After invetigating the chest carefully, Rosri is convinced that there are nothing that can blow up. And he has dealt with this kind of trap just recently, and almost lost a hand in the process, and he make quick use of his tools to disarm it and open the lock. 

“I can’t find anything that might blow us up on this thing so I’m just going to open it.” 

inside he spots the vials right away. He opens one and smell it. (Investigation: 16) Then he lift the pouch and is amazed of it’s weight. When he doesn’t find anything about the Gingerbread man inside, he looks for a hidden compartment. (Investigation: 22)

Then he will walk around the room looking for hidden compartments or doors inside the hideout. (Investigation: 15)

The Hideout doesn't seem to have any secret passages or extra hidden doors (even with Rosri's passive perception)....

"Have you considered the possibility that the explosives might be what your guild wants?" Edeleth calls in at the door. "In which case, I hate to disappoint you, but the owls can't carry it, and I don't much like the idea of hauling it in the wagon. I'm going back to prepare the animals for our departure.  Anyone who wants to help me set up a shelter for them is welcome to come along."

“I thought so too first. But he specifically asked for information on the Gingerbread man and his operations.” Rosri goes over to the maps and documents and try to sort them and make sense of it all. “Maybe he just want to know what the man has planed. By the way, we should talk about if we’re keeping any of this, what we give the authorities and what we bring back to the guild master.” 

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's no way we can all go back. If we do that, we'd be abandoning our post, and could face the consequences of desertion. At the very least, we need to let the main army know that we're no longer covering their flanks, else the Jarl can come down on us hard."

Edeleth snorts.  "There are only five of us, and we have already defeated a small Kobold army and a mind flayer.  What benefit will it do the army if two or three of us are forced to sleep alone here in the snow?  Does the army think we don't need rest?  We have done everything that can be reasonably expected of us for one day. Do you believe that spending four hours of traveling time to Three Peaks and back equals desertion, when we are bringing urgent information, needed to secure the safety of the city?  If we leave part of the team behind, we may never find them again.  And may I remind you, we are NOT part of the army, we only agreed to accompany it, and therefore do not have a 'post' and are not under the army's commands, and not subject to accusations of deserting it.

"Er....except for Gaston, that is." Edeleth looks at the dwarf, who has been very silent since the tragic end of his friend Rollo. "Perhaps our one actual member of the military could tell us whether duty requires him to spend the night in a snowbank."

”Er.. we could send a letter to tell what we have found, right? Maybe one to the Jarl and one to the Guild master. That way we can continue with our misson early tomorrow and inform our ’Superiors’.”  

Rosri said, trying to defuse any argument that might arise. Although he would not mind spending the night in his room at the Hanging Chicken. 

 "I don't think we have any means of sending a letter to the city from here," says Edeleth. "I suppose one owl could be dispatched to inform Shatterstone of our temporary withdrawal, if we summon them to carry us to Three Peaks, but the only way they could carry a message to the city is if I ride along at least half way to renew the spell after an hour. I do have one sheet of parchment left."

Gaston seems to somewhat snap out of his state of shock

"....I...I wasn't ready for this...forgive me...Whatever this monster is, it was created by some kind of POWERFUL magic. I fear there might be more of them around, and they're obviously planning some kind of Mass scale attack on the City!"

He shivers a bit, still shaking from the encounter...

"Hungar Shatterstone may not care much for us, but our ultimate Goal here is to protect the Three Peak...if you folks decide to make a quick trip back, I certainly would not stop you. And I would watch over your mounts. I myself need to stay in the field, to keep a watch on the army of Kobolds that is clearly digging tunnels across the entire countryside..."

He looks around

"Damn! That bloody miniature Lizard escaped...."

« Look, Clearly this information changes things, and informing the Jarl has priority. We just need to make sure he understands that. I might try to persuade him, but while I can be quite convincing, I don’t think he likes me much...  « 

"Well, I don't know that he cares for any of us," says Edeleth. "In any case, someone must go to the Three Peaks, and Gaston intends to stay and carry on with the military mission."

"As I will be providing transportation to the city--and most likely back--I must go.  It is up to the rest of you to decide who comes with me and who remains. Transportation can be provided for everyone who intends to make the trip to Three Peaks, but we should keep in mind that whoever stays behind may run into trouble and need as much backup as possible. I released our kobold prisoner while we fought the mind flayer, and it's quite likely that the creature is making its way back to its companions to report our location and other details."

And it took his rope with it, the little snot rag.

« Thanks Edeleth. At the very least, we can claim that Gaston is keeping on the scouting mission, and we all had to go and report back. Who else is coming with? We should get going soon. »

” I am. I need to report to the guild master about this.. mess..” he gestures at the pile of paper. “And we still need to talk about if we’re keeping any of this for ourselves.” 

ooc. I opt to keep the money, the poison for my arrows and some powder for exploding arrows.

As Edeleth waits for Roscoe to make his decision and the rest of the party to get organized, he begins taking down the maps to show the Jarl.

"I truly wish I could stay with you, Gaston," he says. "Don't think I'm being either insincere or unselfish. That blasted stone city of yours seems determined never to let me go. I've been waiting to get out of the gates for ages, and look at me, less than a day out and forced to go back. I give you my word, we will return as quickly as possible. IF possible."

