-----"You know there might be more dead bodies even in Grute," Kazel says quietly. "How about if I go take a look up ahead first." She then dismounts when they are close enough for walking distance and scouts ahead.
-----As Kazel slips from the road, she makes not a sound as she heads for the trees in front of the farmhouse.
-----"Ye be savin' me some ale, if'n ye be findin' some!" Runik says as he gives out a harsh whisper, hoping Kazel will hear.
-----Turning toward the others, the smile fades from the dwarf's face. "Hmm, me hates seein' the lass takin' off by 'erself. The last time she did, she met up wit' our friend 'ere n' his friends." Runik points at Amdracks, who frowns angrily at the dwarf.
-----"Umph," Runik snorts looking at the bound mage priest, "He be lookin' like Marast when he be starin' like that. Which be remindin' me, where be that pointy-eared urchin? Seems like he oughta be meetin' up wit' us soon."
-----The little girl stands up in the bed of the wagon holding onto the side as she leans forward trying to follow the butcher's progress. Kazel quickly begins blending in with the shadowy canopy under the clump of trees a few yards ahead. Soon it is hard to spot her among the thick trunks.
-----Seth moves over and sits next to the young girl and shows her his harp. He smiles at her and strums a chord and motions for her to try and do the same.
-----After a while he looks at Runik and adds, "I am worried about Marast as well, that is why if we have not located him soon I think we should go into Oakwood, at least in disguise, just to make sure he is ok!"
-----The little girl cooperates, gently strumming the harp strings. Although at different times, she looks towards the farmhouse with the cluster of trees in front of it. Her expression belies her concern for Kazel.
-----The dwarf continues to grumble and then looks at the Dread Pirate with wide eyes. "Ye don' be thinkin' they be havin' one o' yer corn demons 'ere in t'is village?" he asks.
-----Krord sits quietly listening to the lightly picked harp sounds. Beside him sits Amdracks fuming at his bound situation.
-----Brandel watches the road while it is apparent no one is heading in their direction.
-----The Dread Pirate gazes after Kazel and says, "Somebody really should go with her. We should always travel in pair whenever possible. Especially if there be somethin about here that's leavin corpses strewn about everywhere."
-----The Dread Pirate then hops off of his pony and waves at Kazel, indicating that he is going to follow her from a distance, just to keep an eye out, in case there's trouble.
-----As the Gimplefwick leaves, the little girl stands up in the bed of the wagon with one finger hooked in her mouth.
-----As the Dread Pirate walks into the woods separating the house from the road, he sees Kazel sprinting from cover from behind a tree. Strangely, she waves at a man dressed in the peasant clothes of a farmer standing off to one side of the house.
-----Kazel does not run toward the man, rather she runs toward the other side of the house as if to run toward the back of it. Dread Pirate moves where he can see what she is up to. At the back of the house, Kazel stops to look around the area as if searching for something specific.
-----"Can I be helpin' ya?" the farmer asks as he comes around the opposite corner of the house. His expression reveals wary concern as he approaches Kazel.
-----The Dread Pirate crouches down and loosens his cutlass in its scabbard, just in case trouble commences. He quietly watches the proceedings to see if Kazel needs help with the obviously evil farmer.
-----Kazel stops and looks around for a bit. Clearing her throat she answers the farmer. "Sorry about that, mister. I and my friends are looking for an elf and a bath, and I thought I saw the elf. Would you happen to know where I can find either?"
-----The farmer, a short man with a potbelly, looks around with a confused look on his face. The expression on his face then lightens as he says, "I ain't be knowin' no elf, but ye can be bathin' in me pond." He motions to a small body of water to the north of his farmhouse. "Course that maybe a'costin' ya," he adds.
-----Looking back at the woods, he asks, "Ya says ya be havin' friends with ye?"
-----Still crouched low in the bushes, the Dread Pirate squints his eyes at the usurious farmer at the mention of paying to bathe in a funky, algae-ridden pond. He then leaps to his feet and charges the farmer as fast as his magickal boots will carry him. As he nears the farmer, he leaps into the air and screams his best piratical scream, "Bleeeyaaahhhh!" He then pulls out his trusty cutlass, and commences chasing the farmer about the yard, poking at his hindquarters with the point of his cutlass, whenever the farmer shows signs of slowing down.