Answering Lumen, Ellywick says, 

"I can't rightly say whether the folk in Melton will shine up to your little kobold friend right away. What, with all the recent goblin activity, that's got half the folks in town pretty scared, even if we haven't been attacked directly. At least Frida didn't have in her to attack her own village. That's something, huh? An' I don't think that minds will open up even more when I tell 'em the whole story about Crabapple and her feisty goblin band. Can't say for sure how people are gonna react."

"Then again, it sounds like yer little friend here was instrumental in rooting out them green buggers and defeating our crabby, corrupted constable, so that's gotta be worth something, I guess. Shows that you can't judge a person by the way they look. Even that Pox you sent out seemed kinda gentle. Skittish, she was, but I don't know if I see her hurting anybody. We may never know, but that's was just my gut feeling."

"So maybe Krackle here deserves to hold his head high when we get back to Melton, cause we obviously own him and the rest of you a debt. I know that some won't take kind to him, but I guess there ain't no harm in me goin' ahead and easing the story to them before you all arrive. When we get closer, there's a nice little big mossy log where you can sit down down and wait while you give us a head start."

With the nimble little gnome female out in front, at times leading Harriet by hand along the faint game trail, you all weave your way through the sparse forest in the late afternoon hours. You come upon Wuzig's bridge, although the place is deserted and there's no one around, and then you cross the small gorge and continue walking for about four and a half hours before coming to a the area that Ellywick had mentioned. It's a very small clearing, with a single large downed tree that's covered in moss lying right next to the trail. You recognize it from the hike in. 

The moss on the tree is thick enough to provide an nice, soft place to sit down, and it would actually fit all of you in a line, or some of you could easily just take a load off and sit on the soft bed of leaves nearby. Either way, Ellywick motions for you to enjoy a short rest here and give her about a 30 minute head start before making the final walk into Melton, which should only take about a half hour. 

Right now, you're watching the light begin to cast a nice, warm glow upon the tree tops above you, which means that sunset is not too far off. It's certainly been a long day, and by now you're quite hungry and thirsty for ale and whatever else you stomachs are starting to grumble for.

Vesper will follow Ellywick's suggestion and rest by a tree while she visits the village and talks to the locals.

Chrys remains standing, still feeling relatively energetic, at least compared to most of the other group.  "I hope the town will be able to pick itself back up after this mess.  Melton's a trade post, it should be thrivin' with trade.  It ain't safe for the locals nor the travelers lookin' the way it does now.  They're gonna need a new constable to step forward an' take charge o' things, right this time."

She looks at the others.  "I think we should definitely not show anybody in town the remains o' that mask, not ev'n if they ask fer it.  I don't feel comfortable 'bout showing something that powerful to a town this vulnerable, even if it's been broke.  Dundragon's still my first choice to give it up to, to be honest."

"They need a new constable, but it's not really our place to choose one for them. I definitely agree with you on Dundragon being the one who should get the mask, he's probably got a good chance of figuring out what it is and permanently destroying it."

Krackle would squeeze Lumen's leg in a tight hug as he defends him from the concerned Ellywick "Thanks Lumen... Sorry about turning into a bear and trying to eat you." The kobold would say with a look of regret. At the mention of climbing back into the bag, the kobold would look around with a worried expression. "The bag was really hot... and small. It wasn't very comfy..." he would add as he looks towards the saddlebag.... "Maybe.... Maybe if I turned into a bear...I could turn into something else? I could try to turn into a cow! They are nice... or a horse? Or a dog... .OOOOOHHHOOOOO a dog... Maybe a dog?" He would say looking towards each of his friends and then to Ellywick. "Do people like dogs in melton?

Ellywick laughs, “Yes, Krackle, people in Melton like dogs. And we like cows, but mostly because we can eat them and drink their milk. I don’t know if they’d let a cow inside the Weary Knight, but they’re much more likely to let a dog inside.., with a bit of persuasion. Ol’ Seth... Mr. Grimhill, the innkeeper, is a bit of a grump, as I’m sure you say, but Lumen and Vesper both have pretty smooth tongues, so who knows?”

