Roslyn listened to the heavy breathing around her as she played with a smooth rock in her palm and let the gentle mist of the waterfall waft through her hair. The days ahead left more harrowing encounters to be sure and dangers unanticipated and unknown might forsake them in all directions. Here, the woods were her home and she would keep to that foundation at all costs, but do they dare risk this if the quest led them into the Great Grizzledanes? Climbing alone into the mountains with utterly no gear? There was much decision to be made on the morrow.

MYCRAN 16 ~ 7 AM: Vrai, the last on watch partnered with Gailwind, riled everyone with incessant nudges of his foot. The fellowship woke mentally refreshed though the drain of yesterday was still apparent by the slow make and take of breakfast. Nanith was quite chipper and gamboled around camp taking particular interest to the waterfall. What talk there was centered on lack of food and the cleric's opinions on the new archer still encumbered the air. Soon after, they refreshed themselves with a wash in the pool. An hour later, the group packed their gear and followed Roslyn as she again led them west to the ridge valley.

11 AM: The trees thinned and the stream turned into a minor river. It curved northward when the crew came upon the steep valley of the Great Grizzledanes. Up above {elevation 2500'}, they all looked down upon the valley floor. It was littered with boulders that had tompled into the dry channel. Not a soul was about and the zephyr winds blew down upon them while they made a crucial travel decision.

Nanith followed the sky-piercing peaks upwards with awe-filled eyes. "Wow!" He shook his head to try and break free from the mesmerizing attraction." I'm not convinced that we are even remotely prepared to traverse these mountains."

Vrai, shading his eyes with his right hand, slowly spun in a circle pausing when facing approximately due south. Sighing lethargically and letting his hand fall to his side, the elf peered down the ridge. " I don't particularly care where we go as long as it's not there. I'd rather not run straight back to the slaughter when I so narrowly escaped it earlier." Turning back to the great range looming before them, Vrai starts when realizing he did not exclude the Grizzledanes in his travel opinion. " Let's not go there, neither. We would freeze and probably starve as well."

Erelis stared with admiration at the natural blockade before them.
" Never have I seen such a site. My time had been spent on the eastern coast through my early years. I have no idea on how we would go about climbing this greystone." He sat down with Aramil and Gailwind on a dry bank. The trio allowed the others to continue the conversation.

Nanith replied " Maybe it would be best if we continue north along the river; find a remote village were we'll be able to resupply." He looked more seriously at the priest. " Mountains are your kingdom, Oktavianus. Do you perhaps know of a dwarven settlement nearby?"

The cleric thought long and hard while giving Vrai a distasteful glower.
" I do not know of a settlement this close; only ancient cities my folk inhabited many centuries ago. They lie deep within and hidden from the commonalities of man." The dwarf pointed south disagreeing with the archer he distrusted so vehemently " I say we trail back south along the valley ridge to see what we can of the war. I feel the outcome of the battle is important and it may lead us to something. I can�t put my finger on it, but something is amiss." Again, the hard stare appeared between the shoulderblades of the archer.

Teflar bit his lip. " I agree with the path down the gorge. If Oktavianus needs verification of the archer, we still have that chance should we come upon the army. Somewhere in those cracks of granite lies the force of the last orcs willing to defend something. My guess is that there is no minor trinket among their conscience that they would fight so boldly over." The ranger sniffed the air as the sky clouded over. " I'd like to sink my blades into them and force more answers from their fouls mouths."

Roslyn shuddered. " I will go with you all no matter where you decide. I am here for the long road ahead. Come to your decision and I will do my best to get you to where it is you want to go... if the Nalmiar is still our path." She looked up at the Grizzledane's with utter respect. " Climbing a monstrosity I know nothing about would be needlessly risking my life."

Nanith agreed with his fellow hobbit. " There is a lot of things to consider." he said in deep thought. " It can get mighty cold in the mountains. Do any of you have sufficient clothing to keep the freeze out?" Scratching his chin, he started pacing. " Second, we lack proper equipment; ropes, grappling hooks, some sort of mountaineering..." he flailed his arms looking for a lost word "...stuff."

Vrai unshouldered his bow and nocked an arrow. " Maybe I can shoot a coney or something else small for dinner tonight. Nanith, could you help and split the takings among the group? It would be a more productive challenge than a target. Wager a gold crown on it? Whoever gets the most rabbits wins."

Roslyn's voice became despondant. " Vrai, I suggest you get your head out of the clouds and rid yourself of all notion of games. This path isn't easy and I think it would be wise for you to tread a bit lighter if you could." She gently shook her head and straightened her garments. She then laid into the dwarf with the aggression of a scolding mother. She reminded him of needless retribution before Vrai had a chance to value himself as an ally.

Vrai seemed a man of varying moods and the one that came next was a revelation to the team. The archer apologized sincerely for his tumultuous actions and previous antagonistic arguements. Asking for forgiveness from the druidess and dwarf specifically, it seemed the archer thought better of his tenuous situation and decided to make amends before matters snowballed.

The whole group was glad of this, but some still regarded the fluctuation of Vrai's emotions to be a red flag. Nanith picked up a flat rock that presumably laid there for centuries untouched and awkwardly smiled as the crew rested themselves before their next travel push.