~ PASSAGE 80 ~
EXHAUSTED RETURN

The six companions scampered hard down the trail on their snorting steeds. The three scouts led the bolt followed by Erelis, Gailwind, and Oktavianus who struggled to stay atop his pony. Unaware of the druidess accident behind them, they made long strides in escaping the forest and bringing the dire orc news home to Pinedroi. The experienced scouts distanced themselves from the trio of Ravens as they were successful in avoiding the major mudtraps before them. Erelis twisted and turned his horse around wide pools while the lorist and dwarf struggled to maintain their balance on the slick equestrians.

Fifteen minutes later and halfway down the path, the pair were thrown from their mounts. They landed heavily into the cushioned mud leaving the duo utterly dazed.
Wiping the mud from his face, the dwarf pulled himself to his feet; his beard twisted into a large clay sculpture. Gailwind moaned a short distance away; his arms firmly lodged in the spongy earth. The cleric muttered a few oaths and pulled the elf from his sucking constraints. " We must do what we can to help the fellowship. Have you no foul magic to cast on a time like this!" lashed the cleric while mopping the caked mud from his eyebrows.
The elf coughed in the rain " Foul magic? What are you mistaking me for Oktavianus? I have no power save the sovereignty of education."
The priest looked around for their mounts, but realized that they were gone; they were back on aching legs once again. " Let's return to the team. They may be in trouble."
Gailwind nodded with a reluctant look; like a man accepting his fate on death row. " If that is what you choose." After a few paces of trudging, however, the dwarf halted and surveyed the scene better " Wait! We should not go back to this hideout. I was thinking we were close to the others, but I must have hit my head too hard."

"Yes!" exclaimed the lorist " It is to Pinedroi we must proceed." He shivered in the damp air " I am sure the others got out already for Teflar and Leah are masters of the woods." They turned and hurried east for the next few hours.

5:30 PM: The pair were covered from head-to-toe in dripping mud as they made their way out of the forest. Up ahead in the causeway, a figure sat saddled and poised upon a horse. It sat motionless and watched while the sloppy duo labored around deep puddles. Gailwind fell for the nth time and literally crawled out of the trail and laid in the road with exhaustion. The figure trotted over to the dwarf who looked up with mild apprehension.

" You made it!" affirmed Erelis with relief " Have the others stayed behind?"

The dwarf responded in a fatigued tone " The fellowship divided because the incapable horses we were equipped with stumbled in the soft mud." The cleric sat upon the soft ground " These regions are swarming with orcs. Preparations must be made; a war is at hand."

Erelis eyed the horde trail " We can't afford to go back." He looked down at Oktavianus and said " There is your pony and horse." He pointed south to the skirt of the woods where they stood tethered to a tree. " You and Gailwind can retreat back to Pinedroi. I am returning to Airrdale to find the other warrior-scouts. I'll meet your fellowship at the courthouse in two days." He gazed over at the lorist lying motionless on the puddled road " You men better stay alert if we are to find that starpoint." He wheeled his horse around and rode away east to his village leaving the pair to excogitate their next plan.

The dwarf nodded and walked over to the prone sage as the sounds of Erelis's horsehooves faded away " Gather yourself elf, we ride to Pinedroi." Oktavianus fetched the mounts and adjusted his pony's saddle. "A nice warm meal and golden ale await us!"

Gailwind stood and gripped the reins the leader handed him. The elf spoke grim " We should convince the warmarshalls right away that an assault is happening. That is, if the scouts had not reported in yet." The pair trotted off towards the western city and they never encountered hinderance their entire ride.

MYCRAN 9 ~ Gailwind shivered in the cooling night as he gazed upon the lights of Pinedroi " Where do we go now?"
The cleric responded blandly " We ride straight to the warmarshall and alert him. The courts I think."
The elf balked " The courts? Would they not be closed? Officials hours have passed."
The dwarf scratched his head " I need an ale to straighten my thoughts. The others might still be in peril so we should be on the steps at first daylight." With that said, they found the nearest alehouse and drank their troubles away.