July 1st is a pleasantly hot day with low humidity. The sky remains overcast, though.
Again you spend an uneventful day riding along the Great Western Road as it parallels the Canabar River. You are head north-northeast through mostly deciduous woodlands. The terrain is fairly flat...sloping down towards the river on your right slightly.
That evening you camp off in the woods by the river, a short distance from the road. After cooking dinner over a fire you sit back and McTavish shares one of his kegs of halfling ale with you.
Your reverie is interrupted by a voice from behind you -
"Good evening...would you be willing to share some of that ale with a fellow traveller..?"
Turning about you see a man in the robes of a cleric standing there looking at you.
Raz gives the man a quizzical look. After a moment he smiles saying, "Why of course we would be willing." Raz then gets up and walks over to the new arrival... "Hi, my name is Raz...and yours is?"
"Hestine," he replies. "I am pleased to meet you."
He comes closer. McTavish grunts and passes him a mug.
"Where are you from?" he asks. "Where are you bound?"
Humphrey smiles at the newcomer,
"Welcome father, and what diety is it that blesses you with its powers? As sar as the ale is concerned, it belongs to the dwarf, so it is him, that says whether you can have any of the ale."
The cleric holds up his mug and smiles warmly.
"I serve Untamo," he says. "Do you know of him?"
Humphrey returns the smile,
"Ah the god of sleep and dreams. Well met Hestine, my name is Humphrey and I follow my friend the dwarf. We have recently departed Strabath. Where have you been and where do you go?"
He smiles and wags a finger at Humphrey.
"You must tell me where you are from and where you are going," he says with a quiet laugh. "I asked first."
Before you can answer, though, you hear the sound of approaching footsteps along the road, and the sounds of deep voices singing.
Aldarin pulls his blade and moves for cover in the nearby bushes/trees.
Raz moves to hide himself.
Illyana ducks for cover. "I don't want any uncessary fighting."
Aldarin creeps up to the road and observes. The footsteps and singing pass him by and continue on up the road.
A moment later he returns and reports that it was a troop of about ten dwarves, marching north.
Suddenly you notice that Hestine is no longer with you.
The rest of the night passes quietly.