The rain continues its downpour, its sound calming and serene. Yet… the welcome respite that the road offers from the thick forest canopy worries you; you feel it could ultimately draw unwelcome attention. From what?

You decide to continue on through the underbrush, and soon the sound of the downpour blocks out any thoughts of the road. You trudge through the thicket, following the winding path in the underbrush. Suddenly, you hear the rustling of leaves nearby, and you bound aside, startled. You see a small group of humans and dwarves, trudging along, heavily armed.

You duck out of sight as the party passes by, though not before you notice two half-naked humans somewhere in their midst. They look weary from travelling and their hands are tied with rope. As they march forward, you note the distinctive livery of a red band with a white hand on each of the armed people.

“We’re soon at the road, lads.” a heavily equipped dwarf in the front calls out.