Nos Heliwr will try and get everyone to agree to head out for Grunal, seeing as there is not much really happening in this vil, at the moment that is. "Though it make's ye wund'r what a heavy like Varnell is doin' 'ere, eh?"

While in the clothing shop, Salazar picks a light overcoat with purple and red accents.  "This is exceptional, and it looks like it'll travel well.  And look at the pockets on the inside!  This is fine craftsmanship.  Well done if you made this, and good eye if you didn't.  It's worth a couple silver."  Salazar gives the shopkeep 2 silver.

To Nos: "Truthfully, I'm not sure I want to know what he's doing here.  His get up is not cheap, so it must be something big.  I say we sell some of what we are holding and get out of here."

(Question stemming from my largely dissociative bit for the past few weeks:  Did we end up with the illegal goods or did we leave that with the ship?)

The illegal cargo was kept by the ship - and was due to be dropped off here in Zaneth soon.  If you recall Birgen told you they were due to be handing it over to Varnell.  The money you have is all legal and safe to spend.

The morning passes peacefully and it's lovely to be able to wander this quiet fishing port in total freedom.  A fresh breeze blows in off the sea, but the sun is shining and the day is bright.  Only two days ago you were all captives on board a ship, though that seems a long time ago now.

"The weather is perfect for traveling," Claire declares to the others.  "Now that we have something like a destination, I say we travel.  Let's be done with this town, and the sea, for the moment, and find our land-legs again on the road.  ... We might want to stop by and purchase a tent or two before we set off, in case such weather doesn't hold," she adds as an afterthought.

Fingering her scarf, she looks at Vaclav and Salazar, who is wearing fine new clothing.  "Can you two take me to the market where you got these?  I can pick up a few supplies for the road before we set off.  A waxed cloak for any eventual rainfall would be something I'd recommend to everyone.  Nothing more miserable than marching in the rain," she grumbles.

"Okay, let's go," Nos Heliwr says. "To Grunal."

Vaclav simply stays silent throughout the conversation. He waves Claire over and leads her to the store that he found. He simply waits outside for her to be done, occasionally glancing up at the sky.

"Ah, that's true.  I could also use with something to keep the rain off.  I'll go with you.  Take the lead, Pink."

With a new wardrobe selected and paid for you feel ready to face the world.   There is a shop here where you can buy tarpaulin to use as a shelter, if not a full blown tent.  There's a general store where you can also pick up rations and general adventuring gear.   Selection is limited, and all the store keepers tell you that there will be more items available when the next Guild ship arrives and many tell you they are saving their better items to sell at market tomorrow. 

(You can buy anything from the PHB with a maximum single price of 5 gp here in Zaneth.  You might be able to buy more rare/expensive things tomorrow at market).   

If the plan is to head out to Grunal it's now approaching noon and it's about a day's hard walk there, so you would definitely end up sleeping out in the wilds.  Generally, the settlements in Lucarcia are safe enough, but everywhere in between is more of a lottery.  In theory Baron Gilbert's enforcers (the guys with the orange bandanas) are responsible for keeping the road between Zaneth and Grunal safe, but they are small in number and don't often travel along the road.  They certainly don't patrol deep into the wilds or camp out at night.

Dangers likely to be faced by travellers on the road include wild animals (bears and wolves are common in this region), occasional bandits, and even rarely humanoids raiding from the mountains, though this is particularly unusual, especially now that spring is here.

Claire looks through the shops for some traveling gear, trying to best prepare herself for a march into the unknown.  She takes her time browsing through the wares, searching for all sorts of supplies that she thinks she will need.

edit: I just saw the post above, will adjust purchases accordingly

Vaclav keeps his traveling pack light but sends Chernobog out ahead of the group, telling him to scout the road and the forest. 

He does seem a bit put out at not being able to purchase some nicer things though.

After rummaging through the wares offered, Claire walks away with a satchel of things tucked away in her pack.  "Sorry for taking so long," she apologizes, as she straps the pack on and nods at the others.  "I think I'm prepared for a journey now, though."

"I dinna mind sleepin' undder th' stars," Nos Heliwr says when all seem to be about ready to depart. "Jus' be needin' t' find good sites t' camp 'n' make sure the watch bes tight."

Vaclav nods. "Chernobog can always help with watches but I'm afraid he's not the most perceptive owl. Despite the fact that he doesn't need to eat on this plane he is very distracted by mice." 

The road from Zaneth to Grunal leads through winding farmlands and arable lands.  This place is nothing like the beautiful rambling countryside of Claire's native Albion, but it's the most fertile section of land on the entire island of Ibini.  You pass numerous small holdings and farms along the way.   Men and women are out ploughing and tilling in preparation for crop planting in the coming weeks.  The weather holds through the afternoon and though it's cold and crisp, once you move inland and away from the sea breezes, the bright sun paints a cheerful disposition on the journey.

