Tragedy continues talking to Edgar, "S- suspicious? Oh, uh, you don't ask that sort of question to people to people heading to Lonelywood, so I've heard." he tries to laugh it off and his hand goes to scratch the back of his head again, you take the opportunity to stretch over as his eyes go to the ground and the road ahead, reaching to and snatching the first thing you are able to take from the bag over his draft horse. "Hah, no, no, no one suspicious, I'd say." he shakes his head and looks back at you with a troubled smile, his hand making its way over the bag again, but seemingly not noticing what happened.

You eventually peek at the crumpled piece of paper you hold on your hand behind his back. You see some sort of drawing over a darkened and stained parchment, the drawing of a face, Edgar's own face. Over the drawing of his face reads "Wanted by the Flaming Fist" and an offering of a hefty amount of gold (100gp) for his delivery to the authorities in Baldur's Gate or any territory of the Lord's Alliance, alive.

Yes, brave or crazy smiles Saeni. Well, it was pleasure talking to you. I'll leave you two for now, surely you want some time alone. Says she and returns to "her" wagon.

Hello Danai, I've been talking with the other folks in the caravan and many of them are worried of the cultists. Phew, it sounds scary. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. What about you, have you heard any news?

Gerard casually sees Saeni off with a "Take care!" while Ionna just eyes you silently, seemingly satisfied that you're finally leaving.

As you reach Danai, she greets you warmly, but purses her lips in a worried look when you present the subject, "Oh, I don't really know." she touches her chin and ponders for a moment, looking ahead "I came here for a purely academic reason, and both I and my employer hope that that doesn't get into the way of things." she looks back at you, "It's worrying, I hadn't given it much thought, after that Arsenio fellow- hgnn!" she suddenly almost growls in frustration, her clenched fist shaking and her eyes looking ahead angrily towards another wagon beyond the fog and darkness, "Ah! Nevermind..." she takes a breath to calm herself, "Yes, yes, we should all keep our eyes open, rumors or not. Before coming in this journey I was warned how barely four years ago a Chosen of this Frostmaiden almost wiped civilization from this land." 

Arsenio fellow? What happened?

Danai gets a bit embarrassed when Saeni makes her question, "Well, it's just..." she shakes her head with closed eyes hoping to compose herself, but clearly growing angrier, "One of the nights a few days past he approached me, started talking about his mission and how he was going to spend a while here, nothing interesting." she purses her lips for a moment, "His questions and subjects starting getting stranger and I started to cut him off, but he was particularly insistent." she clenches her fist, "At some point, when my patience was nearly running out, I suddenly started... feeling attracted to him, and he came closer." she slams her fist against the arm of her wagon seat, "Moments later I knew what had happened, the bastard had charmed me with magic to advance upon me." she calms down a bit, dusting off snow from her thighs, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with my troubles, I'll get over it." Danai raises from her seat briefly to catch a glimpse of the wagons ahead, "It's getting late now, the caravan is about to stop." she sighes, "Would rather stretch my legs near a fireplace but sure could use a rest anyway." 

—

The caravan continues on the trail for what seem like too many long hours, for either the lack of sunlight makes it impossible to track time properly or Aurilsbreath howling against your face all along makes time stretch this way. After the beasts grow weary and a suitable wind break is found in the form of rolling hills ahead, whistles from further ahead in the caravan signal for the group to stop. Beasts are set loose near their wagons and quickly move to huddle close to each other as their masters cover them with thick blankets and various campfires are being lit around. Guards are spread around making a sort of perimeter around the camp.

The fog is much worse at night on this side of the Spine of the World, you can barely see out to 100 ft away from you, but you are able to see Mithann waving at your group as you eventually pass nearby, sitting alone close to a campfire several steps to the side of the line of wagons.

((If there is anything else you wanted to do before this, just say so and we'll get it sorted. Otherwise, you're free to approach Mithann or go do other things somewhere else.))

Antoine walks over and sits down across from her on the other side of the campfire. He attempts to give her a big smile, and simply says "Hi."

Tragedy joins Antoine and Mithann, silently waiting to see what the priestess has to say.

Mithann grimly nods as you approach, her campfire cleverly placed at the other side of a snow bank giving some sort of privacy from the rest of the caravan, "Greetings friends, I thank you for coming. I know I ask much of you already." she offers you some rather bland—but hot—soup.

After taking a deep breath, she continues "I've spoken to the caravan master. Ignazio has agreed to hold a trial tomorrow, if not for the presence of eventual cultists among us at least to prevent us from bringing petty criminals into the Ten-Towns, which would tarnish the merchant's reputations it seems." she scoffs, "It is not really the way I wanted this to be sorted out, but it is what he wave. The authorities here will share their judgement upon our fellow travelers, casting out those found undesirable, and I've vouched for yours to be included after your investigation. Ignazio is a former magistrate from the south and will represent law, I will represent divine will, and Warduke Emial will represent the will of the Lord's Alliance. You will, collectively, represent an outsider view and cast a vote with us upon any other among the travelers. It will happen shortly after we depart, you should take the night to discuss among yourselves, collect your thoughts, see what else you can find out, and decide upon whom your judgement will fall tomorrow." 