“Either way, we’ll be going now... see you in a few shakes of a lambs tail.”

Vesper rests by the tree and waits for Ellywick to come back. Frankly, she's ready to be finished with Melton and get back to Yartar to give the mask to Dundragon and collect their reward from Ehrland for doing this mission.

(FYI, Ellywick is going to take Harriet to Melton, which is about a 30 minute walk from here. You'll wait for about 30-40 minutes and then walk the last bit of trail by yourselves, then meet them at the Weary Knight. The idea is that you'll give them enough of a head start so that they'll have enough time to explain to the people inside the inn what happened.")

OOC: Okay.

After the agreed-upon time had passed, Vesper gets up from the spot that she had been sitting at. "I hope that they were able to convince the village." She leads the party back into Melton, and the Weary Knight. If Ellywick and Harriet were able to convince the inkeeper that heroes should get a free meal and room for the night, she'll take advantage of it, but she's willing to pay if they weren't. (Although I don't recall how much money Vesper has at this point)

Lumen spends the time working on the song he's been writing, which pulls him out of his grumpy mood. When Vesper gets up, he's ready to go into Melton, and he leaves Krackle to decide what he turns into, if anything. "Use your common sense," is all the advice he gives.

"I'm partial to goats," Chrys tells Krackle as they walk.  "Had a pet one back in Twilight Tor.  'Course, goats an' any other animal can't talk, so if ya wanna try and be yerself, I'll be right here behind ya.  We don't have to stay in Melton if they don't want ya there."

"Yeah, what Lumen said. If you're going to turn into an animal, turn into something small that won't hurt anyone."

"Um... what about a little lizard? It's a benign enough shape." Kess would stifle a yawn as the group patiently awaited word of their immediate fate. "Frankly, I'm ready to bathe, have a nice meal, and just... sleep.

"And... Krackle?" Kess would pipe up, offering the little kobold a smile. "I'm glad we were able to snap you out of it. You've such a gentle and kind heart."

"I like goats too! krackle would reply to Chrys before looking to Kess. "Thanks, I didnt mean to hurt anybody.. maybe I could turn into a little kitten!" He would finish as he continues along with the group as they head towards Melton. "Kittens are safe!"

Lumen is keeping an eye out for the half-orc hunter he met in town as they are coming back in. If he doesn’t see him he will head back to the tavern and look for Ellywick.

After waiting for a half hour, although in reality, it was probably less, as you hungry stomachs easily persuaded you all to start walking a few minutes early, you push on and finish the last couple of miles of wooded game trail into Melton. You don't see anyone else as you cover this last bit, and as you emerge from the forest and circle the wooded palisade that circles the village, you see the same young man standing guard as you did when you left early yesterday morning. When he sees you, he gives a nod of recognition and opens the gate to let you through. 

"Ellywick said you'd all be coming along shortly. She said you done got rid o' them goblins, and that we'll be havin' no more trouble wid' them out on the road."

He doesn't elaborate or inquire about any details, he simply waves you through with another stoic nod, then closes the gate behind you. 

You all head straight down the main street, which is a tiny bit drier and less muddy than it was when you arrived the other night, and make a beeline straight for the Weary Knight. Upon entering, you see that the place is as full as it was the other night. Lumen does see Farwalker the half orc sitting by himself at the same table from the other night.

Ellywick and Harriet are sitting at a table with a number of other folk, and when they see you, they wave you on over. 

"Come friends, join us! The ale is cold and hearty and the soup is hot and.... well, it's hearty too!"

Lumen walks in, nods to Farkwalker, and joins Ellywick and Harriet at the table. "That sounds, well, amazing. I'll take one of each. Maybe two. Been a hard couple days." He pulls out a chair, looking at the people seated with the two he knows. "Ellywick, where do we stand?"

(What has Krackle turned into, if he's turned into anything? Lumen's ready to defend the kobold if needed.)

