fae would nod her head to Halia, “Appreciate your clear recount of the events.” Her voice was sincere. “Thank you for your time Halia.” She’d excuse herself to look for the others.

Fae would walk out of the establishment to find Tarja and Zeke returning from their investigation. She'd pick up speed in her steps, trotting up to them. When Tarja would relay her findings, a slight exhale of relief would leave Fae's lips. Though, a new worry came to the forefront, Arvel was indeed in trouble. Time was a pressing concern, there was no doubt, and the wizards brows would furrow to reflect that. Her eyes would look to Tarja and then to Zeke. "I agree that we must prepare to head out as soon as we are able." She'd agree with both of their suggestions that they must be ready and make haste. The scholar would inhale a calm breath to work through her thoughts. "But, I fear if we rush off in haste so soon after our battle with the Behir, we will risk pushing passed our limits or without the strength to save our friend." Purple hues would sadden as her words would leave her lips. She herself had limited magic reserves, Elra too may need to replenish, and Ethan was still recovering... probably still tinkering away completely unaware. She'd begin to chew on her lip.

Looking up, Fae's eyes would shift a little as thoughts scanned though her mind. "We must regroup. Check in with Elra and update Ethan. Get us all on the same page." A small smile would tug at her lip for encouragement. "Then rest, for some of us to recover our full strength." She'd add a little sheepishly, being low on her arcane reserves. At this point, efficiency could be key.

Assuming Zeke would end up taking the bulk of the watch for the evening, spending it preparing supplies and keeping a faithful eye out, Fae thought she might be able to offer their protector tiefling a compromise for the wait. She'd tilt her head as she does. "Zeke, would you like to take to the sky tonight?" The wizard would hold out a hand with a soft smile. She had just enough magic to offer before her rest. With his superior vision in the darkness, Zeke could scout ahead from the sky and work on planning their route for their journey to come if it'd help put his mind at ease. Depending on Tarja's energy level, she may even be able to provide back up from below?

Ethan holds his stylus in one hand, his other slowly rotating a component of his current project. Ethan has a magnifying lens in front of his left eye that he is looking though to closely examine what he is working on.

"Right, now slowly insert the rod...slowly!"

Quinn stands next to the contraption, slowly lowering a small rod into it, as Ethan continues to slowly twist the component he has in hand, while simultaneously scribing magical sigils around the perimeter.

"Yes, that's it, nice work Quinn."

Quinn looks buoyed by Ethan's words, but Ethan is concentrating too much to notice. The new component inserted and the sigils inscribes, Ethan leans back, stretching his arms and back.

"Right, that's done."

Ethan picks up his designs book and starts reading, working out what the next thing they will need to do is.

"Hhmmm..."

Ethan looks over his various tools and materials trying to workout what to use next and how. Quinn sits down among all the tools and parts, looking content and happy, unlike his more normal look of suspicion, with a side of sneering. The pair are content in their bubble, oblivious to the goings on outside their room.

Zeke would first scowl at the idea of resting while their friend was in danger, but as Fae offered him a chance to fly again his face would light with child-like glee.  Catching himself quickly, he would bow his head solemnly towards the wizard and say 'You are right of course, better that we gather ourselves for the challenge to come before pushing off into the darkness.  I imagine all of us will be better able to tackle whatever the Spider throws at us after a good nights rest.'

Tilting his head up into the night sky, he allows the smallest smile to creep back onto his face 'A quick survey of the woods around would be a good idea, and would allow us all to sleep more soundly I'm certain.'  He looks Fae directly in her eyes, an unusual move for the guardian, who rarely let his eyes stop moving, let alone wasted a gaze to see something for the pure pleasure of the vision.  'I would take the boon if you would grant it to me.' Stooping down, the burly tiefling bowed his head so that the lithe wizard could touch his forehead without having to reach up on her tippy toes.

Fae's expression would soften as she'd watch Zeke process her ask, even her eyes showed a hint of a smile catching glimpses of his excitement. It was rare for her to see their tiefling allow himself even the smallest moments of joy. When he'd tilt his head to look up, she'd do so too to share a moment of gazing up at the night sky. The wizard would nod gently when he'd agree to survey the area in hopes it would allow them to sleep more soundly. "I think it would." She'd add softly.

Fae would turn back, her purple hues meeting Zeke's gaze. "A gift I'm happy to share." A smile would grow further on her lips as he'd take the extra step to stoop down to meet her reach. With feather weaved between her fingers, Fae would lift her hand the rest of the way and gently place it on the side of Zeke's face. Her eyes wouldn't waver from his. They'd begin inking over in black when she'd speak. "Welsa vien ethir ent drim." They were the same elven words she whispered to him in the cave, channeling the same flow of magic as if lifting weight from his shoulders and wings. Fae granted Zeke the ability to fly once again.

As the magic surrounds and infused him again, the tiefling would expand his wings, letting them unfold and flutter.   Coiling his legs under him, Zeke would gather his strength and then fling himself into the sky.   Spiraling straight up for about 25 feet, he'd get just above the tops of the tallest buildings before swooping out to make a series of careful concentric circles around the village, looking for any signs of trouble, or Arvel's trail.

Perception 13
Investigation 9

Zeke takes to a clear and peaceful night sky over Phandalin and begins circling the area.  He finds that Fae's magic carries him at a good speed, perhaps as fast as most people could run even, although Zeke could run faster.  He then finds that, if he wills it, he can increase the speed of his flight even further (Dash) and finds an impressive rate of speed.

Once he's high enough to see over the many hills that litter the region, Zeke sees the light of an almost full moon dancing off of the ocean many miles to the west.  To the north lies the massive Neverwinter Wood with few features to make out amongst the million of trees.  He is uncertain of a faint, slightly darker shadow looming further north where the volcano of Mount Hotenow rests.  An equally faint sparkle of light sits just west and south of this shadow where the city of Neverwinter gets ready for a night's rest.

To the south and west Zeke sees the brighter lights of the city of Leilon and the western most arm of the Sword Mountains hide the Mere of Dead Men from his view.

To the east the tiefling sees the highest peaks of the Sword Mountains including Icespire Peak looming high over him not too far away.  In this direction the hilly terrain is even more notable and extends well beyond the high peaks, just to their north.

Zeke spies no trouble as even the ruins of Tresendar Manor rest quietly overlooking Phandalin, but he also spies no sign of Arvel.  The group will likely have to rely on Tarja's wolf nose for that pursuit.

Zeke, please give me a D100 roll just on the off chance you could see other things...

Fae would watch Zeke take off to the sky, feeling the breeze brush around her from the wind produced by his wings. She'd follow him soar high above the buildings and trees, keeping eye until she could no longer make out his silhouette any more. Though, she could still feel her magic concentrated on his flight. The smile tugging at her lips wouldn't fade.

As Zeke explored the skies above them, securing their sense of safety for the night, the wizard would leave him to enjoy the peaceful night air and pad her way back into the inn. She'd make her way upstairs to Ethan's room. Standing outside the door, she'd gently rap on his chamber door.