You pass a few people on the road, all of whom appear headed for Zaneth and most of whom are laden with goods.  You realize they must all be headed into the village for market day tomorrow.  Most are farmers but some are pedlars and other merchants with wagons and overburdened donkeys.  An occasional patrol of orange bandana-wearing enforcers passes you on the road.  They look you up and down but don't stop you.

You stroll along the well travelled road, which is paved in many places, and flat packed chalk and flint in others, until the sun begins its daily descent in the west.  The mountains to the west are so far distant that they don't really affect the time of the sunset - they merely appear as a dark smidge on the horizon when you rise one of the many small hills this farmland road passes through.  As the afternoon wanes you seek out a suitable spot for a campsite, aware that not many travellers stop overnight half way between Zaneth and Grunal.

A small copse near the side of the road, sheltered by a hillock and tiny cleft looks like the perfect spot for a campsite.  You collect some fallen wood for a fire and settle down.  The cleft makes a perfect wind break.  The hillock means the fire will be hidden from many eyes in the wilderness, but the angles mean it would be visible from the road a few hundred feet away.

Is there anything anyone wants to do before you turn in?  Are you having a watch order?

Assessing the campsite, Claire decides to set up her tent in a way that affords the group a bit more privacy from the road, even if her tent was still clearly visible.  When she's done, she claps her hands together and nods in satisfaction.

"We should keep watch this evening," she says to the others as they prepare their bedrolls.  "As I bought that tent, I fully expect to have a place to sleep in it when it is not my watch.  However, I do not mind if any of you wish to use it otherwise.  That means at the most only one of us will have to sleep under the open stars tonight... a rather refreshing prospect," she says with a shiver.  "Well, it is for me at least.  I'm much more used to a much more temperate climate.  This already feels like the crisp, late ends of fall to me, and I'm sure the night will be cold."

She sets her newly purchased lantern by the fire.  "Feel free to use this if you need a bit of light to aid your watch.  I didn't buy much spare fuel, however, so don't keep the lantern running if you're only going to sit by the fireplace this evening," she adds.

"I will be more than happy to keep the first watch.  I would rather, in fact, do that, as it will likely only get colder as the night draws on, and I'd much prefer to weather the coldest hours inside of the tent than out," she admits.  "However if someone would rather take first, I am not opposed to negotiations.  First watch is merely my preference, not my demand."

"We need to make sure everything is out of sight from the road," Nos Heliwr will say. "Be right back.  He will go around the camp setting up piles of twigs and pebbles that will make an audible noise that can be herd in the watch if they are disturbed. Upon returning to the camp he will set up another one and show the others what is sounds like when knocked over. "If ye hear this, wake everyone quick and quiet."

He looks up at the night sky and smiles briefly, "I'll stand the midnight watch."

After eating some food, and after everyone else is settled for the night, he will roll himself up in his cloak and carefully catalog in his mind the normal sounds of the camp sight. Then he will sleep.

Vaclav sets up on the ground, out in the open. When the campfire is set up he simply waves a hand and it springs to light. You notice that he doesn't have a bed roll or even warmer clothes than the ones he was originally wearing. Occasionally he makes the same gesture as he did with the campfire though and he never complains about the chill in the air. "I can take the last watch. I will also set Chernobog in the trees above us. He can mentally wake me if he spots trouble." With that the owl flies up into the trees. 

(I'll edit this with exact purchases that Salazar makes while he's with Claire. One item is a tent)

A whole day.  A day of freedom I thought I would never have.  "I'll join you on first watch, Pink.  When I go to sleep, I don't like being woken up."  He then sighs, mildly regretting that he won't get to enjoy the market day with the people at Zaneth.  He knew that he needed to move on, but he missed the press, the energy of the bartering, needing people.  Always coin to be made on market day.  Would have been nice to be part of it, even in such a small town.  

Salazar sets up his tent and says, "I'm more than willing to share the tent with someone.  Just save me room and don't snore over much."

You set up camp and prepare for night.  The temperature drops rapidly as the sun sets.   It gets dark quickly here and the night sky is lit up by a canopy of brilliant stars.   The moon is approaching full and with the clear night visibility is good. 

Salazar and Claire share first watch and all seems quiet.  The silence is broken occasionally by the soft hooting of a nearby owl that you assume is Vaclav's familiar.  The fact that he's still nearby is encouraging.    You see and hear nothing to worry you through most of the first watch but as time comes to wake Nos Heliwr for the midnight watch you hear the sounds of a far-away howl.  It seems you are not the only ones enjoying the splendour of the bright moon this night.

Nos Heliwr, you are woken and take your watch.  During the next hour or so the sounds of howling at the moon grow slightly and you think there must be more than one wolf out this night.  Then the sound is answered by another howl, this time from the other side of your camp.   Both are still very far off.  But you think they are closing...

Nos Heliwr will nudge everyone awake, telling them to prepare as it seems that wolves seem to be closing on the camp.  "No too close, yet, but best if e'eryone bes ready t' fight.  Bad news if'n yer caught unpreparedm 'n I hears 'em from both sides o' the camp."