" I shall help you noble sir." The voice comes from one of the smaller party members. A dwarf stands up, dressed in fine clothing (with red trimming) and wearing a large, wide brimmed red hat decorated with a large feather of light blue color. He has a short sword and a dagger attached to his belt. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Straxos Ulderhearth, dwarven merchant, story teller, and adventurer. And I am willing to start the search now if everyone is, I mean we can't leave the poor boy to the wolves now can we?"

    Two young eleven women stand at the same time. The first smiles charmingly and wears a short navy dress tied at the waist with a golden colored belt. The other bows respectfully before Jocko. She wears a soft cotton gown of swirly amber shades of green; over her gown, she wears an elk leather vest. A finely crafter long sword and matching short sword hangs from her waist belt.

    "Dona worry, m'lord. Ye shall have all t' 'elp 'at I can offer ye. I be Rhiannon, an' I be glad t' be o' service." Her thick accent is sweet in tone, a sound like tiny bells. Her now green eyes alight with a youthful fire, and her face a calm statue, with her soft features offering their concern.

    "Well met, kind sir. I am called Thellona and I am a forester. I would be pleased to assist you. I must say that I am unfamiliar with the area, but if you show me where he was last seen, I may be able to pick up the trail."

    Kharac leans back in his chair, sighing contentedly as he takes a small sip of ale, then drains half the mug. He puts the mug down, sighing all the while with a slight smile on his face as Jocko finishes talking, and looks first at Rhiannon, then narrowed eyed and longer glance, at Straxos. When Thellona stands and suggests we start looking for the boy now, Kharac looks at Jocko and says "I agree we should start now." He looks at the remaining party members who haven't volunteered to help yet with glowing eyes, his meaning plain in his harsh glare.

    Kharac: "All of us would be able to start now as we have night vision superior to that of humans. The sooner we start on the trail the better. Thellona and Vandall are both trained in wood lore, so their aid would be invaluable in finding any tracks. We could look now and let the villagers continue in the morning after we have hopefully given them some direction to go in."

    A young half-elf with shoulder length silver gray hair, wearing dark blue robes clears his throat. "I am Taran and I would also like to lend whatever aid I may." As Taran gathers his pack, finishes his ale, not making eye contact with anyone, with a firm grip on a dark wood staff he adds, "I agree that we should start as soon as possible before there is any chance of losing signs of his passing that might be left."

    Vandall stands silently, awaiting the entire party's response for action as he slightly moves in his cloak to check his bow and quiver, adjusting his backpack and keeping his eyes shadowed from view as always. He pauses and looks to the party, especially the rough dwarf who gave him the harsh look and his face remains calm.

    Jocko Sanders: "I will fetch the older boy that was keeping an eye on the youngsters." He turns and motions for a barmaid to come over. He whispers into her ear and she hurries out the front door of establishment. "First, finish your meal. You must be refreshed and free of fatigue before you set out. It will only be a few moments before Taurus will be here to guide you to
where the children was playing."

    Kharac looks at Jocko for a second or two longer. "I am Kharac of the Dwarves, sir. Your ale is excellent and in return for such fine drink and lodging, I would gladly help find your son." His eyes seem to become unfocused for a moment, as if he is lost in some memory, a painful one. Then his eyes light up, as if he has found some glimmer of hope to sustain him for a while more on this long night. He looks up at Jocko again with a wistful look in his eyes. "And mayhap, after we find your boy, you could tell me the tale of the dwarf who rested in your fine village a few months ago, recovering from battle wounds suffered alongside King Azoun. I would be glad to hear anything you could tell, for I believe I know of this dwarf, Erron, and would like to see him again." His eyes cloud over again, as if he was reliving some painful memory. He gives his head a quick shake, reaches for his mug of ale and drains the rest of it, and puts the mug down on the table again.

    Jocko motions for a serving girl to fill Kharac's mug. "I am familiar with the dwarf named Erron. Cormyr owes much to this brave warrior. He was brought to our small village to heal from his wounds. I guess King Azoun felt he would be safe here. We owe much to Erron. He saved our king in battle that glorious day as we turned back the barbaric raiders. Erron left a couple of months ago. We miss his sense of humor and the wonderful tales he spun of his homeland. Erron was fond of my son and was teaching him the art of smiting."

    Several moments of silence follow and the door opens. The boy Taurus enters with the barmaid that was sent to retrieve him. A look of nervousness and fear crosses the boys face as he is directed towards your group. He clears his throat. In that changing voice indicating the transition to manhood, he speaks. "I came as fast as I could. I hope I can help find your son Jocko."

    Thellona: "I may be able to pick up the trail. If you can tell me, does he have any favorite hiding places? Are there any places in the woods where he might find shelter?"

    Taurus looks at Jocko and then turns back to address the group. "I will be willing to show you where we were playing. Arton always liked to hide deep in the woods. He thought the other children would not find him there because they feared straying to deeply in the woods. I guess he was right. As for a place to find shelter, I don't know ... not that I am aware of."

    Vandall: "The boy will be found in the next few days, perhaps this eve..."

    He pauses to look at the female tracker, "We will double our efforts and I will take point ... please double check the tracks as I do."

    With that Kharac stands up, and leans over to pick up his pack, resettling it on his broad shoulders. The ax clanks against it's rack as he settles the pack. He picks up his war hammer in his right hand, and looks each party member in the eye. Taran moves to stand near Kharac. The group rises and file out of the pub.

********************

    Taurus leads the you down the northern trail. After about a half mile, he turns and heads into the forest. "It is this way. After a few minutes the forest opens to a small meadow. This was our headquarters in our struggle against evil. Oops, sorry, that is the game we were playing last."

    Following the boy you enter into the dark forest. The boy leads you down a small path. After 5 minutes of making your way through the forest you come to a clearing. The boy leads you to a lightly worn path on the other side of the clearing. "The last time I remember seeing Arton was when he headed down this path to hide from the evil dragon chasing him. Once again, part of the game we were playing."

    Thellona and Vandall both spot a set of small footprints immediately. Very freshly made. No more than 6 to 8 hours old. One set going in. None following and none coming back out.

    Taurus: "This is as far as I can go tonight. My father has forbid me to go any farther. He is worried that I will meet the same fate as Arton. I must be going." He dashes back to the other path towards the road. "Don't worry about me. I will return safely to my home." With that Taurus disappears into
the woods.

After following the trail for several hours, the party comes to a clearing near the banks of the Black River. The ground in the clearing is visibly churned and there is dried blood spattered in the dirt. Signs of a struggle are evident, and it is easy to fear the worst as Arton's tracks do not appear to lead away from the area.