Chapter 1 - The Beginning

I wake from my meditative slumber 10 minutes before my watch is to start, and wave both my hands around my head and shoulders in a circular motion, cleaning myself off a bit. I close my spellbook, my spells of the day imprinted in my mind. Satisfied, I take a walk around the perimeter of where I perceive the bubble to end, staring outwards into the woods. The trees seem very peaceful out here. I don't remember the last time I had a chance to sit out under the stars like this. It's almost too quiet. I have too much time to think about the events of the past day. What have I gotten myself into? Well, there's not much I can do about that now, is there? No use thinking about it! Why can't I stop thinking about it! I clutch my quarterstaff a bit tighter as I walk around the perimeter once more.

Crolwell will jump up as the bag ruffles around and he will stare, horrified, at it.
"My pack!!! It's Alive!" He will scream and jump on the bag.

I run over to attempt to secure Crolly's pack. While I'm at it, I give him a nudge with my foot to wake him.

Crolwell doesn't even notice the goblin's escape as he attempts to wrestle his "living" pack to the ground. He is screaming as he thrashes the, now empty, pack with his bare hands.
He is screaming "It's a necromancer! It's a necromancer! He has turned my pack! It's a necromancer!"

"Crolwell sir, secure that goblin! He has friends out there that will hear him!" I stand at the ready. Once the goblin manages to escape from the bag, I have a spell waiting for him.

Irritated, I wake Ütés up. "Keep an eye on Crolly and that goblin of his. I need to take a moment to meditate and think long and hard about some of the choices I've made recently." I shake my head and mutter to myself as I head away from her to my pack, where I sit and cross my legs. I breathe slowly, allowing my mind to come to rest. I rejoin her after some time has passed.

Aelar will shrug, "Well, if it's gonna take that long we'd best not waste any more time. I don't like the idea of traveling through the night, but my troupe is in trouble," he will glance at Utes, "And so is the prince, so I don't think we have any time to spare. I vote that we keep going through the night."

"I'm fine traveling through the night as well, but we'll need a way of controlling Crolwell's goblin pillow during that time so as not to draw unwanted attention to ourselves. It would be a shame to waste Xadira's talent on taming his pet."

Ütés swings her pack over her shoulder and hooks her shield onto her back, ready to start the journey.

"Pet?" Crolwell says confused.
"Pet? I thought 'e was for eating..."

As much as it bothers me to say it, I state the obvious. "If you want to eat it, there's no reason the goblin needs to be alive. Dragging it around will only bring attention to us. Or, perhaps you can let it loose. A finer meal could be made with fresh rabbit."

Crolwell begins laughing maniacally as if Xadira just fell for the oldest joke in the book. He begins to tear up and snort. He looks to Taft and says, "Hoo Hoo Hoo! We should... Heh Hah Hah! Get going.... Hahahaha".

The incantation is on the tip of my tongue (wouldn't everyone be happier if he just took a quick nap? In that brief amount of time they could get rid of the goblin and Crolly wouldn't even notice!), but I let the matter drop. "Let's keep moving."

"Tactical nightmare, that one" Ütés sighs under her breath. "Although..."