-----Interestingly up ahead spaced between the ever-widening fork road leaving the village looks like ruined stone structures.
-----After riding for about a mile and a half, they draw ever closer to what appears to be a ruined village. The place seems certainly to match in age the ancient Lathanian ruins in Hearthorn. Bare white stone columns extend skyward from roofs that had long ago crumbled away. In the tall overgrown weeds, other stone buildings in various stages of decay are also seen. Some are also so heavily covered with vines and other growths that their natural shapes are undetermined.
-----At one point, the trail road wanders within a few yards of some of the stone structures. The long shadows cast by the westerly sun do not fall across the road but rather dim some of the places back from the trail. The silence within almost seems foreboding.
-----"Raven, ye'd better check fer tracks again. Here and also just past th' ruins. Th' ruins may have caught their interest an' they may have stopped t'look around. If we weren't so busy, I'd like t'do th' same. Maybe some other time..." Sol mentions.
-----Raven looks around the area, "Good spot for an ambush." Raven turns to group, "I wouldn't put it past these thieves to shoot us in back." Raven gets off his horse and begin to track their trail closely.
-----"If they had wanted t'take us down, I think they would've done so already. The only time I think they'd resort t'ambush is if they hear us coming, or spot us behind they're backs." Sol decides as he gazes at the ruins with interest. "If only we had th' time. Ah well."
-----"Ambush is the only way those motherless cowards would attack us." Sarah says scornfully. "And when we beat them Dread would cry and moan about how we forced him to do it and we needed to be taught or lesson or some such garbage. Destine, I want to fry them!" Sarah says thinking angrily about their attempts to steal Marlexana.
-----Sarah thinks for a second. "Hey Raven, before you said you thought that stupid elf they hired was trying to cover their tracks...does it look like they're still trying to hide where they're going?"
-----Raven takes a moment to examine the tracks closer. A crouching Raven looks up at the ruins and then down the road they are on. A puzzled Raven stands, "They stopped here and went off into the ruins with the cart. They then returned, but they didn't have the cart with them when they left."
-----Raven pulls out his water skin, takes a drink from it and then continues, "They're not hiding their tracks anymore and I think they're only four hours away. We're getting close to 'em real close. Do we want to track where they put the cart or continue after them?"
-----Raven looks at the tracks towards the ruins, "I'd like to see what happened to their cart. Maybe they hid something they stole, I'd love to ruin their plans to collect it later."
-----"Four hours...." Sarah stares off in the distance as if she could see them when she squints. And with her magically enhanced eyes, who knows? "I guess I'd rather keep after them, but if you guys want to poke around here I wouldn't say no."
-----Raven rubs his chin, "How about if I just track where they went with the cart? That shouldn't take too long, but I'm torn because we're so close to our prey."
-----Raven bends down and grabs a handful of dirt. Raven then lets go of the dirt to see which way the winds is blowing. Raven looks towards the thieves' path and snarls.
-----"Let's take a quick look with what they did with th' cart. Anything t'help me understand why they did what they did or what they're doing, I'll take. It won't take long." Like Raven, Sol stares in the direction the thieves left. "Lead th' way, friend."
-----Raven nods and then begins to track the path of the thieves' cart into the ruins.
-----"Hey now!" Garrison warns as he dismounts, "if you are trailing thieves let's make sure we don't walk into any traps they left behind." The woodsman hefts his large axe as he begins to follow Raven and Sol.
-----Pointing at some of the stone structures that jut out over a fallen wall, he adds, "Watch that you don't get too close to something that could fall out on you."
-----Romney and Abram quickly dismount and, looking at each other, draw their swords. Looking back at the others, Romney orders, "Bradley, Shema, watch the road and guard the horses!" He and Abram hurry to take defensive points beside Sarah.
-----As everyone approaches the first ruin of a building, a short section of stonewall juts out about ten feet. When they round the corner of the jutting stone wall, they see a small, enclosed area with a mound of large stones to one side. Just beyond the mound is a huge hole covered with vines but reveal stone steps that lead down into darkness.