Arnald looks up to where Sly is circling around keeping watch and mutters to himself, "Sure wish you could turn into a dire badger or something to help with the digging." as he walks over to Sylyra to borrow the miners pick and then gets to work breaking the ground up.

OOC: I'll take silence as confirmation and assume that everyone is fine with the suggestion to use wood from the forest.

While Arnald works to lay the ground work for the palisade, Sly soon screeches a word of warning. A group of the Folk, led by Ulburto, the crones, and the boatman, have left the center of the island village to walk toward the others who are venturing back toward the Dark Wood to look for usable trees.

Arnald looks up to Sly and listens to the what the familiar is telling him. Looking to the others who didn't head to the woods, "Something's up."  Arnald lays the pickax down and draws his bow and an arrow, just in case.

OOC: If needed, Arnald will move to ensure clear line of sight. He will then ready an action to shoot the first person that attempts to attack our party.

((OOC: Are we protecting ourselves with this palisade or the village? Because now it sounds like we are trying to direct the enemies our way, instead of the village))

I thought there was only one real entrance to the village and we were bottlenecking it.

Is Sylyra in the woods? 1=yes, 2=no: 1

Almost grumbling aloud, Sylyra marches through the woods looking for suitable wood.

Uragum asks the others, "what about fishing nets?  You think they got long ones and we could rig em to drop?"

OOC: The purpose of the palisade wall can be whatever you'd prefer. I was assuming that it would be used to funnel/bottleneck any potential enemies to a single location like Bduds has said. There's not enough time before dark to fully wall off the village, but you could instead construct a wall around a single location if you'd prefer. Just let me know.

"Stop!" Ulburto shouts while Sylyra is looking for the appropriate trees. At the sight of Arnald's drawn bow, his hand goes to the hatchet at his side. The crones step forward together, eyeing the party menacingly.

"We have let you wander about our island freely," the first crone says. The second continues, "We have entertained your presence." The third, after a moment, finishes the thought, "You may not take our trees. Your purpose, noble though it surely is..." her words drip with sarcasm as she glances again to Arnald. "...does not require the use of our nuts and fruit. Our living wood is a limited resource."

Sylyra steps back toward the locals. "Living wood?" he repeats, curious.

OOC: Ola's intention was to protect the barn with the horses in it. Nothing else.

"And yet you never pick up those nuts and fruits, d you? We already know the forest is forbidden." "Anyway, we were going to use dead or dying trees that do not give fruits and nuts anymore. What is the problem with that?"

Slowly easing the tension on his arrow, Arnald speaks loud enough for them all to hear, "Again I recommend that we get our horses and get away from here while we can. They've seen the 'lunaman' so they know something's coming. Either they're fine with losing their mind, which may be an improvement for some of 'em, or they're hiding something. Maybe they're part of what's causing folks to lose their minds. Either way, it really doesn't seem like a place we need to be. We've already lost one soul on this trip, why risk more for people who don't want the help?"

Shaking his head in frustration, Arnald looks over to Ulburto, "I see you reaching for your weapon. You seem the type to like to fight. So why won't you agree to help defend this place rather than trying to prevent us from doing it?"

Looking to the old crons, "You three seem to have a lot of pull around here but are surprisingly okay with the threat that's coming? Are you all such powerful mages that you know you can defend the village without us? Is that why your so aloof? Does your magic draw power from the trees? Is that why the first time you've even seemed to care about what we're doing is when we go to get some lumber?"

Exasperated, Arnald looks to his party members, "Dammit, I have a bad feeling about all of this!"

"I tend to agree, but the ferryman said we are locked here until the storm quiets down. And we were supposed to see, what is attacking villages around, we might not get the good look from across the water. We still can reinforce the barn and observe the attack from there."

Hearing Ola's words Arnald just shakes his head. He then looks back up to the barn, "I wonder..."

OOC: DM, is there a hayloft in the top of the barn where Arnald could set up and snipe at folks? If not, could he reasonably climb onto the roof?

(Btw, if Elisande is still with us, Ola would ask her to do a very important job - to stay in the barn with the horses and make sure they are fine during the night.)

"Yes, living wood," an exasperated crone says, "Look around you. The trees breathe as any of us do, as any of the grass does. The Dark Wood is precious. When these trees no longer breathe, then we will no longer have food. When our buildings fall, we will have no wood to build with."

Another crone barks, "So no. You may not use our living wood for whatever your strange purpose."

Ulburto's hand inches away from his axe when Arnald eases his bow, but the man's temperament seems as wild as the wind whipping up the rain around the scene. "I see no danger," he states simply, "You show the most danger."

Elisande, for her part, is thrilled to have a job requested of her. She remains behind in the barn while the Folk stand off against the Outsides that wish to use their trees.

For Arnald:

"What is more important?" Sylyra asks, anger coloring his tone. "These trees or the people and animals who live among them?" He huffs and looks at the boatman. "Are you sure we cannot return to the shore tonight? You are clearly uneasy by our presence, and I think the sooner we can part company, the better."

Arnald grins at Ulburto's comment. "You ain't seen nothing, yet." He then turns and walks over to the barn attempting to find an easy way to get up, and back down, from the barn roof. He wants to position himself on the side opposite from where they're trying to funnel people, so that he can use the arch of the roof as cover.

To Sly he thinks, "Something's fishy. Won't fight to defend themselves but will fight to save the trees. But they're not druids. Sly, dive down closer to the trees and do a sweep over the forest. I give you permission to go out of communications range if needed, just not for too long."

Uragum would roll his eyes if that was something his people did.  "I don't get what's going on but I'll give yall this last warning.  If we are right in this.  Then this place is at risk for attack and if they find you out in the village, they will likely burn the trees down looking for ya.  Seems you're not interested in saving your own lives but just think on that."

"It'd be a death sentence," Warsh answers Sylyra. "The currents'll blast us all to pieces upon the rocks faster than the rain is fallin'. 'Course, ye're welcome to try. I won't stop ya."

Sly flies away from Arnald as he walks back to the barn, soaring high above the treeline. The wind whips the hawk back and forth, its speed increasing even as the conversation occurs.

"Auril's Kiss," the elf curses. He looks at Ola. "I'm going in the barn." Without waiting for a reply, he heads for the dilapidated structure.