-----The party now passes way off to the west the hill where another abandoned village was located and where Sol, Jeilin and Raven had last seen Whisper. In the next mile the trail road takes them along the eastern edge of a marshy area. The horses’ tails swish back and forth trying to swat the small insects that bother them and their riders. Beyond this, the trail road turns move southward and it eventually joins up with a small road that leads down off the hill they passed. Their trail now leads more easterly before angling southeast hopefully toward the Town of Black Bog.
-----“We’re probably two hours away from Black Bog now,” Jyan reports and he seems optimistic as he turns away from the sun.
-----In the next half-hour, the trail takes them along a barren patch of dried ground through to a grassy level plain and then into another marshy area. With the marsh, a small sidetrack leads off to where some small buildings are seen.
-----Sol jerks his head in the direction of the sidetrack and suggests, "Let's have a look down here first. I've no idea which path they might have taken, but we're getting close enough t'Black Bog that I want t'check as much as possible." Thunder starts to head towards the buildings.
-----Jeilin voices no objection, with her attention on the layout of the land. She follows along as she makes a quick mark on a map before putting it away.
-----As they edge closer to the buildings, the air feels humid and balmy. Soon they pass the first of what must be house built in a human settlement. The houses resemble small cabins on the ‘outskirts’ of a small thorp. The cabins seemed to be built up on their foundations, perhaps to escape rising water in this small marsh.
-----Of the cabins, there were ten although two of them had been burned down. These cabins formed an uneven circle around the small business/shop buildings of which there were five. The whole small settlement probably took up no more space than one hundred yards across.
-----All of the buildings appear to be empty from the adventurers’ vantage point. Of the small business shops, signs could be seen hanging above their doors. A larger coop house and fenced-in area would have belonged to a poulterer. Another shop had a picture of rolled bundles of cloth. Above another door hung a weathered section of fur. Another sign was one that featured arrows. A final small shop, which seemed to be one of stone and finely built, featured three golden rings on its door sign.
-----Pil narrows his eyes as he scans the surroundings. He cautiously places his hand on his sheathed sword.
-----Dilton looks at Jeilin as if to see what the Star Priestess thinks of this place.
-----"Hmm," Jeilin seems to brighten up at the sight of the door with the three golden rings. Oblivious, she begins to veer off towards the stone building for a closer look.
-----Sol follows, dismounting near the door, expecting to move inside with the priestess.
-----Jeilin and Sol find the door to the stone building ajar. As they peer inside they see the interior of what must have once been a very fine human living quarter. The humans had used a plaster type material on the walls. Now in its vacated condition, parts of the walls have been worn and chipped. The flooring is of a hard wood, stained a dark color. All the furniture has been removed and all that remains is a fancy mantelpiece over an open fireplace.
-----Pil quickly takes a position in between the buildings and keeps a sharp eye out while his hand continues to rest on his sword.
-----“Whisper was here,” Rinda suddenly says with a bit of frustration in her tone. The Huntress kneels on the ground not far from the stone building; her eyes searching the ground. “I see no sign of Raven,” she adds.
-----"Rinda, take Garrison an' check th' perimeter o' this place, an' see if ye can find any sign o' others. Strolum, Pil, go wi' 'em. We'll wrap up here as soon as Jeilin is done." Sol tells them, before pushing the door open fully and stepping in, eyes quickly scanning the interior.
-----Jeilin goes around the room, somewhat disappointed at the lack of any symbols or clues. She takes a look at the walls and mantelpiece.
-----Jeilin and Sol can see that dust has accumulated in this room. Perhaps this thorp had been evacuated months ago.
-----“Whisper was not alone here,” they hear Rinda’s voice from outside. “There were at least two others . . . a dwarf and a human woman.”
-----"Have a look around." Sol calls his reply as he steps out of the building, "Can ye find which way they might've headed out of here?"
-----After a few moments Jeilin exits the small house as well. As the others look around she is seen heading towards the cabin with the arrows sign.
-----Rinda checks the ground again just in front of the stone building. She then stands up and says, “Whisper headed back toward the main road. It looks like the other two followed him. I don’t think they were stalking him.”
-----Dilton frowns and follows Jeilin to the next building.
-----“These tracks look to be a day or two old,” Garrison adds as he follows the tracks proving their direction.
-----“The elf’s moved on . . . as should we,” Lovan grumbles.
-----Sol remounts, looking to where the priestess went. "Soon as we're done, Lovan."
-----A moment later Jeilin re-emerges. She nods quietly as she heads back to her horse, ready to move on.