The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

Alton watches the soldiers go about their business, "I think it was a good idea to try at least. As much a battles make for some great story material, they are really scary. I think I'd rather avoid a fight if possible." He gives Silent a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "I'm sure they would have recognized you if they were people you knew." He then flashes Silent a quick smile before jumping to his feet and trotting towards the tent they took the dead into, being careful not to get the attention of the captain. 

Alton, a soldier standing guard notices your approach and steps in your way.  Sorry, friend. If you want to go in, you need permission; he nods in the direction of the officer.

Alton nods, "Alright, just wanted to pay respects you know." Not wanting to try and stir up any more trouble, he will make his way over to the officer. "Excuse me officer, but I was wondering if my friends and I could get permission to pay our respects to the fallen?" 

Balassar just nods "Thanks, hopefully I run into her sometime." he says just leaving and then returning to Alton and Silent "So what now?"

Alton, the officer looks irritated that you have disturbed him. "Marin," he calls to a passing soldier, "Guard them as they pay their respects. One at a time, mind." Marin, a half-elf with a large scar down the right side of his face, nods and escorts Alton to the tent where the dead are lying. "One at a time, like the captain says," he repeats, as he gestures for you to enter and follows you inside.

Silent and Balasaar, you can also enter if you wish, though after Alton has left. The soldiers are finishing up their camp and are, for the most part, ignoring you.

Silent will enter after Alton. 

Alton thanks the captain and enters the tent to pay his respects to the fallen soldiers; then leaves after a few minutes.

Alton, your guard watches on, without comment, and then watches as you leave and Silent enters, then leaves. If Balasaar chooses to do the same, he will not be prevented.

You stand together, on the edge of the new camp, your own things a few hundred feet off back the way you came. It's still the middle of the night, but the danger has passed, or so you hope.  What would you like to do now?

Balassar will just walk in and take a moment before stepping back out and looking around as he just begins to head back to their encampment.

Silent follows Balassar back to their camp. As they get ready to hunker down for the night he says, I'll take watch. Ain't no chance of me getting any sleep now. 

No need for any rolls, Silent takes watch, and the morning comes. You are all able to complete a long rest. As you are packing up your camp shortly after dawn, you see the Righteous Brand, who obviously woke and got ready for travel before you, headed in your direction. 

The officer is mounted once again, and he stops as he passes by. I am Captain Wendrin Odar of the Righteous Brand, he says in a loud enough voice to be heard by his soldiers as well as the three of you. To those of you who lent aid to my soldiers, and fought at our side, I offer my thanks. He looks a little like the words will make him puke. And to those who offered only misguided words of peace, I encourage you to think long and hard on your duty to the Empire and our King, and endeavour to serve better in future. He starts moving off, as the other soldiers walk or ride by carrying their equipment. You notice one corpse slung over the back of a horse, with some care though little dignity, wrapped in a blanket. There is only one corpse, as far as you can see.

Silent watches the soldiers leave. He briefly considers going back to see if the Krynn corpses were left behind, but shakes his head, mutters something unintelligible and turns to the others. 

Back on the road to Felderwin then, lads? We still gotta meet your folks, he adds, looking at Alton. 

Alton gathers up his things and climbs up in the back of the cart, "I'm ready to get going when you guys are." 

You walk on, leaving the scene of battle behind you, and wondering about the different approaches you took and whether other outcomes might have been possible...

Ghost returns to your side, happier now that the crowd of soldiers and the sounds of battle are behind you.  Over the coming days, the faint trail that crosses the wildlands gives way to a more substantial trail and a few scattered houses, then a few tiny villages, then once again to the road you travelled on before, the road leading to Felderwin.  You start to encounter villagers, and get a few reactions to Ghost - some fearful, others - small halfling children especially, friendly and eager to pet the strange doggy, though Ghost is still too skittish to let them approach him and they leave disappointed.

If you want to spend these days continuing to train Ghost, someone give me an Animal Handling check and tell me what you're focusing on.

Whoever is driving, give me an Animal handling check as you control the cart.

No need for a Perception check, as there's nothing around to threaten you.

Eventually (we'll see based on your rolls how many days it takes), you reach the point where the road to Felderwin, quite broad and well-maintained now, continues on, but the smaller path that leads to Alton's village forks off to the side.  Which way are you going?

Assuming Balassar is training Ghost, Silent will take the reins. Unless Alton objects, Silent will assume he still wants to visit his village and will steer the cart in that direction. 

Animal Handling 7 

Alton will help out with training Ghost.

Balassar will just continue to train Ghost to guard three three of them and attack on command.

When they reach the fork he just looks at his two companions "Still going to Alton's before the town right?"

OOC:

Animal Handling check: 7

(That's kind of two things, but luckily you rolled a nat20, so...)

Balasaar and Alton, the training goes well, and Ghost seems to enjoy it. You do need to use a fair amount of trail rations as rewards in order to encourage his behaviour, so deduct three additional rations, as well as the ones you are consuming yourselves. You're all watching that, right???  Anyway, Ghost does a lot of running around as well, burning off those extra calories.  He's nowhere near ready to perform these tasks reliably, but you made good progress.

FYI, the areas for Ghost's training that I've got so far are:
Following movement commands (2/?)
Following commands to attack (1/?)
Increased stats (pick one to train) Not started
Standing guard at night (1/?)

There are others you can suggest if you like.  It will take multiple days training the same one to have an effect, of course.  He's a wolf, not a dog.  Might be a downtime project for someone.

The little villages turn into larger villages, with larger fields though empty as you are now well into autumn. And eventually, after three more days of travelling, you come to a place in the road that is very familiar to Alton.  Alton, you've recognised more and more of the countryside over the last day or two - this isn't a road you've travelled too many times, as it's not the one leading to Felderwin, but you've seen some familiar sights, and now you know you are perhaps two hours only from the village of Wildshire.  It's around noon - plenty of time to reach it before nightfall, though you can hardly imagine there will be dangers in these parts - this is maybe the safest place in the world.

What would you like to do?

"Hey, were not that far off from Wildshire; maybe a few hours away. If you two are still okay with going there." Alton says as he climbs from the back of the cart to sit next to Silent up front. 

Silent, taking in the pastoral sights, asks Alton, Where to, mate? We headed straight to your folks' place? 

(Edit: Somehow I didn't see SirKarnic's last post before making mine - yeah, Silent is ready to head toward Wildshire and will follow Alton's directions)