...Where The Company of Heroes Gather and Bond

Alain rests against a wall, recovering from the ordeal as he recounts their ill fated intrusion into Nostra's fortress. Alain fights off the urge to embellish his story, considering the situation at hand. But he makes sure to increase the number of giants and add a quick skirmish with Nosra himself in his mental composition of their tales. He is debating between replacing the bear with a dragon or sphinx when Julian disappears from the cave. As the most magically apt one remaining, he attempts to discern what Julian had done.

"The wizard will return, Korgazhar. It is not in his nature to desert," Ælfric assessed coldly. "If he cannot find a way to counter their sorcerer, we must prepare to move out quickly. The mounts will be critical if he is compromised and cannot teleport us to safety. If necessary, destroy anything we cannot take with us. Leave nothing for the giants to use."

It seemed that only possible imminent death could make the elf speak so fluidly.

"Harrmph." Korgazhar snapped his fingers, and all of his retainers moved with speed and precision, and within minutes everything was cleanly and safely packed away. Hedrek in particular knew further how to remove all traces of their fire and food, and combed the area for even the minutest remnant that could be used against them.

"It was a simple mission to clear some pesky giants, and you had to go escalate it." Korgazhar griped. "The fact that we now know who else we might have to deal with doesn't excuse your foolishness." Korgazhar recalled some of the mages he had tangled with in the past. They were fragile, but difficult opponents. The half-orc wouldn't admit to the others that he was secretly satisfied that the spying forays had revealed other greater powers behind Nosnra. At least they'd be much better prepared next.

"Had you tried to enter the stronghold through regular subterfuge or brute force, Korgazhar, you and your hangers-on would all be dead. We now know these giants have at least one powerful arcane ally. Such knowledge was worth the risk. When Julian returns, I am sure we will know more as well as how to counteract this new enemy."

Ælfric hoped his trust in the wizard was not unjustified.

Fernal calls to the party, "They have lets the wolves loose. We will have company soon. Prepare." She moves a bit into the cave and looks for a place to use her stealth at. She knows those caster don't want her in the way. She seen what casters do.

Stealth is 20.

"Your assessment is flawed, but that matters little now. Fernal hears wolves. Let us prepare. If any of you have minor magics to remove all traces of smell or sound, now would be the time to use them." Korgazhar signaled for his men to move as far into the cave as they could, with all their belongings, after Skig had handed him the largest of his weapons, a ridiculously oversized glaive. He took up a position mirroring the barbarian, on the other side of the cave, staying as far hidden as he could.

Alain whispers to the group as he uses his magic to clean the cave of their scent as best he could.

"Are you sure we want to be hiding? We could fly away from here on our mounts, before they come any closer."

Fernal whispers for her stealth place. "I don't think we have much time. Could be here any moment. Perhaps we have a few minutes at best, but I wouldn't count on it."

The wizard isn't back yet. We don't run." Korgazhar's loyal nature surfaced from beneath his judgemental exterior. "Where's bloody Julian anyway? Any longer, and he'll reappear in the midst of wolves and giants."

Ælfric mumbled something under his breath as he mirrored Alain's cleansing ritual with his own magic. Even though he was in talking mode, there was little sense wasting it on a half-orc. He could not cloak the others or himself until tomorrow but he could still blend into the surroundings quite well, and he did so near the cave mouth with his longbow at the ready.

"We didn't get to play the grand trick we intended on our enemies but we shall still harass them, Erevan Ilesere," he prayed softly. "Continue to hide and guide my steps and my arrows."