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-----Next, Raven reaches up on a stacked box and finds a leather backpack. It looks remarkably like the one belonging to Sarah, the one she stored the Darkening Crystal in. Looking inside, the pack is empty.
-----Finally, on the other side of where Sarah had been found, Raven finds what remains of a book. The inner leaves of paper have been torn out and the cover ripped in two.
-----Handing this over to the Dread Pirate, Gimplefwick sees a name written on what was once the inside cover of the book. He reads it aloud and the name he reads is, "Aaron Repe’."
-----Apparently baffled at the lone set of footprints, the Dread Pirate first clambers upon the crates as high as he can get to the roof. From this vantage point, he tries to ascertain if any means of entry could have been obtained from this area. There appears to no windows or opening to the roof.
-----He then climbs back down and begins shifting crates around, to see if there is some sort of tunnel system or hiding place, hidden underneath the nearby boxes. Raven and Kazel help out and after moving the containers around in various places, they find no exits through the floor.
-----Shrugging his shoulders, the Dread Pirate glares at the surrounding crates, "Arrrr, either he used magic to get in and out, or he leaped from crate to crate, leaving no other footprints. In any case, I think we found all we're going to find." The Dread Pirate takes a closer look at the torn book, hoping it will shed some more light on the mysterious Repe.
-----Kazel grabs the book cover and takes a look at it. "This is a book of hers or have you never seen it before?" she asks Raven. "And is that her handwriting?"
-----Raven looks at the book. "Can't say I've seen it before. I've never seen Sarah's handwriting." Raven looks around the room, "Damn! I hate when a trail goes cold." Raven pauses, "Maybe we ask those workers if they've seen that gem guy, Aaron Repe, around. If we can find Repe, we'll be closer to find who attacked Sarah." Raven sits down on a crate, "Any ideas?"
-----Kazel then examines the ceiling above the footprint for rafters, ropes or other kinds of transport that might facilitate travel above the floor. Then finally she goes over to the spot where Sarah was found and looks for any unusual signs near her 'body print', such as stains or trails left behind by someone dragging her body.
-----Finding nothing more, Kazel suggests checking up on Seth and Sol, then hitting the teamster's place next.
-----As Raven, Kazel and the Dread Pirate walk outside, the two workers trudge back into the building to work. Outside, they see Sol and Seth looking over Sarah’s horse.
-----Raven calls to the two workers, "Hey, you guys seen a guy named Aaron Repe around? He's some sort of rock expert. He's about this tall and looks like he's never given a honest day work in his whole life."
-----Sol holds his hand up to Raven and intervenes, "I've already questioned them Raven. They don't know a great deal."
-----The Dread Pirate looks askance at Sarah's horse as the group approaches Sol and Seth, "Arrrr, we didn't find much, but a ripped up book with Repe's name on it. It seems to be kind of an obvious clue. Almost too obvious, if ye ask me. Who'd be goin and leavin somethin as incriminatin as a book with their name in it at a crime scene. Seems kind o' suspicious. Unless this Repe landlubber is a complete idiot. A set of footprints were also present, but were all by themselves. No tracks leadin up to, or away from 'em. No tunnels or evidence of ropes bein used either. Very odd, in any case."
-----Gimplefwick looks at the other two, "Well, in any case, ye managed to find Sarah's horse. Which was lost, wasn't it? Or was it? Things were happenin pretty quickly there fer awhile. Speakin o' which, ye seem to have some sort of familiarity with this Repe scalawag. What be the story with him?"
-----Sol turns to Gimplefwick and replies, "It doesn't seem to be finding Sarah's horse that's important, but Marlexana seems t'be in some sort o' trance. Some magic must've been cast on her or affecting her, 'cause her eyes are glowin' in a peculiar way." Sol frowns slightly as he adds, "As fer this 'Aaron Repe', you know as much about him as I do. Considering we all saw him at the same time, and ye've heard the same things about him." With a flick of his eyes Sol ends, "So what now?"
-----Sol looks around at his silent companions and once more speaks, "All right then. Um...As I see it, we have several distinct choices about what t'do next. On one hand we can wait till Sarah recuperates, and if Seth needs the time to try some spells on her. Problem is, the more time we spend doing that, the more time our enemies have t'spread their influence. We know time is a factor working against us. So on the other hand, we have a forced split. Sarah, Rinda and possibly Seth stay behind, whilst the rest of us continue our mission." Sol looks apologetically at Raven for this suggestion.
-----Sol pauses a moment to collect his thoughts, then continues, "Where we go next from here is just as much an issue. We continue on to Oakwood, pursuing this Woder and any information he holds. Problem here is, a month ago when we were dealing with similar problems, the co-ordinated bandits were in the end a diversion. A dangerous one fer the people of Hearthorn, but still one nonetheless. I'm not saying we leave them completely, but I'm not sure I want t'go out of my way t'deal with them yet."
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