-----"Our troop is waiting just down the road," the tall fellow responds as he points toward the middle of the village.
-----"As for what we have found," he adds looking across the road toward the house with the flatboat sign, "I think it is best if we show you." He then motions to Sol to follow him, while moving carefully toward the house. His two companions nods and wait for Sol.
-----"Hold a moment, I will get someone t'replace my watch." Sol says.
-----Before Sol can turn toward the stables, one of the men, the one with the light hair quickly whispers, "No, no, you don't need to bother your companions."
-----The tall fellow turns around in the moonlight and says, "This won't take long. The effect doesn't last long. Besides we're close by, so we'll hear if your friends need you."
-----All three urge Sol to follow.
-----Sol frowns and replies sternly, "I will do what I feel best fer my companions safety. Now hold here." Sol then slips into the stables and wakes Garrison and Lovan. To Garrison he says, "Something odd may be up. Some men outside claim t'be Howrun's, but some things don't quite feel right. Stay on watch here, an' call if ye need help."
-----To Lovan, Sol says quietly, "Stay quiet an' follow me. There may be something fer us t'deal with." Sol then glides back out of the stables, hoping that the three men are still there.
-----As Sol steps back outside, he notices the men are gone! He looks up and down the road but the trail remains clear of any sign of a living soul.
-----Garrison steps out behind him, the woodsman peering into the night filled village closely clutching his battle-axe.
-----Lovan is suddenly to Sol's left hand side, also surveying the deserted places across from them.
-----"As I feared. Who or what were they? Damn. Garrison, Lovan, they wanted to show me something in that house across th' way. Stay on watch Garrison, I'll check it out wi' Lovan an' see if there is actually anything in there that could tell us something." Sol says as he heads to the front entrance of the house with the flatboat sign.
-----He reaches forward to open the door. Interestingly, it is unlocked! As Sol opens the door, the moonlight shines in behind him illuminating a small room. Sol walks forward to a table facing the door.
-----The storm priest quickly lights a small oil lamp he finds over to one side of the entrance. Its flickering light shows a shabbiness to the dwelling although this part of the home seems to be an office of some sort. Its bare wood walls look worn and dirt and dust are scattered about the floor. On the table, Sol looks down to see an open book much like a ledger with writing scrawled upon it in columns.
-----Sol takes the ledger, intending to bring it back for Sarah to read later. First, however, he proceeds to thoroughly search the place, hoping to find something that may give an indication of what happened to Gafa's folk.
-----Sol finds nothing out of the ordinary here. In fact, the place looks as if it is only waiting for its occupants to return. Through a door in the wall behind the office, Sol enters into a small kitchen. A pewter mug sits out in the middle of a table with two chairs drawn up to it. Gray ashes line the bottom of a small fireplace; its inside bricks dark and blackened.
-----Just then Sol and Lovan are joined by Raven and Garrison indicating that Romney has taken his watch.
-----"Garrison tells me you had some visitors," Raven says lowly as the hunter peers into a side bedroom.
-----Sol nods absently as he finishes his search. He looks back at Raven and explains, "Yes, well, I confronted three men who claimed they were Howrun's soldiers. Or rather they said yes when I asked them if that was indeed what they are. They were very interested in showing me some sort of 'effect' that was within this house, but I fear they may have been trying t'lure me t'try something against me, or perhaps take me away from ye all an' deal wi' ye while ye slept. They told me not t'bother any o' ye, when I said I was going t'let someone know. Either way, they were gone after I had roused Garrison an' Lovan."
-----"Look, let's head back t'sleep. We'll double th' watch. I'll finish mine wi' Lovan now. Garrison, ye can finish th' last watch off wi' Romney." Sol waits momentarily to see if there is any disagreement before heading back to the stables to take up his watch again.
-----"That's why Romney got up," Garrison replies, "you've already had your two hours at the watch."
-----"I think you're right," Raven says to the young warrior, "there's really nothing in here. I think someone was trying to lure you away."
-----The conversation begins to hush as the four men leave the office and head across the road toward the stables.
-----As Sol head back into the stables to hit the hay, he says to Garrison, "Alright then, you keep Romney company fer th' rest o' th' watch. Hopefully, nothing more will happen, an' I'll see ye just a'fore dawn. Make sure ye wake me up then. Th' sooner we approach th' fellow down th' street an' find out what's going on, th' better."