-----When one of the guardsmen approaches, he looks over the three riders with a suspicious look. His eyes are then drawn to the four animals being pulled by the wagon. "Ye gots this many 'orses 'ere in town?" he asks with an angry glare. At that moment, one of his companions yells to him about holding up the line. With a disgusted expression, he then waves them through and Kazel steers the wagon through the town gates.
-----Before them lie the plains of Redmarsh, fully darkened by the long setting sun behind the seemingly endless clouds.
-----Outside the gates, Kazel steers the wagon on the dirt road that runs around the town wall. She turns to ride along the southern side of the town.
-----Out across the dark plains to the south, Kazel spots something and pulls the gray mare off the road. She then drives out a few yards to a clump of high weeds growing amongst some rocks. There, she and Seth can see the four forms of the Dread Pirate and the three mercenaries waving to them.
-----As the wagon is drawn to a halt, Joren, Gimplefwick's pony snorts loudly where it is tied to the back of the wagon with the three other beasts.
-----Sitting between Seth and Kazel on the buckboard, the little girl squints into the dark at the Dread Pirate. Finally adjusting her eyes to the dark, she raises one small hand and lightly waves at him with the usual unemotional stare.
-----The Dread Pirate waves back at the little girl, then says, "Well, I'm not really sure where to plant this gold right now. What say we sail on down the road a bit and get to work on that dragon carcass. Or at least take a look at it. Maybe we'll find a likely spot fer buryin our loot on the way there. If not, we can go back in the tunnels, there be a nasty spot o' ground in there, all wet and teemin with maggots and such whatnot. I'm pretty sure if we bury it there, nobody'd go rootin about in it. I guess we'll have to forgo the traditional piratical practice o' killin everybody who hauls the booty and dumpin their bodies in the hole with the treasure. It goes against standard operatin procedure, but since we'll just be diggin it back up in a few days, I guess it'll be alright. O' course we will have to lay all sorts o' traps around it. At least thats always expected of buried piratical treasure. We probably don't really need a map either, though it's traditional to either make one and then secrete it away in some musty old library, hidden away in some old tome of forgotten lore. Either that or tattoo the map on the head of yer newborn son. Really either way is acceptable, but since it'll only be there a few days, we can probably forget those options as well." Dread then mounts up and prepares to ride down the road towards the dragon carcass, once the loot is properly stowed away on the wagon.
-----Seth asks Dread, "Do you think it possible for us to go all of the way to Oakwood and have a bath and secrete the gold there?" He indicates his backpack. "And I need time to study those scrolls, there are some new and interesting spells there that would be useful in the next few days."
-----The Dread Pirate looks uncertain at the prospect of traveling all the way back to Oakwood, "I don't really know. It's a couple days travel both ways. That'd be at least four days of riding and one probably spent in Oakwood itself. A lot could happen here in four or five days. Not to mention that Marast and the priests are probably on their way and we really should have someone here to meet them and tell Marast where we are. Perhaps we could find a stream or something for you to bathe in. And our old friends probably spread some nasty tales about us back in Oakwood to the local Lord. Probably called us horse thieves or worse. I'm a bit uneasy about going back there at all, frankly. However, if Kazel wants to, then I'll reckon meself outvoted and back to Oakwood we shall go. After we skin the dragon that is. Also, if we take too long, someone else might find the beast's lair and get its loot. I'd rather hide out in the woods, have a couple spies in the town keeping and eye on things, and a couple of us out riding about searching for the dragon's lair. We can make a fairly comfortable camp out here, since we have easy access in and out of the town. We can also check out that gas-trapped exit back in the tunnel. There must be something past that exit important enough to guard in such a manner. I think we can stay fairly busy here fer awhile. And I feel that if something is going to happen, it'll probably be happening hereabouts. I dunno though, what do ye think Kazel?"
-----Seth shrugs his shoulders and accepts that a cold river may be his only relief for some time.
-----Kazel nods. "I don't think there's anything to do in Oakwood except bathing or landing in jail for horse thievery. I s'pose we can check out the lair if we know where we are going. And there's the trapped door and meeting Marast among other things to do here. As for burying treasure, I'll defer to the expert in picking a good spot. Let's find a good hidden place to camp first. But with a view to the city so we might see zombies rampaging on the living."