Place: A grove, about half day's travel from Red Larch.
As you drift back into consciousness you become acutely aware of the damp mudcaked clothes you slepted in. Not the most comfortable sleep you've had. But, it's been like this since this small caravan left Amphail. The Gods... or whomevers' whim controls the weather have not been kind. Cycles of intermitten thunderstorms and thick overcast not allowing muddy roads nor your clothes to dry.
You have been traveling with a three wagon caravan for almost a tenday - since Waterdeep; half of you as hired guards (Keavan, Falka, and Yohna) and the rest (Midnight, Breezy, and Vardo) as passengers - with the understanding that you'll help unload the wagons once the caravan reaches its destination - hamlet of Red Larch.
As you rub sleep from your eyes and mudcakes from your clothes, you are interrupted by two welcoming realization - the bright azure sky with nary a cloud in sight and the strong delicious aroma of garlic, herbs, and spices. You see Harlo Belkin, one of the wagoneers - a stocky fellow with boyish face and charm, tending to a pot of stew of some sort over makeshift fire. From the goods he's carrying and his calloused hands you figure him for a farmer. Behind him, you see Endrith Vallivoe - a diminuitive, bespeckled old man with balding hair - haphazardly sifting through his sundry goods - making a mess of his already disorganized wagon. Maegla Tarnlar, a dark-skinned middle-aged woman with eyes that betray her sharp intellect and a serious and regal demeanor about her, is sitting off to the side deeply engaged with her ledger book.
As you center yourself, you hear Harlo's boisterous voice, "Ha! Finally awake? Funny how y'all wake at the same time. Must be my world famous rabbit stew. Come, come have some stew and enjoy the morning. You don't want to waste such a beautiful day. And with the weather being so eratic of late who knows how long this respite will last?"
