Your patrol seems shocked at this flouting of tradition, but as you march on up the trail you turn and fix them with a cold glare, and they fall in behind you, leaving the bodies of Ambra and Garro behind in the dirt.
One of your warriors, Brana, is a skilled tracker, and she leads the way through the forest. You and Kral follow behind her.
"The bandits that attacked us," you say as you walk, "they wore the same black jerkin as the man we found dead on the trail. Were they of the Tribe of the Black Wolf, too?"
"It would seem so," the old man replies, "though whether they have fled from the battle on the steppe or are mustering here for a separate attack, I do not know."
"And the one on the trail, with his throat cut," you continue. "Who did that, and why were his companions there?"
"I suspect," says Kral, "that his companions themselves may have been responsible. I think he was bait for a trap that we just walked into, though it was not as effective as they might have hoped. In any case, once we have tracked our attackers to their destination, I am sure we shall find some answers."
Follow the Trail