Nibbler listens as the party discusses. There's a heated discussion on all sides and it sounds like the team is divided about a serious subject. Caldira walks over to Nibbler, "typical two-legs, always being loud." She smiles her usual gentle smile but the bards have an expression, "half in jest, all in truth". Nibbler nods and sighs. 

 

Ros comes up behind them both. She's developed a bit of a calm since the crocs, almost like she's grown into her place in the herd. “Sounds like they’re all mad at each other. I wonder why. Do you think it has anything to do with that chest?"

 

Dorn comes out from the bubble spell. The argument has toned down into a more civilized discussion. Maldar has a few more words and then leaves the hut as well. Together they untie the horses and lead them outwards from the Tap to a spot nearby. The night is cloudy with the smell of rain in the distance and the bugs and heat are both present in uncomfortable amounts. Dorn and Maldar make no attempt to mount and ride the horses and as Jinn arrives the horses all gather that they're waiting for something to happen. 

 

The sounds of night are pierced with a scream that resonates around. Nibbler and Enid both start at the sound, Dorn is startled a little as well as the sound appears unexpected but when it quickly dies out calm returns to the camp and the night sounds resume. Caldira reassures the other two and they do not react initially but Caldira starts walking towards the sound. Between Maldar and Jinn and the briefness of the sound she is easily stopped. Jinn whispers to Maldar and hands the reins over and heads into the Tap to investigate. A few minutes later Michel comes out as the Tap dissipates. Michel speaks to the other party members and everyone back in. The bubble from the tiny hut is still in place and Michel reactivates the Tap before heading back towards the tiny hut.

 

Performing the ritual at Nibbler's request Michel explains, "We'd been discussing and debating the chest. Those dragonborn asked us to take it to Cromm's Hold and told us that Lady Cromm would be sending something back." 

 

Nibbler is surprised, "We thought you were going to fight the dragonborn. Do you serve them now? Is the plan still to fight the dragons?" Nibbler whickers nervously. He does not relish the idea of going against a dragon nor does he like the idea of being passed to yet another owner if Michel is killed. 

 

Michel frowns, "That's the plan and that was the plan, to attack them, but the dragonborn surprised us when we were there. They seemed to think we were couriers so we took it as an opportunity to learn more about them and Lady Cromm. There was some debate as to whether to trust her with the chest and it's contents. If we fight the dragons and she is allied with them would we have to fight her forces as well? Would we be reinforcing her forces only to fight them later? Would the thing the dragonborns expect back reinforce them? It was a lot of questions. We decided to open the lock. That was the scream you probably heard. The lock screamed when we magicked it open."

 

"Yeah that was startling." Nibbler swishes his tail uncomfortably. 

 

"Sorry, we didn't know it would do that. We were more concerned about it hurting us or alerting bad people." Michel looks out through the Tap for a second. "Seems ok for now. If you hear anything through the night wake me, ok?" Michel turns to head back into the tiny hut.

 

Nibbler blows a raspberry for attention, "Where are we heading tomorrow?"

 

Michel points onward south, "Cromm's Hold. We still need to deliver it."

 

- - - 

 

The rest of the night continues peacefully. A jungle cat sniffs at the Tap in the pre-dawn hours but Shadow looms over it and snaps his teeth angrily. The cat hisses and slinks away. Shadow gives chase, running at the panther in the dark as it rushes away. 

 

Shadow gives chase but the panther's superior speed and darkvision help it escape without too much effort. Shadow snorts in frustration and grudgingly returns to the Tap. Caldira rushes up, concern apparent in her ears and expression, "Shadow you fool. What have you gotten into now?"

 

Before Shadow can respond Enid and Rocinante rush up breathless, “You really shouldn’t run off like that. The swamp is unpredictable, you’re lucky you weren’t killed." 

 

But Ros' words are less disconcerting than Enid's which come out in a very faint puff of luminescent green smoke, "Welcome back!"

