The Unfortunate Events of the Cook and the Madman

Following The Trail

These were the horses of Gundren Rockseeker and Sildar Hallwinter. Gundren had described his horse to her in the tavern, and had described Sildar's as well. A fine stout brown horse with braided mane and a silver stallion with black patches. These were the horses laid before her. She began to search the looted saddle bags, checking belongings. There was am empty leather map case with Dwarven carving which she would bet anything was Rockseeker's.

Poppy began to use her tracking knowledge and take note of the surrounding area, she noted it was the perfect ambushing point, a nice secluded spot for a campfire and a rest for the weary traveller. The ground was severely trampled in all areas, they used this point often for their ambushes. She inspected the north-side of the thicket, where the goblins had emerged and noticed a trail heading off in a north western direction, dozens of goblins used this path it seemed. More recently two larger bodies had been hauled away. Gundren and Sildar?

The halfling quickly walked back to Bale to tell him of her findings and the dire situation that now presented itself only to find him holding up a green, fleshy, bloodied puppet of the goblins face on his left hand. He had finely de-gloved the creature's face, taking great care in his craft, making small cuts here and there, whistling cheerfully as he went about this work. Then taking his medi-kit needle and thread Bale had sewn the eyes closed and fixed any cuts along the side, leaving him with a perfect puppet of a goblin's profile, long nose, ears and all.

“...Wha...” Poppy couldn't comprehend what she was looking at.

“This is Steve,” Bale said, keeping his left hand aloft.

“Steve...?” She questioned.

“Steve.” He confirmed, his left hand nodding in agreement.

Poppy squashed any dread down, shook her head for some clarity and began to explain to Bale about the horses, the horses owners and their possible fate. She also described the tracking she had noted, the amount of goblins that had passed and the north western trail up through the thicket.

In a surprise twist Bale offered the sound advice of looking for the two missing patrons would be better with strength in numbers which meant Errick, Roclaf and the wagon should follow.

Errick remained stoic as ever, his eyebrows becoming more furrowed though as Poppy sat next to him on the wagon bench recalling the ambushed attack, her discoveries and the missing two. The man's eyebrows also furrowed when he met Steve, but he said nothing of it.

The trio picked their way around the invaded camp-site, pushing onward through the thicket and onto the goblin's trail. Bale was once again taking lead, walking further up front, Poppy sat on the bench beside Errick who held the reins to Roclaf in a white knuckled grip. Neither the two on the wagon said a word once they were on the trail. Bale on the otherhand was in constant chatter with his new friend.

“It's alright.It's alright. It's alright.” Bale chirped between himself and the puppet, Steve mouthing along to his part, Bale taking great glee in fun he was having. “It's alright. It's alright.”

Then there was a crack, and a thud, followed swiftly by a “it's not alright.”

Bale had fallen into a pit dug by the goblins, prehaps to catch wild animals, more likely to trap unsuspecting victims on their trail.

Steve popped his floppy head up out the top of the pit, gesturing as if looking around, his green ears flapping with the movement, showing the pit wasn't very deep at all. Poppy jumped down from the slowed wagon, walking to the edge of the pit looking down to see a filthy Bale, covered in twigs, dirt and worse. The pit was around eight feet deep and six feet wide. Poppy noted the camouflage covering and the trigger string, now loose.

“Are you hurt?” She asked looking down, that probably would have hurt her quite badly if she had fallen.

The pit walls weren't that steep so Bale scrambled his way out easy enough. “No more than usual,” he replied, getting up and dusting himself off. He rubbed the puppet clean as well with the sleeve of his jacket, as best he could.

“Oh no,” Poppy groaned. She looked at the pit now open and looked back to the wagon. There was no way to get them passed easily. “We could try resetting it with the covering and then laying bracken and twigs over?” The halfling went to grab the loosened trigger string. Once again Bale came forward with the better advice, taking the string from her hands.

“They would be better to go back to the road to wait for us, this trail is getting more dangerous by the minute.” He could see Poppy becoming anxious at the thought. “Same plan as before remember, if we're not back by morning, Errick and Roclaf will go on without us.” He went to give her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder but went for it with his Steve hand.

Poppy squealed and ran away from him, towards the wagon. Bale laughed to himself, Steve shook his head in dismay.

Errick, Roclaf and the wagon returned to the road to wait, as Bale and Poppy ventured further into the forest together… with Steve.