-----“Yes, I would like to go to the village you mention,” the woman says, looking at Sol with wide eyes.
-----“Are you sure you feel like traveling, Sol?” Garrison says interrupting. “By the Great Hunter, man, you’re bleeding!” Sure enough, trickles of blood are seen seeping out from the sides of the Gorian’s chest plate and his left arm is likewise wounded and bloodied.
-----Lovan grimaces as he moves closer to the young warrior scanning his face. “What DID you find in there?” the Storm Priest asks nodding at the large structure.
-----Dilton comes over and whispers something to Garrison. Both warriors then look oddly at the young warrior.
-----"A challenge o' sorts," comes the battered warrior's serious answer to Lovan. Sol thumps his helmet back, before adding, "Stick yer head in if ye like, ye won't see much left." Realizing it might take some time to build up to speed, Sol begins trudging ahead of the group, back the way they came. To Garrison, the Gorian overrules the hunter's concern, "I'm feeling much better than I was before... We'll get some rest come dark."
-----Jeilin stands for a moment looking about at the now quiet village. The priestess then turns and follows the group down the hill without further words.
-----Everyone remains silent as they trudge down the hill as if they wish to stir nothing else that could be hiding in the area. The sky loses its angry look although the clouds remain thick and overcast.
-----Once they reach the base of the hill and they begin moving through the field of brambles. Garrison leads them through, following the way they came before.
-----When they are close to the end of the field, Garrison says to Sol, “Once we return to the village, we need to get your wounds bound up.”
-----Just then, a loud whinnying is heard. Somewhere just beyond the edge of the briars, Thunder and the other horses wait.
-----Pushing aside a rather stubborn thicket of brambles, Sol absently waves agreement to Garrison. The Gorian's strides now noticeably lengthen and his pace increases, eagerness apparent on his face at the sound of his horse's call.
-----Just as Sol emerges from the thicket, he is met with the sight of his stallion galloping toward him. Thunder tosses his head in an almost angry fashion as if frustrated from the time he spent without charging across the plains.
-----Garrison quickly locates the other horses and everyone mounts up. This time, Jeilin rides behind Dilton in the saddle while the woodsman helps the robed woman onto his own mount.
-----Lovan eyes Sol as he stiffly rises into his saddle and Garrison calls to the young warrior, “You set the pace.”
-----Sol leans over Thunder and says to the mount, "You heard them, you set the pace."
-----Jeilin politely declines Dilton's offer this time. "Why, I shouldn't leave Shakalee wandering all alone now," she says as she stands in front of the black horse. Methodically, she then mounts up a bit stiffly as she recalls the techniques learned from not too long ago.
-----Dilton looks a bit flustered and mutters to himself as if suddenly overwhelmed by the recent turn of events. “Goblinses . . . coins . . . lighnin’ storms,” he is heard to say before he dismounts and helps Jeilin into her own saddle. He then retakes to his own saddle and turns his horse to follow the others.
-----Thunder whinnies as if calling attention to himself before rumbling off. The mighty stallion at first heads toward the open plains before Sol turns him back toward the village they had left earlier. . . .
-----Moments later, the five horses carry their riders up the incline of the hill. As they reach the crest and move among the buildings there, they see people emerge slowly and stare in their direction.
-----Soon the blacksmith comes out to greet them and he approaches them saying, “My friends! You have returned to us! Have you met with trouble?” His face reflects concern.
-----Garrison jumps down first and then turns to help the lady they rescued from the saddle. As he does so, the woodsman says, “We rescued a woman here from the ruins not far from here.” Casting a glance at Sol, he adds, “We also have some fresh wounds.”
-----"I know yer straining somewhat at th' seams already, but I hope ye can take just one more refugee. There were a few goblins in th' local scrub, an' they'd taken her fer whatever reasons they do. We've dealt wi' all th' little gobkin we could find... " Sol shrugs as he slowly dismounts. Briefly he gives Garrison a sullen look before speaking the blacksmith again, "Also, if ye've some spare patches o' cloth, I need t'plug a leak or two. Then we can be on our way fer real this time!"