 

All of the horses stare at Enid as Nibbler walks up calmly, chiding Shadow, “Shadow, you can’t run off in the middle of the night like that. Who would come to save you if things went amiss?” Nibbler seems oblivious to the staring from the herd both at him and at Enid. The fumes dissipate almost too quickly to see and neither Enid nor Nibbler mention it. Awkward silence from all the horses persists throughout the remainder of the night as the sounds of the jungle continue.

 

- - -

 

The next day dawns bright and humid promising to get truly hot later as the party saddles up the horses and heads out. Maldar slides the chest along on his own floating disk and binds it to shadow. He seems to have better control of the chest and it doesn't bump shadow as they travel the distance to Cromm's Hold. 

 

Michel resumes the ritual, "What was that noise last night? It didn't seem too bad. You would've mentioned it if it were." 

 

"A panther came sniffing around. Nothing we couldn't handle. Shadow chased him off..." Nibbler cuts off before mentioning his concerns over Enid. He did notice the smoke but hid it fairly well in the darkness. 

 

"Well, if you're sure..." Michel pauses, "You know you could talk with me about anything you wanted. Is it about Enid again?" Michel isn't the most intelligent person in the party but he's scary insightful sometimes. 

 

"No, it's nothing." Nibbler chooses caution over sharing and stoically remains silent on the subject. "Are we leaving the swamp?"

 

Michel frowns at the back of Nibbler's head, "I'm not sure. We still need to rid those dragonborn out and track down their dragons and eliminate them. We're gonna see what Lady Cromm says about her arrangement with them. Find out what this gold buys."

 

"There's gold?" Why are these two-legs all consumed with metal disks you cannot eat? "In the chest?"

 

"Oh yeah, there's a bunch of gold in there. It seems she's being paid by the dragonborn for something and they're expecting a delivery of something in return." Michel informs Nibbler of all the conspiracy theories that the group argued through in the tiny hut last night. Nibbler sighs, happy that the subject has changed away from Enid. These two-legs and their love of metals makes them easy to distract. A couple hours later the horses spot the manor horse in the distance and the party picks up the pace. 

 

The stately manor rises above the surrounding land on the edge of the swamp with a little wall that reaches just to the horse's shoulders. At the gateway a pleasant two-legs greets the party. They exchange pleasantries before dismounting and taking the chest inside the manor. The horses are led by a young lad into a stable where 5 other young two-legs are tending another dozen horses. 

 

Two huge warhorses are in the front stalls of the stable but there's plenty of room for their small herd. The warhorses shake their heads authoritatively but say little as Nibbler's herd is led in. Enid begins sniffing around at feed troughs, "I think..we should get some oats, anyone else?"

 

Nibbler sighs a little laugh, relieved to hear her talking about regular food. Caldira is obviously also relieved, "Greetings and thank you for letting us stay here."  Nibbler looks back and sees she's addressing one of the biggest warhorses. 

 

Lightning and Thunder are severe warhorses with grey mottling over a black coat for Lightning and jet black for Thunder. Lightning is clearly in charge around here. He does not speak but nods and allows the others to speak. An older work horse pipes up. "Welcome outriders. I'm Mowsely and I help with the fields around Cromm's Hold. Are you an adventuring group? I bet you have some stories to tell." He's a brightly older Male with a happy voice and a long shaggy grey/brown coat. 

 

Caldira will nod with respect to Lightning. "Yes, we are part of an adventure party." She is still talking toward Lightning but turns toward Mowsely as she speaks. 

 

The stable hands begin removing gear and tack and one giggles a bit as Enid pushes him aside a little to get to a feed bucket. Rocinante gets to her stall and is released to stretch and drink, “Do you know what’s going on with the two leggers and the chest?”

 

Between mouthfuls of grain Enid replies unintelligibily. Everyone looks at her strangely and she swallows before responding, "I said 'the two leggers are weird creatures'." She resumes eating this time being more careful with her words, "Don't they get cold with no fur or fall since they only have two legs?"

 

The horses in the stable chuckle at your banter. They've all seen enough clothing options to know the two-legs get cold but for some reason they still wear painful metal even in the heat. It's clearly a commonality between animals especially those working closely with humans to question their extremely odd habits. 

