Chapter 5 - Anyone for Frog Legs?
Days 10-11
Blixhaven caught up to the rest of the party as they rummaged through the supply wagon. He related a curious story of seeing a boat on the river that was moving upstream at a fast speed, despite the absence of either sails or rowers.
The supply wagon yielded a full load of what appeared to be supplies for the Genasi army. Everything from a jumble of wood, metal, and sinew that Trykaar identified as a disassembled ballista, to an assortment of alchemical, arcane, and medical supplies, to crates of arrows and bolts, parts for mending weapons and armour, and barrels of foodstuff. Neela and Trykaar scavenged the medical supplies to come up with makeshift healing kits. While compiling his kit, Trykaar came across a jar of ointment labeled in Elven as "healing salve", apparently for delivery to a Captain Ikonen.
Neela then set about disposing of the crates of alchemical and arcane supplies. Throwing out one bottle of liquid, she was surprised when the breaking bottle erupted in a gout of flame that left her slightly singed. A few similar bottles, unbroken, were stowed about her person.
Loading Jrak, Neela, and the prisoner elf into the back of the wagon, the party journeyed on for a short distance before deciding to make camp for the night. Pulling well off the road, they drew the wagon up beside a calm pond. As they lay down for the night, both Blixhaven and Neela felt that their experiences thus far had led to remarkable personal growth, and that they were finally able to realize the benefits of their long years of training.
The night passed calmly until early in the second watch. With the moon hidden in an overcast sky, little could be seen in the dark night. But where eyes fail, alert ears heard a faint splashing in the water of the pond. Seconds later, a horde of tiny, bipedal, frog-like creatures emerged from the water, rushing at the sentries. Blixhaven swiftly loosed an arrow and the frogling that he hit exploded into a small cloud of greenish gases that lingered in the air. Soon the whole party was awakened, battling against wave after wave of the creatures that swarmed them, coordinating their attempts to stick their dart-sized spears into the exposed flesh of feet and legs. Seeing no end to the nefarious creatures, Jrak and Sebestyrn desperately raced to hitch the horses to the wagon and their fellow party members clambered aboard as they lurched away from the campsite.
Resuming their journey along the pathways and trails that loosely paralleled the river, the party once again found themselves making good time the next morning. As mid-morning approached, the scouting Blixhaven and Neela came over a hill to see two squads of Genasi march onto the path from an intersecting trail, followed by a couple of wagons. Fortunately, they turned in the opposite direction. After ascertaining that no more Genasi followed, the party decided to give them a half hour head start before following. Not too long afterwards, the scouts were again alerted, this time to the smell of burning wood. Creeping forward through the woods alongside the path, they soon came on the scene of a slaughter. In the shadow of a high bank, the Genasi had been set upon and killed to a man. One wagon was burning, the other run off the road. Most of the Genasi bodies were pierced by arrows, and those that didn't have their throats cut had been savagely mauled. More disturbing was that there was no sign of the ambushers, who seemed to have disappeared into the surrounding woods after looting the bodies.
Proceeding cautiously, there was no further sign of the Genasi for the next couple of hours, other than the occasional burned-out or abandoned peasant cottage. As noon approached, Blixhaven found himself scouting along the riverbank, which the path now closely paralleled. Coming around a bend, he saw a considerable amount of activity on the river about a half-mile ahead. A good number of heavily-laden boats were occupied with crossing back and forth across the river, obviously conveying goods or passengers in considerable quantities. A curious Blixhaven and Neela scouted forward, making it about halfway to the site of the river traffic before coming across an old house that appeared to be now serve as a guardpost for the Genasi army. A small number of Genasi could be seen keeping watch at the trail which passed close by.
Blixhaven and Neela returned to the wagon, to report what they had seen. How would the party proceed?
Meanwhile, as the other party members awaited the return of the scouts, Trykaar heard the sound of hooves approaching down the trail from the opposite direction. Acting quickly, Jrak carried the captive elf into the woods while Trykaar hid in some heavy brush beside the path, leaving the wagon and horses. No sooner had he hidden than two Genasi appeared, riding horses. They pulled up alongside the wagon and had dismounted to inspect it with curiosity when Blixhaven and Neela returned. Seeing the Genasi, they immediately launched into an attack. When Blixhaven's arrow dropped one, the other turned on his heel and took flight, only to be closely pursued by the swift Blixhaven who soon gave him an arrow to match is friend's.
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