It is mid-afternoon as the party leaves the Forest Ruin. On the way back, the party discusses whether they should go straight to Hochoch and
Devek, or whether to stop by the Jarl farm first, to let the family know that there's been some progress. The obvious point is that the path the party took originally was from the Jarl farm, so some members reason that they should notify the family.
"We'll be passing by the farm anyway; it'd be weird not to say hello and let them know how it went." But when asked,
Theran and
Ogbar each agree that they're confident that they can lead the party back to the road rather than going back to the stream and following it up to the Jarls' place.
"Even if there isn't a track, if we head south, we're sure to hit Cecily's Road eventually!" So the party doesn't have to go back the way they came. Nevertheless, some say that the family has a right to know; wouldn't
you want to know if there was a chance? But
Joseph observes how terrible it would be if the Dungeon Busters get the Jarl family's hopes up, all of them - the parents and all the little kids - accompany the group back to Hochoch, and then something goes wrong or the potion doesn't work. How terrible would that be? How badly would that reflect on the party and, by extension, all of Cecily Raptor's organization? On reflection, the party reluctantly agrees that it's best to have actual good news to report before returning to the Jarl farm.
The way south through the woods is thick with underbrush, but between them
Theran and
Ogbar find a series of game trails that lead through most of the obstacles. After they cross the stream, the ground noticeably begins to drop, sloping steadily down toward the Rushmoors to the south. There are a few points where they have to scramble down a steep, slippery slope, but working together the party manages to overcome all the more difficult terrain. In the end, they arrive at Cecily's Road in the late afternoon and turn right...heading west back to Hochoch. Within half an hour, they pass by the wagon they borrowed from
Rufus, still sitting forlorn by the side of the road. At some point, they'll find the oxen or return with a fresh team to haul the wagon back to the wainwright. Some of the party looks with apprehension into the forest, but none of the Jarl family are there looking for them, and they pass by the turnoff to the farm unnoticed. The party gets a bit glum as twilight falls; some are definitely thinking fondly of the hot meals that
Elista has prepared for them previously.
The party trudges on in silence.
Ogbar tries to lighten the mood with another account of Olga's beauty, but by the time he's trying to force another simile comparing her hair to the down of yet another bird,
Xana interrupts:
"Shhh! Did you hear that? I think I heard that owlbear coming back - we'd better be really, really quiet from now on!"
It is two hours after nightfall when the party arrives back across the bridge into Hochoch. Some of the party are tired and want to go straight to the Inn of Eternal Rest, but
Albertus,
Kragga, and
Aanbo all convince the others to go to the Temple of Rao to try the concoction on
Devek.
Diana is delighted to see the party so soon - it's only been two days since they left - and very pleased at what they found.
"A magic sleep that lasts centuries?? Wondrous! I wouldn't know how to approach that, except through prayer to Rao. I'm glad that you've found this recipe. It perhaps seems simple to you? Overly simple?" Kragga cocks his head, narrowing his eyes.
"Ah, I see this one has some knowledge of potions and the way spells often work. Complexity is rarely the key, but rather the specific ingredients and the meaning they have for the caster. These simple herbs may have had a special significance for this order, or even just for the believer who crafted the potion in the first place." She catches herself before she continues into a long discourse about the intersections of alchemy, magic, and potioncraft.
"But I digress! I've checked this material, and it is not poisonous. Let us pray and then use it on the boy. A little bit at first, just to be sure it's safe, then a bit more...whatever you think is a full dose."
Energized by the prospect of reviving the boy at last, the party crowds into the room where Devek was being watched.
