-----His eyes fixed on the door, Sol approaches the cottage and comes to stand before its threshold. The warrior looks down briefly, apparently in consideration, before removing his helmet and tucking into his left arm. Satisfied, Sol glances at Jeilin once before reaching up and politely knocking.
-----*rap*
-----*rap*
-----*rap*
-----Sol’s knocking has an eerie quality to it as it intrudes upon the otherwise stillness to the gray night. The door appears to rattle against the jab, and with the third rap, it opens slightly exposing a tiny view of shadows within. The door seems to be finely made, although it appears to have suffered recent abuse and the frame near the catch looks to have been smashed opened.
-----Just then Garrison makes a noise as he comes around the corner of the cottage to alert Sol and Jeilin he is there. “There doesn’t seem to be anybody here,” he says. “I looked in the windows and some of the furniture is smashed. There’s a door around back, but I didn’t try going in.”
-----Sol snorts softly to himself as he takes in Garrison's findings. Quickly he lays out the plan to the others, "Garrison an' I will head in first. I'll take point, Garrison come in next sticking t'th' walls. Jeilin cover us fer th' first moment, an' if nothing happens, head in after us. I want a quick thorough search if we find nothing alive."
-----For what seems the first time, Sol takes note of the crossbow primed and ready in the priestess' hands, and a grin lights up the Gorian's face. Quickly turning, Sol first tries the handle, pushes the door open slowly but purposefully and steps in.
-----"All right," Jeilin whispers back. This time she stays closer to the door, alternately glancing inside it and around the garden while the others head inside first.
-----As Sol moves in, he pauses to let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the interior. Luckily, the moonlight shines in through the windows that face the west. Twin pools of the moonlight shine below the two windows on that wall and Sol can see that the front room is fairly large and was once somewhat cozy. A fireplace is situated on the opposite wall. A large table has been overturned in the center of the room and it looks as if it has been well made. Two large padded chairs have likewise been overturned, though they are not broken.
-----As Jeilin enters behind the two men, it appears as if this home was hurriedly vacated.
-----On the north wall of this room are three doorways. Two lead to two bedrooms while another opens into a kitchen. Though the moon provides a bit of light to the rooms facing the west and north, it is still too dim to see any close details.
-----"No lights." Sol reminds the other two before gesturing to the hunter, "Garrison, take a quick look at the kitchen." The Gorian heads to the door of the first bedroom, intending to open it, conduct a quick search of the room for anything of note, then follow up with the second bedroom.
-----Pulling down her hood, Jeilin looks about the front room for a bit. She then starts from the southeast corner, pausing longer to examine the fireplace before taking her turn to look at each of the smaller rooms.
-----After everyone searches in their respective places, they gather again in the front room. Garrison reports, “I would say that someone quickly raided the place. Food from the kitchen was taken and some of their containers were smashed and broken.”
-----"Seems t'be as it appeared t'be; another victim o' Sintor's preparations. Let's get back t'th' others." Sol rumbles unhappily as he strides towards the door, the only consolation at the find being that he could think of that at least the refugees' progress was safe from any eyes in here.
-----Jeilin follows the others out after giving the room a final look. Somewhat unnecessarily, she closes the front door behind her before leaving.
-----The moon continues to bathe them in light as they mount up and ride back. An eerie feeling seems to grip them as they move toward the distant hedges. Knowing that perhaps many troops reside in the village to the southeast adds to it as well as the unseen wagons somewhere ahead.
-----When they gain the wagons, they find some of the people standing in the shadows outside the caged vehicles watching with wide eyes the return of the riders. Dilton is down off the wagon among the people quietly speaking with them. For the moment, Lovan is no where to be seen.
-----As Sol brings Thunder to a halt and dismounts, a young woman with long hair and wearing a long peasant dress walks up to him. In a fair but firm voice, she asks, “Please, MiLord, tell us where you would take us.”