4 On to Phandalin

Decklan grumbles. "If I gotta get out of this damned cart, so help me..."

Alex, walking slightly ahead of the cart as before the cave fracas, picks up Raven's warning and carefully draws his rapier and poignard, scanning the flora at the side of the road.

Tatiana, positioned near the back of the wagon, waits patiently for the vanguard to signal the all-clear.

With loud Arghh Trakomak moves ahead the road.

Watching the activity ahead, Tatiana deadpans quietly into the wagon, "Rest while you can, Decklan. I'm sure you'll know when you're needed by the amount of screaming."

Raven nodded at Rudy's response. It sounded strange, but he trusted animals more than people.

He comforted both of them - *speak with animals "Slow up while we check up ahead"

Raven brings the team to a slow walk, letting Trakomak get out ahead of them. He calls out, "Rudy says he smells blood - and ice. We should be careful."

The cart comes to a halt at Raven’s command.

Trakomak you stride forcefully forward. As you approach the curve in the road you hear a few cries echo out from the way your coming.

Trakomak moves toward the curve moving off the road to cut the curve and have some cover by moment he will notice who's crying.

Trakomak you see three dead dear. Two are caught in a great sweeping swath of ice, half their body’s chomped away. The third is mostly just a bloody smear aross the ground. The cry’s you heard are coming from a handful of crows pecking and fighting over the slowly melting remains.

If it was a dragon it wouldn't leave meat, would it? Perhaps there were four and a single dear is enough for a dragon? Hal Orc wonders but not for long. He will let smart ones think

Tatiana, you want see this! Magic! Trakomak moves forward to scare crows away to help others investigate the scene, while he is looking around for dangers or wolfs attracted by the smell.

Raven hears Trakomak call for Tatiana to investigate. Since there is no sounds of combat or screaming, he will slowly start the team forward. He is constantly whispering encouragement to them saying the big green guy will take care of anything bad.

Tatiana quickens her pace to reach the bend ahead of the wagon. She relies on her powers of observation and deduction before she attempts to cast Detect Magic.

Looking at the bloody smear on the ground, Tatiana checks if there are signs of a great impact that might determine the size of the aggressor. She looks for abnormal tracks and signs that a giant creature might have taken flight, as well as any other disturbance that might provide insights into what happened.

Trakomak their is enough blood around that there may have been more deer in the group than what’s been left.

Raven the deer are on the left side of the road but on it. The oxen allow you to lead them to the far right with minimal encouragement, but are eager to put the scene out of sight, and smell.

Tatiana your investigative eyes are very sharp on the scene before you. You see tracks of a herd of six to eight deer exiting the woods to the right side of the road, making their way to the left. Something large with claws that sunk deep into the earth appeared on the road with no other tracks, suggesting that yes it was able to fly. The aggressors landing position is the point of origin for the swaths of ice. Great claw tacks show the deer were frozen, most eaten, then the predators tracks disappear, taking flight. You don’t need detect magic to recognize that the ice is not natural, but a magical effect or spell.

Tatiana wraps her cloak around herself to stave off the cold. "If we assume this to be the result of last night's disturbance, then we are likely looking at the hunt of a flying beast that can summon magical ice," she says, rubbing her shoulders as she moves to the clawed tracks.

"If we believe the rumors are true, this was our dragon," she continues. Kneeling next to one of the impressions in the earth, Tatiana uses her wand to measure how big across the clawed foot was and how deep it sunk into the ground. "I should not presume what kind of dragon just yet, not without further research, but with the deer frozen first and then eaten, it makes me think of a white one."

Tatiana writes in whatever details she has gleaned into a small book. Her studious intent in jotting down these notes does little to mask her obvious unease that such a large and fearsome encounter occurred not just twenty minutes from where they slept.

Closing her book with a snap, Tatiana catches up to the wagon. "Let us hurry. Perhaps the beast has sated itself from last night's meal and is no longer on the prowl, but I would feel better if we were much farther along the trail."

Hearing Tatiana's comment, and with the oxen anxious to be away from the scene, Raven will guide the team up to a safe but quicker pace to get them beyond scene of the meal. Keeping one eye on the road, he cannot help but keep looking skyward expecting at any minute to see a dragon come diving down to end their journey.

Our dragon you say? Trakomak gazes upon Tatiana. Not for long though.

It was probably a mistake comming here. What can we do against a dragon. This place is doomed. half orc considers, but keeps going forward.

Continuing along the Triboar trail for another few hours you reach the turn off to head south to Phandalin. You take the turn and continue forward without problem. The day stays overcast but dry. Evening is a few hours off when the cart begins to climb a small hill. The rutted track emerges from this wooded hillside, and you catch your first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. There are more old ruins—crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars—surrounding the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts that passes through town before it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside at the east side of town.

As you approach, you see children playing on the town green and townsfolk tending to chores or running errands at shops. Many people look up as you approach, but all return to their business as you go by. The eyes that fall on Decklan linger longer than others. Trakomak also gets a few double takes.

Sildar seems much more at ease upon seeing the town and gives Gundren’s shoulder a reassuring pat. "Phandalin at last. My friends," he says, "let us secure lodgings. I'm told the local inn is very quaint. Walls and warmth will do us all wonders I’m sure."