-----"As fer there being more captives, maybe we could get Raven t'have a look at those tracks. Maybe wherever they lead is t'another camp?" Sol muses as he looks around for someone he recognizes to send looking for his hunter friend.
-----Jeilin carefully takes the piece of ore with both hands. "Well, hmm." She begins to examine it with a pleased curiosity.
-----The Zanyrian priestess then adds, without looking up, "Rinda was with me - she saw the tracks."
-----As Sol holds out the object he retrieved from his pack, it appears to be a dark colored rock of some sort. Oddly, the ore seems to exert some unseen force as it clings to the Gorian’s gauntlet even pulling his protected fingers closer into contact with it.
-----When Jeilin takes hold of the ore, she finds that she has to pull it from Sol’s grasp. It comes loose in her hands and it feels like a simple rock to her.
-----Few people are milling about other than those the pair of adventurers had seen when they entered the village square.
-----"Rinda? Well enough, though Raven's th' expert. If anyone can find anything, it'll be him." Sol says confidently, still bemused at the properties of the strange rock.
-----Jeilin turns the ore over again and traces its surface with her finger, a look of oblivious concentration on her face. "I think - I must see this hole, in the ground." Still clutching the rock, she begins to glance around as if about to pack up and leave.
-----"Right ye are," comes the Gorian's amiable reply, as he turns to leave himself, "I'll let Raven know an' we'll take ye there, an' have another look at these tracks o' yers. Meet ye on th' north side o' town." Sol sets off to find Raven, and to get Thunder ready to ride.
-----The priestess is then seen walking off, head lowered in studying the rock. After looking up a few times and finding herself going nowhere, she finally gets the right direction towards her horse.
-----Sol quickly finds the hunter at the inn and the two heroes mount up and ride toward the north side of the village to meet Jeilin.
-----“Damn,” Raven curses as he holds a hand up to ward off the brightness of the sun. “I need to grab a rest later on,” he says, “I stayed up all night with the watch keeping an eye on that barn by the orc camp.”
-----As they approach Jeilin sitting on her horse, Raven nods to her. Squinting into the eastern sky, Raven catches sight of the distant smoke rising in the east.
-----“Hey!” he exclaims, “What’s that? Is there battle going on a couple of miles away?”
-----Sol kicks Thunder into a fast trot, replying hoarsely, "Th' remains o' one possibly. We'll go have a look a'fore Jeilin gets t'see th' ore's hole."
-----Jeilin gazes at the sky for a moment, then without a word, urges her black Shakalee to follow.
-----They travel due east heading almost into the sun. The breeze blows at their backs and seems to almost usher them toward the distant smoke. Small fluffy clouds dot the sky revealing a large field of blue beyond.
-----Their ride takes them across the open field where many yards to their south is the eastern gate to the village. Shortly they gain the trail road that led them across this part of Ravenhold to Kulendra.
-----After a mile, the trail road leads them into a swampy area. The road leads straight to the northeast while on both sides are seen the open pools of mosquito-infested waters. All the while the column of dark smoke seems to grow bigger.
-----Finally, they clear the swamp and before them to the east is a large plain dominated by scrub vegetation. Some of the scrub is afire sending trails of smoke into the air. Luckily, the smoke is being pushed by the breeze further off to the east.
-----Here, two armies battle each other! The adventurers can see a smaller force wearing the red and black colors of Ravenhold with their backs to the Altor River. The knights of Ravenhold wear heavy armor and muster as best as they can from their steeds. A line of Ravenhold footmen try to engage their opponents with spears.
-----In the larger force that opposes those of Ravenhold, the adventurers can see many elves and men. They mostly take up positions north of the trail road as they face south. The larger army bears the colors of silver and green and for now are holding off any advances the Ravenhold force could hope to make by the use of their bows. Occasionally, a few brave scouts of Silvergard can be seen running through the rising smoke assaulting the armored footmen.
-----"Gods." Sol chokes in awe. He had yet to see a conflict so large, and the conflict was enough to give the Gorian pause for some moments. Eventually, Sol looks more closely at the Silvergard forces, trying to make out those in command, commenting, "No wonder Ku is yet t'see relief... they were held up." Once he's done that, he begins to ride towards whoever he guesses is leading those opposing Ravenhold's army, his right hand held open, palm forwards. Occasionally, Sol's attention shifts to the battle, his face doing little to hide his eagerness.