*Still during the original conversation*

Oh that is terrible. Thank you for the warning, I shall be careful around him. Well it seems the caravan is prepared to move again. Would you mind if I share the wagon with you again?  If Danai agrees, Saeni and Mr. Paws hop onto the wagon again crawl into it's rear park watching the back of the caravan from the relative warmth and safety of the wagon.

When the caravan stop again, Saeni picks her bowl and looks for Mithann's campfire. When she finally finds it behind one of the snow banks, she sits near the fire and fills her bowl with the soup and starts eating, sharing some of the few solid parts with her pet and listens to what Mithann has to say. I am terrified to ask but what happens to those that are not considered "reputable" enough?

Danai is happy to have you Saeni her side during the remaining trail for the day, she and her servants even share some stories of warm Chult down south. With the Everlasting Rime around you, just hearing about stories of a lush warm jungle seems impossible to be true.

—

Your group somberly falls silent for a moment around the campfire as Mr. Paws nibbles on the offered food. Mithann sighs and looks back at you with watery eyes, "I know... It is harsh, I urged them to investigate further, but both the Warduke and Ignazio agreed to try to purge out any sort of criminals from the group. They may have their reasons, and other clues I don't know of. Those selected are to be expelled from the caravan and left to fend off for themselves in the wilderness, denied even the chance of following us from a distance, with the guards directed to see that they do not." she remains silent for a while before continuing, looking at each one of you, "I feel the suddenness of this both hinders and helps us. It helps us in that if we manage to cast out the cultists, my package for Bryn Shander will be finally secured, and I may help cease the suffering of the people there finally. It hinders in that we have little time to sort out who to cast out, but we still have the night and one hour in the morning before reaching the place where it will happen." 

"I'm sure Ignazio wouldn't be doing this if they didn't have good enough cause to try these people." Rael seems very optimistic despite the cold and air of impending doom that surrounds them. "And if they do try to follow" He makes a gesture of pulling back his bow "They won't stand a chance."

"What if there are none?" Tragedy asks. "Criminals, I mean. Is there a chance that we do not find anyone guilty, or must the Warduke and Ignazio have someone leave the caravan?"

Mithann nods at you, "They seem to have their suspicions already. And I need to make my mind of mine, and you of yours." she stands up hugging close her leather sack, "Make no mistake, you'll see what passes for justice in these lands. There will be no defense for the accused, they will merely be chosen by the authorities." she sighs, "I only hope I may be able to make the right choice." she looks back at you firmly, "As I've vouched for you, your collective judgement will also be called upon, I pray you may make the right choice. Sleep well." and nods again in some sort of farewell before slowly stepping away.

"Okay..." says Antoine slowly. "So if they want to cast out people they think are criminals... who else is guessing they might be a little discriminatory towards the tieflings among us?"

Tragedy firmly agrees. "No doubt they will." Even if the accusation wouldn't be quite false, she adds in her mind. "Maybe we should go talk to them before tomorrow, to get a little more insight into what exactly they're thinking. Mithann did say she vouched for us, at least."

I don't like this at all. Leaving anyone here to freeze to death just based on some rumors and feelings is a terrible form of "justice". We should persuade them, to at least tie the accused  and bring them to a town for a proper  trial and not his mockery.

The sounds of chatter nearby die off over time, only the constant wind, crackling campfires, and the occasional distant wolf howl fills your ears, the caravan has settled down for the night quietly, groups huddled close together around campfires dot a long line of wagons on the Ten-Trail. You are roughly past the mid part of the wagon line, a bit off the center, behind a snow bank where Mithann had sought some private chatter before, the Caravan Master and his associates are said to be at the front wagons, while others you've already made acquaintances of can be easily found around the campfires, as can all other unfamiliar faces within the perimeters the guards have set. Ignazio's hired crew from Ship Rethnor lazily circle about the encampment, their numbers halved for turns but still seemingly able to cover the whole wagon line within sight—reasonably, of course.

What do you intend to do before (or after) your long rests?

Antoine shivers and rolls over, trying to get to sleep.

Rael will go up to where Ignazio is. 

"Brrr, I take it the weather isn't always this cheery up this way." As he sits down he will look around to see if anyone is nearby and listening. Leaning in close "So Ive heard we will be convening a trial of some sort. You've hired me to help protect this caravan, I will do what I can to do that. Do you have suspects I should be keeping an eye on tonight?"

Tragedy follows Rael, eager to hear Ignazio's answer and the opinions of the people around him.