Karrlandren only spared a moment to watch Elandris scurry up the tree, then he resumed observing their surroundings.  It was a simple matter to tie the pack horse's leads to a sturdy branch just off the trail, then he let Longstep guide the way towards the river, staying in as much cover as possible for a lightly armoured horseman.  He alternated between surveying the forest on their side of the river, and studying the ground for signs of tracks that might lend a clue to the raft's fate.<br/><br/>He somehow doubted that even orcs would be so foolish as to destroy the raft if they were planning an invasion.  Unless, of course, they had another trick up their sleeve.  On the other hand, lowly patrols might simply had known no better.  And of course, there was always the chance that they did it to prevent scouts and woodsmen from discovering their movements before it was time to strike.<br/><br/>His mind followed the paths of strategy and counter-move, and it wasn't long until he started to notice broken twigs and overturned stones, footprints in the mud.  He leaned out of the saddle a bit to get a closer look amidst the trampled undergrowth.  He wasn't a terribly skilled tracker, but he knew enough to get an idea, and placed that set of tracks at no more then a few days, but whether there were others in the area, older or fresher, he'd not yet found them.