CH. 3: Guardian Mountains

[HorizonsDream]

"Stay here," Echo says to Keet as she walks up on the little meeting with the Pharise, clerics, and paladins. She would like to know what exactly they are planning.

[JadedDM]

"Are you sure about that?" Cadegund asks.

"There's no other safe way to proceed," a human cleric states. "We've checked. It might be possible to climb without all of these pilgrims, and the horses, but otherwise we're stuck."

"But we don't know for sure if these cave leads where we're going, or anywhere at all, for that matter," Hollidan states.

"So it would seem," a halfling cleric says. "But there's no reason not to send a scouting party just to check it out, at least."

"Perhaps so," the pharise says, stroking his beard in thought.

[HorizonsDream]

"It could take days to fully scout out that cave, and make it safe for the pilgrims," Echo points out. "How long are you willing to wait here for a scouting party to return?"

[JadedDM]

The pharise turns to her, slightly startled. "What the--who invited you to this meeting?" he demands. "Besides, we have no other options than to give up and go home."

[HorizonsDream]

"I didn't like not knowing what was going on when there is a cave looming up ahead," Echo explains. "Who do you plan sending in there, then?" she asks. "It would have to be a relatively small group, probably composed of one of your paladins, a cleric, and someone that can scout ahead for them so that they don't suddenly run into whatever dangers might lie in there. The rest would need to stay here to guard the pilgrims."

[JadedDM]

The pharise ignores her. "Argis, why don't you take a small group in," he says to the paladin captain.

"As you wish, Pharise," Argis says. Echo notes the great sword strapped to his back, the same one that was found in the troll's cavern.

[HorizonsDream]

~I still think Hollidan should have kept that,~ Echo thinks to herself as she shakes her head.

[JadedDM]

Argis chooses a pair of clerics, a halfling and elf that Echo hadn't met yet. He then turns to her. "And how about you, Miss Soulstaff? As you seem so eager to participate in things, after all."

[HorizonsDream]

"Okay," Echo says. "Just as long as I can bring along Keet," she adds. "He could prove useful, and I would rather keep him in my sights."

[JadedDM]

The paladin shrugs. "As you wish then," he states. "But if it steps out of line, it will be smote."

[HorizonsDream]

"Understood," Echo says. "I'll meet you at the entrance," she adds. She turns from the group, and moves back to where she left Keet. "Come on, we're going to explore a cave."

[JadedDM]

"Oh, goodie!" Keet says. "Me like caves. Too bright out here on surface." He rubs at his eyes to emphasize that point.

[HorizonsDream]

"Great," Echo says. "The point of this is to make sure that the cave is safe, and to see if there is a way through the cave that we can follow," she explains as she makes her way towards Hollidan.

[JadedDM]

Keet follows after Echo happily. She finds Hollidan talking with Sofia and Leonor.

[HorizonsDream]

"Hollidan," Echo says as she approaches the group. "And good morning Sofia and Leonor," she adds before she turns back to the paladin. "Do you think you can keep an eye out for my horse while I'm gone?" she asks.