Unless someone objects: R&M in front, D&Q middle, SirE rear, and horseback as long as the trail is an obvious swath of distruction

Two completely innocent d20s 5   12

watching surroundings 21 since he's in the middle

Also he'll keep up songs - vocal and spritewhistle to keep his hands free - in sylvan ...stay low, arrows ...echoes of heroes...

Performance 6

You ride along the path, urgency overcoming any instinct for stealth. At first, the path is clear and easy to follow. Later, you come across clearings where many tracks of gnoll prints seem to converge and mingle, coming from all directions, and heading away in all directions. Still, they generally seem to funnel toward the west. But eventually the path spreads out as the woods grow thicker.  You can see places where the gnolls hacked paths through the underbrush, and other places where they simply spread out to push through the thick shrubbery. 

As the light of day begins to fade, Mindartis notices some faint lights up in the trees ahead...just as a deep, loud, slow, reverberating voice speaks "That is a pretty sound you make. Like birds singing, but longer. Can you speak as well? What are you?"

And a mighty sound you make, friend, like a mountain made of words Del answers (sylvan? common?) What I am - my name is Galanodel Tosh; I am part elf and part human; I am a bard and a cantor. I am glad you like the songs. We five together are pursuing the raiders who made these tracks, hoping to rescue folk taken against their will. Can we be of service to each other?

Raven pulls her horse to a stop, looking around for the source of the voice...

Perception: 25

Raven notices that a huge, thick tree nearby seems almost to have a human face in the pattern of its bark. She jumps as the mouth actually opens a crack...

"I have seen ones something like you. They do not stop to talk. The dog-faced ones hurry them past. I have not seen any pixies or sprites in thirty sunrises. That has never happened before. The pixies and sprites have always been there. It is beginning to seem strange, and I wonder if I should worry...."

The 'eyes' of the tree seem barely open, as if it is half asleep.

"Yes you should certainly worry."  Raven says, moving closer to the tree-thing.  "Evil is walking the lands in the form of these raiders, and good people are suffering.  We are here to check out missing sprites.  Will you tell us more about what you have noticed?"

"The dog-faces come from the west, from the swamp, sometimes with cloaked ones commanding them.  They go to the east, and come back with the ones like you and with strange beasts who do not belong in the forest. Through my roots, the trees tell me they go  in all directions to the east, but always go back to the swamp. They do not harm the trees, but they seem to have taken the sprites and pixies away. Almost I would like to pull my roots from the earth and go looking for my sprite friends.  Perhaps I will.  Soon, very soon...in twenty or thirty summers, perhaps.  Perhaps....even...ten..." The tree yawns and seems to be drifting off to sleep...

(Technically, should have been sylvan, but DM decided not to lock out members of the party from the conversation. Just like most conversations should technically be in Elvish, but poor Elwin. :D)

((Del will always fill in Elwin on elfyboots / fairyphrase conversations, with commentary in undercommon and slater slang, so he's only ever a couple posts behind at worst))

Tell me, deep one, have you felt through your roots or otherwise, harvesting of wood by diggers? Perhaps mining the roots of a dead tree, or digging into a giant trunk? I had a vision Del tries to explain his dream

(( Perception: 14

Two d20s: 2 20 ))

Mindartis raises an eyebrow, "who would you be great tree?"

Quentin then adds after a thought, “Would you happen to know a Mister Zanderfell and his tree?”

Unknowable d20s... 7 11

The tree listens to the story of Del's vision with horror. "No, nothing like that is happening in this forest, at least not near enough for me to know of."

Elwin peers at the enormous talking tree closely, and sees an enormous talking tree...

"The sprites called me Galathir. Zanderfell....I know of a mighty tree, very far away, in Kalaine, who has befriended a Zanderfell. That tree once used to walk, but it grew too large and too tired and decided to take root again, and became the wizard's home."

Quentin nods and then looks up at the night sky before asking, "Galathir, would you mind if we took shelter under your canopy tonight. We and the horses need to rest and we will happily keep you company tonight and defend you if any such horrible thing would happen while we rest under you." 

"That would be fine," says the tree. "It has been lonely without the sprites and pixies. The dog-faces are always in a hurry. The times I have tried to talk to them they have run away."

"Perfect!" Quentin says with a smile before turning to the others, "Let's set up camp and such, no fire obviously. Let's make sure we get a watch set up as well and make sure we're staying safe. I'm.....well I'm rather interested in my book and....well what you were trying to hide this morning Sir Cold." 

Good idea Lord Quentin Del says quietly Galathir, you should be careful of the dog-faces. They may not be harming trees now, but they are the beings that burned the Great Pixie Tree

Anyone in need of care? Del can heal, restore, or song of rest, otherwise just playing different things for Galathir. Or other requests. Del had the first watch last night, his turn on the midwatch I guess (unless somebody likes it) We sent the prince off with his cook and the best food, didn't we. Not being petty, just saying - rations, non-awesome.

Perception 6

Quentin will happily Prestidigitate anyones rations to flavor it slightly and make it just a little more enjoyable. 

((So, are you camping?  Setting watches?))

Definitely setting watches.  Raven will take which ever the others want her to take, she doesn't have any real care of which she does.