 

As Shadow is being brushed he stretches and responds himself, "Two leggers are strange, plus the lack of fur makes no sense."

 

Lightning bristles a bit at this exchange. Clearly taking offense at the familiarity of the term "two leggers". He doesn't say anything but he snorts and winces when you use that term. Nibbler notices this immediately and shakes his head and tail proudly, “The thing with the riders is this, they simply don’t understand things the way we do. They can’t do what we do. Hence why must carry them, literally. It our job, nay our cause to do so. One I intend to fulfill.” Nibbler nods towards Lightning and Thunder.

 

Caldira snorts at Nibbler, chiding him gently,  "Yes yes. We all have a job and all. Its fine for the young ones to have some fun."

 

Before Nibbler can reply Enid responds through her oats, "But if..they 'need' us..why didn't they take us with them?"

 

Caldira sighs, Enid is old enough to know better but dense enough to still make strange leaps in logic. "They can't take us everywhere and they dont need us all the time."

 

Rocinante interjects, “Caldera is right. They’re strong, I’m sure they’ll be fine."

 

"hmm..I suppose so. Must be why we're out here, plus it just means more break time." Enid continues to eat her food.

 

Rocinante sighs at Enid's antics and turns back toward tothe big horses, “so what’s it like living here?”

 

Thunder has a deep bass voice and is terse like Lightning, "We serve the masters and bear them where they go. We are well treated." He stoically watches as others interact but doesn't say anything much and his body language is tense and uninviting and the herd find easier pickings among the other horses in the stables.

 

Barrow is a proud horse with a smug expression and he reports that they work for Lady Cromm and only occasionally bear riders. Mowsely talks a little about moving rocks and trees for the house. 

 

Enid and Rocinante question Mowsely about being mistreated by the stable hands or other 'masters'. Mowsely laughs at the idea that they be mistreated, "The stablehands get some slaps when they dont care for us well enough! We are fine." He indicates treatment has been fine. Plenty to eat, each has their own stalls. No complaints there.

 

Nibbler is curious about the moving of rocks and in a flash of curiosity asks Barrow about them. "These rocks you move, are they part of a building? Would they be a new building or an old building?"

 

Barrow thinks about it and shrugs, "We move things around. We dont climb into the ground." Lightning snorts angrily at Barrow who lowers his head and ears submissively.

 

Nibbler lets his curiosity get the better of him again and he begins prying, "Do your riders climb into the ground? Ours normally leave us when they go somewhere dangerous."

 

Thunder rears up and stomps the ground angrily just as Lightning bellows "ENOUGH!". As Nibbler makes to speak an apology on that count but Lightning flicks his tail and stops talk on that subject. 

 

The rest of the hour is spent in awkward silence punctuated only with Enid's munching. After an hour the stable boys return and pack up the horses with tack and lead them back out where the party is preparing to leave with the chest they'd delivered. Michel already having begun the ritual answers the unasked question, "back to town." Nibbler nods.

 

"There's something going on here." Nibbler begins as they get underway. He recounts the interactions within the stable and Michel listens pensively. 

 

"There's DEFINITELY something going on here. But that just uncovers more questions than it answers." Michel gestures toward the chest, "That's a kingly sum of money. She just gave it to us to remove those dragonborn from their location. Now I'm much, MUCH more concerned about the dragonborn in that ruin." 

 

"What are you concerned about? What do you think is there?" Nibbler is again concerned about his rider needing healed or replaced. "What about that noise? What does that noise do?" Nibbler remembers hearing the gong that the young dragonlings had been playing. 

 

Michel pales a bit in the sunlight, "Supposedly that calls the dragon. I think the dragonborn children were doing it wrong. Or maybe the dragon is desensitized to it and no longer comes when called. But I think that's wishful thinking. I think they were doing it wrong somehow." Michel pauses, "Sylvanus protect me, I hope I'm wrong."

 

The road back to Daggerford is quiet and quick and the party returns by early afternoon. 

 

(To be continued)