chapter 5 - In Search of Sausages

[Pulpatoon]

Salt Peter follows behind Travix, staying out of sight between the wizard's robes. When Travix stops to speak, Salt Peter ducks under the wizard's robes, so that his grinning face appears between the old man's knees. He winks at the kid, and says, "We be 'armless, we be, but 'umble pilrgims asearchin' fer sawserges. 'Ave ye found any among ther bushes an' brambles, lass? We 'eard tale of a bee-yootiful sawsage tree growin' 'ereabouts."

[Mant72]

Tip beams a welcoming smile and introduces himself to both woman and child. "These woods be strange, aye? You ought not be out here with the little one all alone."

[hedgeknight]

Graela Windborn

Seeing the woman causes Graela to gasp with surprise. She calls the dogs back to her, and after her companions have had their say, Graela says, "My friends speak the truth. We are searching for a town hereabouts. Drumlin is its name. We've heard tell of Madame Gelding's sausages all the way in Goat's Plum Crossing. I am Graela Windborn, and these are my companions. The human is Travix and the two Halflings are Tip and Salt Peter."

[coil23]

The woman begrudgingly offers, I be Meg but you'll not get the child's name. She gasps and pulls the child closer to her when Salt Peter pops out. Gremlins! she hisses. A long moment passes as she eyes each of you in turn. Keep going as you were and Drumlin is up ahead. She offers Tip a bleak response with: everyone is alone out here. The small child silently watches the exchange with fearful wide eyes.

[OGRE MAGE]

Travix laughs at the woman's uptight demeanor, hoping it might lighten up the conversation a little.

"Our tiny friends are haflings, not gremlins! Surely you have heard of those out here, miss Meg? I will say it again! You have no reason to fear us."

He looks down, smiling at the little boy with the pine cones.

"What ever are you collecting those for my young friend? What good are those cones to humans?"

He looks at the woman again.

"Is there something that we can do for you out here to prove that we mean you no harm? We each possess a few skills that you may not."

[Mant72]

Tip fishes a piece of dried apricot from his rations and offers it to Meg, "Here, for the child."

[Pulpatoon]

Salt Peter, not ready to give up on making the child laugh, rolls out from under Travix's robes and says, "Pineycones? Whatter ye talkin' 'bout, longwhiskers? Can't ye see these be sawsargers dropped from the magic sawsage tree?" Picking a pinecone off the ground, he holds it under his nose and inhales deeply. "Arrr! Nicely smoked, wi' a 'int o' sage an' parsely!" He pantomimes eating the pinecone with energetic relish.

[hedgeknight]

Graela Windborn

Graela rolls her eyes at the antics of the boys and says, "Nice to meet you. Pine cones are quick to burn and make good fire starters, don't they, Meg? We're just passing through, on our way to Drumlin. But if you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by "everyone is alone out here"?

[coil23]

The woman holds the child close to her and backs away, off the road, into the woods. Just pass on by. That's how I'll know you mean no harm. She glances around as if to make sure no one else is about. After backing up about 10 feet she grabs the child's hand and hurries the two of them away from you through the trees, glancing over her shoulder a few times to see if you are following.

[Mant72]

Tip looks around at his companions and shrugs. "Strange...perhaps these woods are filled with haints. Maybe they are a couple of lost souls themselves?"

Tip shudders and asks Salty if he has any more of the warding herbs he is willing to share.

"Do we dare follow them or stick to the road?" He waits for the others to answer.

[OGRE MAGE]

Travix rubs his whiskers, deep in thought.

"Strange times indeed when people of obvious need run away from help! Let us not sidetrack and keep up on our current mission. I'm starting to crave salted and cured intestine wrapped logs of ground meat."

[Pulpatoon]

Salt Peter passes around the herb bag for anyone who wants to prophylactic pinch or two. "They mus' be speerits, if'n they hain't had a laugh at me finest japery. Tha' wars a pree-formance worthy of ther crowned heads o' Siam! An' yer don' wanner be follerin' haints an' speerits."

Let us not sidetrack and keep up on our current mission. I'm starting to crave salted and cured intestine wrapped logs of ground meat."

Salt Peter: "I'd druther sawserges, meself."

[Mant72]

The light-heartedness of the group momentarily raises Tip's spirits; however, he continues to maintain vigilance.

He accepts Salty's herbal offering and claps him on the back, "'Twas quite the spectacle. Should have pulled at the lad's innards for at least a smile."

He then grows more serious "We should be off...I care not for this copse."

[hedgeknight]

Graela Windborn

She watches the woman and child go, but frowns at the woman's words. Turning to her companions, Graela says, "Something's not right. She was terrified of us! Shouldn't we go check it out?"

[Pulpatoon]

Salt Peter: "Folks is allus 'aving odd reactions ter me. I hain't give no nevermind one or t'other. Folks is jus' pee-culiar. 'Sides, she don' seem like she'd get enny friendlier fer being follered. An' she looked like she could go mamma-bear if'n she thought we wuz cornerin' 'er an' 'er sprat."

[hedgeknight]

Graela Windborn

"You're prolly right, Salty. But I gotta wonder, why would she be gathering pinecones instead of wood? Plenty of dead wood laying around."

[Pulpatoon]

"Ye roll a piney-cone in suet, an' then in seeds, and birds is gonner come an' et it. Then ye net up ther birds, and make yerself a luverly pie."

[coil23]

The woman and child travel further away until no longer in sight and you find yourselves seemingly alone in the pine forest once again. The sunlight still filters through the myriad branches but the air seems chillier after your odd encounter.

[Pulpatoon]

Salt Peter: "Arr, if'n we're ter travel ther faerie road, we ought as get traver-lin', aye?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Travix actually begins walking up the trail instead of just insinuating it.

"Yes, let's walk further. To Drumlin."