Nuyok and Leckchock spend some time in the grassy hillock, talking and occasionally dozing. Both are mud encrusted from head to foot. Caves are filthy places.
Nevertheless, the sunlight is warm and the two feel far too sleepy to move. They are reasonably sheltered from the road and feel that there is no way Throne could send people to track them to this spot.
The sun has climbed well into the sky when an odd visitor walks by. It is a fox, mature and a little portly. He is striding along the farmlands and fields looking out to sea and back towards the main road. Occasionally he takes a little nip from a hip flask.
He walks very near your tree and jumps when he sees the two muck men. He seems friendly, but keeps a careful distance.
"Oh! Beggin' yer pardon. Neither of ye would have any idea where there might be a slip or dock hereabouts, would ye?"

It is, of course, Jareek.

"Jareek, it is I, Nuyok," Nuyok tries his best to smear off some mud from his face. "Where are the others, are we near our initial site outside Adala?" Nuyok tries not to get overexcited, else Jareek thinks he's gone mad or something. "Oh, and this is Lekchock, Lekchock, this is Jareek."

"Great Jumping Spine Dogs!!!" Jareek nearly falls over from surprise.
"We thought you were with that Throne fella. What d'ye mean 'where are ye'? Your at the end of the road where it approaches the sea. The shacks is back that way." he jerks a paw over his shoulder.
"Stones, I'm forgettin' me manners. Mister Leckchock, pleased to meet ye."
He continues, "Beggin' your adept's pardon, but ye both could really use a clean-up. There's a mill pond back this way ye can dunk yerselves in. But wait, where are Rath and Vagrant? Weren't they with ye?"

Lekchock has an amused grin on his face as he listens to the old fox's antics. His face drops at the mention of Rath, and looks to Nuyok to provide explainations.

Nuyok smiles fondly at the old fox, "Yes, a clean-up is in order, and some rest too." At the mention of Rath and Vagrant by Jareek, the recent events quickly return to Nuyok's mind, and he takes on a more somber tone, "Well Jareek, the group of us went to Throne's for a business deal for Vagrant, and it ended up being much more than that. There was someone from Vagrant's past working for Throne, and they wanted some ancient knowledge from Vagrant, not his posters, and the knowledge was for some sort of weapon. Fighting ensued," Nuyok pauses, "...and Rath was slain, though he fought well. Vagrant's still there, his fate is unknown. I had been imprisoned, but with the help of Lekchock here, a fellow prisoner, I was able to get free, and here I am. Where's everyone else?"

Jareek's face falls at the news of Rath's fate.
"It's a stone-breakin' shame, it is. Young feller never got a fair deal from the first cut." There is a moment of awkward silence.
"Well if'n we don't want the same to befall any others, we'd best get all our heads together. It gladdens me considerable to have ye back, Master. Ye've got a sharp eye and a sharper mind. We'll get Vagrant outta the chimera's jaws, for sure.
"As for the others, they was headed into town to scout out the mansion. I think they might try some sort of attack. Mister Kent is search the other direction for a landing, but it seems like Adala only has cityside waterfront. Probably cuts down on smuggling and other... free enterprise."
He gestures for you to follow.
"If'n we're goin' to leave by water, we need to be in the city. I'll go first, cause I don't think they've seen me yet. Or at least, I don't think I've made an impression. Let's get Mister kent and head back by way of the shacks, just in case they've left word."

You quickly join up with Kent, who looks like he has had more sleep than the rest of the party combined. He also is shocked by Rath's fate, and resolves to do what he can to help. "I'm no fighter, but I can help make sure our trip wasn't wasted. I'll do waht I can to move our goods to where they need to go."

The four of you lead the cart and the wagon back to the shacks where you discover...

Continued next thread "Together again, almost"