Once you reach the driver and roll him over, you see, with a pang of regret, that one of his ribs must have punctured a lung.  A trickle of blood traces from the corner of his mouth and his eyes are blank, staring at nothing.

There is scrub all around that would provide limited cover varying from 3 to 4' in height, and small copses of a dozen or so trees each, so not much good for hide and seek.  Perhaps a few hundred yards to the south, however, you see the beginnings of a larger forest.

With a solitary tear drying on your cheek, you take off at a sustainable pace, eyes open for trouble, fellow travelers, and inspiring vistas.  As fine a life as you had in the Shire, you are finding that you have missed the openness of the plains, if not the mocking of the herd.  You pass through a couple of small farming clusters, but their residents are all busy with livestock or toiling in the fields.  Some few wave in greeting, others have trouble doing more than staring as they've never seen a centaur before.  Around midafternoon, you top a rise and slow for a moment to look around.  While this land has many more hills than home, the green expanses do bring back memories.  A rumble of hunger suddenly reminds you of the hour and the energy you have been spending today.

While you feel the woman talking to you seems genuine in her greeting, the other one that came out to meet you is standing off to the side with an odd look on her face that you do not understand.

She looks up at you, eyes wide, seemingly shocked that you noticed her, gives a quick shake of her head and turns to head back to her house.  "Don't mind her none," the other woman says, "she and her family just moved here not too long ago, and she's always acting like that.  Come, now, let's see about getting you something to eat."  She holds out her hand, beckoning you along as she starts to move back to her own house.

As the boy takes the wagon towards the barn, a thought strikes you, the frowning woman was probably expecting someone else to be on the wagon.  However, the one smiling at you and offering a place at her table reminds you more of a nice hobbit maid (even though she's human) with her warm offer of hospitality.

You enter a modest abode, hearth ablaze to ward off the evening chill, and filled with wonderful smells of food that set you stomach rumbling.  You see a dwarf setting places at the table.  The woman says to him, "honey, grab an extra plate, we have a guest tonight."  He turns to look at her, then at you and gives a good natured grunt and moves to grab an additional place setting.  "Oh, dear," she gasps, "where are my manners!  I am Lorelle, and this is my husband Rolf," pointing to the dwarf who nods in acknowledgement.  "Cedric should be back in a moment once he gets your ox out to graze.  May I ask your name, so we can address you properly?"  She offers both hands together as she half bows in a formal sort of greeting.

The chest is simple and unlocked.  Inside are three hardened leather masks.  One painted as a sunburst, the next a crescent moon and the final resembles a full moon.  Beneath them are the robes you recognize from your first meeting with the scoundrels.  Lastly, there are 3 weighted leather sheaths that reflexively make your neck ache as you realize these are what they had used on you to start this whole predicament.  Roll investigation check.

Chesterfield eats cautiously, "So how many have you picked up total? Am I the first? Second? Twentieth?" He holds his hands up so the captor can see the bindings, "And these? You give me travel rations, yet treat me like a prisoner? What kind of arrangement is this?" He also takes moment to study his captors Perception: 17

"Hmmm, I suppose there be no harm in those answers.  'Twasn't but mayhap six months ago I was in your place,   Only three for young Rudy up front.  And we both were at least as upset by it as you.  But then we were shown the Light of the One Mind, now we help bring The One to others so they may see clearly as well."  OOC:  the food you have is fresh, or at least under a day old, anyway, not preserved travel rations.

Bartholomew uses his disguise kit and try to blend in with the bushes. Deception roll: 22

Chesterfield nods in interest as the person speaks. "Now, when you were in my position did you receive a boot the the head? I haven't been very fond on that practice and would very much like for the rest of this experience to involve less pain. If I may ask another question of you; how did you decide to grab me specifically. Unless my head injury is worse than expected I seem to remember being set up in an alleyway. Like my abduction was planned." He waits for a moment and then continues, "And speaking of abduction, if it's ransom you want, my family has loads of gold. Here, untie my hands and let me into my pack, I've got something of extreme value in there that you can have as a down payment."

OOC: I'll roll whatever is appropriate.

Kina is half horse, half human, all hunger! She gets out a generous portion of food to eat and finds a suitably flat bit of ground to sit on to dig in, after taking a quick look around to be sure there aren't any more robed attackers waiting to stab at her berries and bread loaf. She was kind and merciful before because she wasn't hungry. If they attack her on an empty stomach, they'll be lucky she doesn't just gnaw off their legs.

As she eats, she thinks about how in the world she's going to be able to convince anyone to follow HER, fresh out of a small town with only a few scraps of paper and some masks as leads to go on. She was able to defeat three attackers on her own, but they weren't even trying to kill her, they were trying to capture her.

She looks at her pack, the moon mask peeking out at her.

She doesn't have the luxury of doubt. If she doesn't try, more people are going to be abducted and more families will be made incomplete. She refuses to stand idly by and wait for someone else to stop them.

Roll an Insight check to see if you grabbed the bundle with your gear before you jumped.

Your "friend" chuckles a bit, "no, wasn't so fond of the blackjack's kiss either, but at least it doesn't let blood."  He thinks for a moment then adds, "but it is a safe method to move, especially troublesome folks that haven't joined.  As to who, The One knows All, The One Chooses his disciples, we are just the gatherers of the Chosen.  Until we earn something more.  As for gold, or ransom, what need of there is that with The One?  We do not go hungry, we do not suffer the chill of the night, what more is necessary?  The embrace of a loved one?  That too is promised for those who prove worthy.  If you have gold with you, it will still be yours after the joining.  We are not thieves, we only seek to bring The One to the unenlightened."

Freshly refueled, you continue, using the sun as a guide and small hand-drawn map from your mentor showing the general direction to Moorsedge.  The afternoon passes quickly, and you soon find yourself in a deepening twilight.  As you reach the top of the next rise, you breathe a sigh of relief as you see the glow of farmhouse windows in the dell below.  Looks to be a collective of 3 or 4 farms.  You see no movement from here, but truly expect none at this hour.

"Well met, Sir Cade.  Now, eat up," she adds placing trays of meat and bread, and bowls of cheese and cooked vegetables on the center of the table and sliding into a seat herself.  As if on cue, Cedric bursts through the door and runs for his stool.  "Manners, boy!" grumbles Rolf, "shut the door, already, we don't live in a barn!"  Cedric skids to a stop and turns back to carefully close the door then comes back to the table.

Chesterfield sighs... "You know, you're making this sound very ominous. But charming in a way, I suppose. Could you tell me more about this One? I am curious." Chesterfield then begins convulsing and foaming at the mouth. "Oh gods, I'm having a panic attack! These bonds!" He begins gasping for air "Please, please, please! I am deathly claustrophobic!" Deception: 19

If this doesn't work then Chesterfield will just go along with the wagon until they stop somewhere. lol.

Inside each of the masks you find folded scraps of parchment.  After a brief perusal, the seem to each be copies of the same to items.  The first a crude map which you think can only be the southern section of the Greymere Moor, strange as that is because no one goes into the moor anymore.  The second is a list of names, the first few lined out, yours being the last of that category.  Near the top of the list you recognize the name of a sargent you served under a few months back, who retired from the line shortly afterward.

"Oh for the mercy of the One," you hear, as he moves toward you, "get back here and help me hold him down, or he's gonna flop right over the side."  He leans over you, trying to wrap his arms around as best he can in an attempt to control the convulsions.