Chapter 4: Journey to Red Cat Cave

Througout the night Grandfather Eiwa passes and a discussion is had about what to do with the body. Traditionally you excarnate your dead, but with the Burning Mammoths right on your tail, you are forced to burn his body in a large bonfire. You do so at dawn.

There's a short ceremony where everyone who wants can come and tell a story about Grandfather Eiwa. Wipa comes up and says she's naming her oldest of her two newborn sons Eiwa, and her daughter Sidke after Grandfahter Eiwa's mother. She also accepts the traditional addition to her name signifying birthmother and is known henceforth as Wipakoa.

After the ceremony Argakoa gathers you. "The four leaders have talked, we find the trip to Red Cat Cave risky at best but want to fulfill his final request."

You start your journey to the south east. The first day goes fine, but scouting ahead of the following the second day you see a river barge making its way downriver. You see what is probably the captain stand and wave at you, taking a trinket out of a crate and pointing to it then waves you closer.

Getting closer you see the rivermen are wearing brown and blue cloaks that hide their faces. They row their boat closer to the coast and still keeps pointing to the trinkets. They seem to try and contact you using sign language. Though Atticus can tell something is off. He can see two of them are hiding falchions under their cloaks. In addition he can tell that the mossy rock overhang is slippery, something that would be easier to see from the riverside.

The boat gets as close as it can to shore. They try to motion that it's hard to get the boat to go backwards. The man in the back holds up a few more trinkets, then he holds up some coin trying to get you closer.

"It speaks," the lead 'merchant' scoffs. "I guess I need an acting class if we were that obvious."

He draws his falchion.