Fellowship of the Dice

Torwin wonders at the things shared with them during the meal, and more so in the night when they are awakened by the wolves. When Stybba tells them not to worry, Torwin keeps his own counsel, but for the rest of the night he watches the man.

Hereweald groans, "Wolves can't climb walls...." he rolls over, never even waking fully, and falls right back to the sleep. He sleeps soundly and through pretty much anything, which is very much how you first met him. Unless roused by a strong hand and words of warning he doesn't wake till morning.

After rising with the dawn, Istril breaks her fast gladly. "I thank you for sheltering us within your walls," she says to Merwyn. "We shall remember to make mention of your kindness to the Reeve."

The morning dawns with a bright sun despite the brisk winter wind that is blowing. Merwyn serves you a filling breakfast of bread and cheese with cold water to wash it down. There are wolf-prints outside the walls of the steading, but the creatures are no where to be seen. You bid farewell to your hosts and set off along the road toward the Gap of Rohan. As you leave, you hear the caw of a crow behind you and you turn to see a large black crow taking flight out of the thatch of Léofold's longhouse. It wings its way to the northwest and soon is lost to sight.

All morning, the cloud shrouded peaks of Thrihyrne have been creeping closer to the road and now, by midday, the road seems to wend its way through the foothills of the mountain. Atop a westward facing shelf can be seen the house of Lord Grimborn, keeping a dutiful watch upon the road. The road branches here. One track continues north and west towards the Fords of Isen, some five leagues distant. The other turning southerly and winding its way past the valley of Grimslade and into the lands of the Dunnish Westmarch.

It is here that you must leave the road and begin to travel north towards Methedras, southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains. Their route skirts the entrance to the home of the White Wizard, the valley known as Nan Curunir. Istril and Torwin both recall that wandering into the realm of the White Wizard without reason is unadvised and so the decision is made to avoid trespassing into his realm. Torwin has guided you well to this point. Now he must begin exploring this unknown land for your destination. Unfortunately as evening sets in, he seems to struggle to find any sign of a path leading to a village.
As night falls, you begin looking for a site to make camp, knowing that continuing on in the dark will only result in you getting lost. As a search is made, Hereweald notices a worrisome finding. Not far from where you plan to make camp, there are multiple prints of wolves, suggesting a large pack recently moved through the area.

Saying farewell to Léofold's group Hereweald rides atop his mount at a leisurely pace for a time. The large crow draws narrowed eyes, but no words as he watches it fly away.

Along the road he takes note of homes and farms, herds far in the distance, and possible hunting ground. He's not well beyond his normal traveling range, but he's a hunter and animals are animals. As the group stops to find and set camp he pauses, kneels and dusts away some leaves. "Wolves, large ones." Its a long shot but he looks for similarities between these tracks and those around the steading from this morning.

Istil shivers as Hearweald points out the tracks. It is not from the winter's cold. "Surely they would be less dangerous than the troll we encountered?"

Torwin thanks Merwyn and Léofold for their hospitality, and leaves a silver coin in his room behind. He wasn't sure if they did this freely when asked by the Reeve, or if folk recompensed them, but he wanted to see strong steadings remain, even in difficult times, and coin would help them see such times through.

As they set camp on the trackless route toward Methedras, Torwin begins pulling together branches to build a fire. "A fire might alert other enemies, of which we have not seen. But of wolves, it will keep them at by, and these we know are nearby."

For a moment he examines the prints further, to see if they are wolves, or possibly wargs.
In answer to Istril's question, he adds, "If there are enough of them, and hungry, they could be far more dangerous than a troll. For one could escape from a troll, especially if it is day. But you cannot run faster than wolves, nor avoid being found, for they are master hunters. Let us hope a big fire is enough.

Let us take turns on watch. If you take the first, Istril, and you the morning Hereweald, I shall take the middle."

As Torwin examines the tracks closer, he notices that there is one set that is much larger than the rest.