He starts considering what gear he should leave behind for those that remain. It seems unlikely he will need more than his weapons, waterskin, and perhaps a day's rations, but every plan he has made since catching sight of that chicken-legged monstrosity of a tavern has fallen apart, and there is no knowing what fate lies before them.

Edeleth decides to leave his shovel, torches and healing kits with the wagon, in case Gaston (and Roscoe, if he stays behind) has any need of them while scouting. He also leaves behind his bedroll, half his arrows, and all but one day's rations on the wagon, to lighten the burden he will represent, since he hopes to rest and eat at the Hanging Chicken anyway, and retrieve his gear on his return. Either of the halflings is probably light enough to fly with full gear, and he supposes one owl can carry Zyman's pack, if the human is too heavy a burden.

He performs the ritual to speak with animals and explains the change in plans to the mules and sheep. By now they all know Gaston, and he expects the dwarf will have no trouble handling the beasts.

Finally, the maps carefully tucked into his backpack, he stands in a clearing and chants an incantation in Druidic.  Almost as if forming from the falling snowflakes, eight fey spirits in the form of enormous white owls drift silently to earth to surround him.

"Quickly, we haven't a moment to lose," he calls to his companions, before speaking to the owls, in Common. "My companions and I need to be taken as far as you can fly us to the city above on the Three Peaks, as swiftly as possible. Also, if three of you would please stay here with Gaston and allow him to command you, he will need all the help he can get.  Gaston, these owls are quite intelligent and they understand Common. Perhaps they can scout or keep watch for you, or help you in some other way, though they will only remain for an hour."

That said, Edeleth carefully mounts the broad back of one of the owls, the feathers soft and warm beneath him. The owl spreads its wings cooperatively, and Edeleth soon finds a seat that feels secure, his knees just below the owl's wings and his hands gripping the feathers of its powerful shoulders.

 (OOC: Slightly retconned to fit Grotex's post. ^^ )

Zyman clambers onto the back of another of the owls, both decidedly less elegantly and securely. Once satisfied that he has a hold however, he gives a shy smile in the direction of Edeleth. "Who needs the Air cavalry when you're among us? Seriously impressive, this."

After a brief but elaborated ritual, and talk with the mules and mounts, Edeleth summons forth the Magic of the Westwoods, and 8 magnificent Giant Owls spring to life in front of the whole Party. They bow to all of you, inviting you to mount them.

Three of them flock to Gaston, as well as the mounts, who heed Edeleth's words and start following the Dwarven Scout, who now looks like a true Beast Master...he looks in awe...

"Wowy, that's amazing! I've never met a real Druid before. More Rangers around these parts...some have a few spells, but THIS takes the cake by far...Alright then, you lads head off to the City to warn the Jarl, and I'll scan these woods for Ennemies."

He pulls out a couple of flairs, and hands them to the Party. He's got more in his bag.

"Take these. When you get back, fire those in the air, so I can see you coming, and give you my position. I think with these Awesome Giant Owls, I should be fine..."

He barely finishes his sentence, when a shadow comes out of a nearby bush, and pounces on Gaston, holding an exotic looking blade to his throat...a voice in common shouts out from behind Gaston

"I'm sorry, but I need to borrow one of those Owls NOW!"

A face appears...a male Fey (medium sized), dirtied and bloodied, panting, squinting with physical pain.

Gaston freezes.

"Okay Buddy, I don't know who you are, but take it easy now! Those guys right there just took out a bloody Mind Flayer minutes ago, I'm sure they'll destroy you within seconds if you do something stupid..."

The Fey freezes...

"You said... Mind Flayer?"

He lets go of Gaston, and backs away.

"I need to warn the Jarl and the Alliance! We need to warn the Arcane University and the Temples! There are leaks in the Planes, and our Ennemy is using them all...the FeyWild...the Shadowfell...the Abyss...the Nine Halls...they are all starting to spill into these lands...it was all started by the arrival of an Underground vessel recently...from an Unknown Plane of existence that even ArchFeys cannot recognize. Its very existence is an aberration in the Space-Time continuum ! If we do not act now, we are all DOOMED!"

Knowing that the owls will disappear in an hour, that the hour will only get them halfway to town, Edeleth snaps, "If you are a friend, than put that damned blade away and get aboard an owl, quickly.  We have, quite literally, no time to waste."

Part of him hopes that the fey is exaggerating or insane, but he has a sinking feeling that his words explain a lot of strange occurrences.

As the stranger climbs aboard an owl, (I assume) Edeleth asks his name. It looks like the Fey could use a healing, but Edeleth has only enough magic left to get them to the Three Peaks, and apart from that, couldn't cure a field mouse's stubbed toe until after he's rested.

"Has anyone got a healing potion on them?"

Rosri is downstairs, gathering all the evidence and repacks his pack, leaving all the unnecessary stuff when he hear the commotion above. When he gets up he is met by no less then eight, EIGHT, giant owls and Gaston is held hostage by a fey creature. 

He crouch in the door way and lift his crossbow, ready to shoot if the need arises. When he sees the fey back away from Gaston he lowers his crossbow and come out. Seeing that both Zyman and Edeleth has mounted the owls, Rosri swallows and go forth to mount as well.

”Can I ride with anyone? I’m not so great with heights..“ 

"I doubt the owls can carry two at once, unless you double with someone small and maybe have your gear carried by another owl," says Edeleth. He thinks Rosri might be safer alone than aboard an owl with the newcomer.