The city of Safeton.
At first light Saab, Tellius, Edgaar, Rondo and Lucien depart the inn where they spent the night and head for the city's markets. They go to purchase a pack mule for their journey to the small fishing village of Sevon a half days walk to the south. Although it is a relatively short journey Rondo possesses an excessive amount of gear and requires a pack animal to carry it significant distances. Even now, as they walk to the markets, he is straining under a frame-pack almost his own weight. It is a chill morning with clear skies. There are few others on the streets at this early hour.
The group arrive at the markets to see vendors setting up their stalls. Some vendors are yet to arrive, and there are only a few other customers about. As the group approach Tellius notices a tall stranger lurking anxiously in the morning shadow of one of the buildings at the edge of the market square. The stranger is wearing curiously light clothing for such a chill morning and has a hood drawn low over his face.
The group quickly spot a mule merchant tethering three of his animals to a temporary picket line and head over to haggle a purchase. As the group deal with the merchant the tall stranger leaves the shadows and wanders amongst the stalls examining merchandise. As the stranger steps into the morning light Tellius gets a better look at him. From the way he moves and the style of his clothes Tellius suspects he is an elf and mentions such to his companions. Keeping a subtle eye on the stranger the group finalise the purchase of a mule and Tellius hands over 50 silver pieces. Rondo begins to load the mule with his gear.
A late arriving merchant parks his hand card and starts to assemble his wares. The tall stranger immediately strides over to the merchant, purchases some goods and then proceeds to leave the markets. As the stranger departs Edgaar suggests they ask if the stranger has information about the sword they are seeking. "Elves tend to be knowledgeable about that sort of thing, right?" Tellius hurries after the stranger and hails him, but the stranger merely quickens his pace and disappears down the street. Tellius gives up the attempt and returns to the others.
Meanwhile Edgaar approached the late arriving merchant to see what the stranger purchased. The merchant sells medicinal herbs. Edgaar asks the merchant about the stranger and learns that he is indeed an elf and does not live in the city but instead a nearby fishing village named Sevon. The same village the group is bound for this day!
Edgaar hurries over to Tellius and tells what he has learnt and they decide another attempt should be made to talk to the elf. The two of them run off to try and find him. It is not long before they spot him receding down one of the many streets. They hail him again first in the common and then the elven tongue. In response to elven speech the stranger increases his pace to almost a run. Edgaar and Tellius give up the pursuit. The elf is obviously determined to avoid them. Tellius and Edgaar rejoin the group at the market. Rondo finishes loading the mule and they all head for the south gate exit of the walled city.
At the south gate a pair of stern city guards watch all who enter and leave. Sitting next to them on an upturned barrel at a makeshift table is a man in scholarly attire. He too watches the gate and intermittently writes on a small stack of parchment with ink and pen. He eyes the party as they exit and writes on the parchment.
As the group emerge from the gate they notice in the distance on the road leading south the elf from the market. A third time they try to hail him and again are ignored as he hurries on. The group travel along the road at their own pace, the swifter elf soon passes out of sight ahead on the road. As the hours go by the morning chill is driven away by the sun and clear sky (13 degrees Celsius).
About midday Saab notices blood on the road ahead. A quick search reveals the body of a man poorly hidden in scrub a short distance off the road. The man is wearing bedclothes and a light crossbow bolt protrudes from his chest. The group string bows and crossbows and resume their journey with caution.
It is not long before the group crest a rise and get first sight of the village. The road continues south as far as can be seen but a few hundred yards ahead a path leaves the road and slopes down about 100 yards to a beach. On the beach are the remains of about a dozen wooden structures in smouldering ruin. The village has been put to torch! Three bodies can be seen in the middle of the village. Stooping over one of the bodies is the tall elf.
Lucien breaks into a run for the village. The others proceed more cautiously. Edgaar, Rondo and the mule are left at the intersection of the path and road to keep watch as the rest enter the village.
Lucien is the first to arrive. The elf is no longer in sight having disappeared behind one of the ruined buildings but Lucien pays no heed, instead he examines the three bodies for the tattoo of a mermaid. To his relief none have it. Two of the bodies are male adults. Both have blade wounds and one has been shot by an arrow. A short sword lies beside one, a stout staff beside the other. A short distance away is the body of an elderly woman, her throat cut. All wear bedclothes.
The rest of the group, except Edgaar and Rondo, catch up to Lucien in the village. The group call for the elf he emerges from hiding behind what remains of one of the buildings. His arms are covered in ash from finger to elbow. The hem of his robe is similarly stained with ash. The atmosphere is tense as elf and group question each other.
Up at the intersection Edgaar spots movement 200 yards off the road inland amongst some bushes. He subtlety informs Rondo, who proceeds to make a show of going behind a bush to relieve himself but instead gets on his belly and crawls toward where movement was detected. Rondo covers only about a quarter of the distance before a small child bursts from the targetted location and sprints away toward a small grove another 200 yards or so distant.
His approach discovered Rondo scrambles to his feet and pursues the fleeing figure. Edgaar signals to the others in the village, beckoning them. All those in the village except the elf race up to join Edgaar. After Edgaar explains the situation Tellius runs to follow Rondo. The others watch and converse.
The child reaches the grove before Rondo and disappears into the trees. Rondo arrives a short time later but halts at the edge of the grove scanning the trees. There is no sign of the child. Tellius catches up to Rondo and after conversing briefly with Rondo on the situation closes his eyes and makes a subtle sweeping gesture with his hand in the direction of the grove. He then declares that the child is hiding up in a tree at the centre of the grove. Rondo wonders how Tellius could know this as the upper parts of the trees at the centre of the grove are completely obscured from view.
Tellius leads Rondo to a tall tree at the centre of the grove. About half way up the tree is a small structure built from rope and branches. Crude ladder rungs tied to the trunk lead up to it. Rondo calls for the child to come down out of the tree house but there is no response. Grumbling, Rondo then proceeds to climb the tree. It it a difficult ascent as Rondo is hindered by his armour and most of the ladder rungs break under his weight. As he approaches the structure a small child exits it and scrambles further up into the tree. Rondo tries to talk the child down but his rough speech only frightens him to sobbing. The small child is up amongst branches too slender to support the weight of an adult. Rondo proceeds up as far as the tree house and discovers it contains items a child may treasure, sea shells, a ball of twine, shinny rocks. Rondo climbs down the tree, his decent no less difficult than the ascent, grumbling all the way and blaming the child for his discomfort.
Tellius then removes his armour, greaves and other equipment that may hinder his climb and ascends the tree. He gets within 20 feet of the child and tries to talk him down with soothing words but any chance of success is thwarted by more rough speech and threats to the child from Rondo at the base of the tree. Eventually Tellius retreats down the tree defeated.
Soon the rest of the group including the elf arrive at the grove. Lucien is the next to climb the tree and attempt to talk the child down while the others move to the edge of the grove to converse. Being lightest of the group Lucien manages to get closer to the child and eventually manages to persuade him to climb down. The absence of the gruff Rondo playing no small part in convincing the child. Lucien approaches the others at the grove with the child clutching the back of Lucien's tunic and sheltering behind him.
Meanwhile having grown impatient, Rondo and Saab returned to the village to search for signs that may reveal by which path the raiders left the village with their captives.