"Now that sounds like the perfect way to end this journey.  Point me to the food!" Chrys says eagerly.  Being a direct sort of person, she figures if no one in the town is going to start trouble, she's simply going act as though there isn't any trouble to talk about in the first place.  So, with firm stride forward, she takes a seat next to Harriet and gives the halfling a warm smile.  "How ya holdin' up?"  And as she does so, she scoots over enough to make a place for Krackle to sit next to her unless he's in some animal form that doesn't require that).  She glances over at the kobold, patting the seat and tilting her head in the universal beckoning motion of come on over!

As Lumen walks in and nods to Farwarlker, (he has learned from Ellywick during passing trail conversations that his first name is Thorn), the half orc nods back in between long sips from his mug. Joining Ellywick and Harriet at their long table, you're all able to squeeze in with the help of others at the table who all squeeze in. Ordering is done in person, as like last time, and within minutes, for whoever wants any, there's plenty of ale and bowls of thick, meat stew to go around.

"We stand right here with cold, frothy mugs of ale in our hands, my friend!" Ellywick answers. "Well, maybe you tall folk sit, but usually us wee folk gotta stand, unless we can find booster seats, which Master Grimhill has kindly provided." You see that she and Harriet are sitting on small wooden boxes, which helps bring them to "normal" height at the table.

"Indeed it has! Moreso for you, master Lumen, for I just did two long walks and sat around under the trees for a day and a half while you all did the hard work, clearin' out goblins and who knows what else. So, I'd say a few drinks and a good meal are well earned! Here, here!" 

Some of the other people at the table raise their mugs in answer to the gnome, but it's hard to tell as if their toasts are in genuine enthusiasm for anything aside from the regular pleasure of evening drinking and revelry. Most of them are already quite inebriated. One person does extend a proper thanks, and that's Flint Frostforge, the dwarven blacksmith who you did business with last time you were here. He's already quite tipsy as well and he slaps Chrys on the back as he extends his slightly slurred statement of gratitude. 

"Good on ye' mates! She tol' us what ye did, raidin' the raiders and clearin' out that goblin hole. Lemme be the first one to tell ye that what you done is good work. An' from what I heard, it was brave work. Folk don' usually pay much mind to use folk here in Melton, but you went an' done us a good deed, and that's worth sayin'."

Answering Chrys, Harriet says, "I'm plum tired... feel like I had all the energy taken from me, but I'm alive and that's something, ain't it? And thanks to you, of course. I'm sad for my friends, and I know I'll shed lots o' tears for them all in the coming days, but at least I know they've been put to proper rest, and that'll help me get on ok."

"I think I'm gonna stay here in Melton for a few days. Elly here has offered to share her room with me, so I may hunker down and take it easy for awhile. I still mean to go to Silverymoon, but I don't see a reason why I be needin' to traipse off down the road all by myself right now... especially after what I been through. I know there's worse stuff on the roads than goblins the further north ya go. Mostly I just need more rest, though, and I think that dear Elly will make good company. I been hit by a stroke o' good luck, that's for certain, so I might as well stay put and enjoy it for a short while."

"Plus, I got some fattening up to do before I hit the road again! Being in that place, starving and all...hearin' my..."

"Anyway, what's your plan? And how's that little friend of yours...? Everything ok...? Things got a little terrifying out there earlier...

Krackle would spend most of the trip back to Melton listing off animals that he likes and contemplating what to turn into. He actually keeps doing this even after reaching the gates and heading inside the small settlement.. forgetting to actually change into anything until they were inside the busy tavern. Once he was surrounded by strangers, he would get nervous... quickly picking up and tail and clutching it tightly in an attempt to keep from bumping into anyone. As his companions sit at the table, Krackle would look to Chrys and struggle to climb up into the chair beside her. "I'm Rrally hungry! Hungry as a bear even!" He would shout before a look of terror crosses his face and he glances to Lumen.  "I mean as hungry as a cow... a hungry nice cow that doesnt bite people.." He would quickly add.