-----Sol's helmed visage now turned on the hooded elf, and his tone turning stern, the Gorian spoke, "So are we done w' ye or what? Do ye find out anything o' use?"
-----Whisper cocked his head, and then gestured at Raven and the prisoner. Rising easily out of his crouch, the Elf frowned at the group. Then he started making slow and deliberate gestures. First he pointed at himself, and then at each member of the group, excluding the old human and the prisoners. Then he brought his fists together in front of his chest. Lastly he gestured towards the general direction of the river lands, and nodded solemnly.
-----Sol's frown is apparent, as he comments, "Th' problem wi' all yer gesticulatin' is that I'm goin' t'have t'guess each time what yer sayin'. Ye may have t'steel yerself an' speak, though I think I know what ye meant this time." He looked back at Raven, "So what say you?"
-----As Raven approaches the group his gaze falls on the cloaked man. Raven snarls at the cloaked man, "Be glad the old man will be taking over your care. I'd put the sword to you, assassin, rather than look at ya."
-----Raven says to Sol, "Whisper hunts for a war band lead by a half-orc. This prisoner said we should look by the river." Raven looks over to Whisper, "So it seems that our paths lead in the same direction. Anyone hunting orcs is welcome to join our band if they want."
-----Raven motions towards the river lands, "Let's scout the river and see what we find."
-----Sol's head whipped around to face the cloaked man upon Raven's words, and in a voice almost as quiet as Whisper's, the Gorian promised the captive, "An' if I'd known yer claim o' that title, ye'd be dead now. If ye ever speak again, ye can thank th' old man fer that."
-----He turned and headed into the stables, returning quickly with Thunder in tow. "Lead on, Raven." Then he spoke to the old man, "Thank ye again fer what ye've done fer us . . . an' me. Take care o' yerself, an' don't take too much care o' this lot." He swung up into the saddle with ease, and glanced once at the elf, acknowledging Whisper's apparent joining of the group with a cautious nod.
-----"Ye be makin' too much noise," the old man says swatting Sol with a cranky tone and his staff in reply. "Now off wit' ye, young'ens!"
-----Looking at Whisper, the old man says, "Got a horse fer ye, if'n ye needs it." He then points toward the western edge of the tree line. "She waits all saddled up; a good beast she is."
-----The old man then stamps the ground with his staff as if impatience.
-----Whisper was somewhat taken aback. Generosity not withstanding, he was unused to having anything other than what he carried.
-----He could see two drawbacks almost immediately. The first being that he could not ride - he had never had the need to, for his own two legs could carry him wherever he had needed to go - and the second that he had become somewhat adept at running for hours on end until the day had passed.
-----So he frowned. He made a wavering gesture with his right hand, and shrugged.
-----The party then begins to pack things up and takes their own horses. Garrison pauses only to look at the old man and thinks better of saying anything. He then mounts his own steed and waits for the others. Lovan glumly takes to his own saddle and begins riding through the woods past some of the now-vacant homes. Strolum, Dilton and Pil hesitate and as the old man turns in the direction of the prisoners, the three warriors seem to be shocked into action. Seeing something in the old man's face, they walk hurriedly to their own horses.
-----All five prisoners now glare at the old man as he stands before them. In the next few moments, their expressions change as two of the enemy guards avert their eyes, the other stares wide-eyed in fear, the young officer looks remorseful and the cloaked assassin grits his teeth in subservience.
-----To the west it is that the adventurers ride out of the small wooded village with Whisper walking along side them. Soon the trees begin to thin and great plains with occasional hills are revealed. Standing to one side of the tree line is a horse packed with a saddle and gear for surviving outside.
-----Eyeing the horse, Garrison points and says to Whisper, "There's your horse the old man was talking about."
-----Whisper stood there for a few moments, looking at 'his' horse. Then he moved forward within a few paces, the frown still on his brow.
-----The Elf did at least know the basic mechanics involved in riding these beasts. One simply ascended and set upon the leathern harness, and then directed the animal by means of the leather thongs, prods to the animals midriff with one's feet and inarticulated sounds.
-----Putting these processes into practice however, seemed a bit more daunting, compared to the ease with which his current traveling companions had proven themselves adapt at this skill.
-----He looked back at them over his shoulder.