With pleasantries and brief introductions made, the party splits once more to execute their chosen plan. Albali sends Ain ahead, to buzz the enemy position; sure enough, it's roughly where she'd expected it to be on her map. There's three cultists that Ain can see; two of them have large cats, what the witch is easily able to identify through her familiar's eyes as a pair of cheetahs... but there's something... not quite right about how the animals are carrying themselves. Hard to see from the air, even if the cultists pay one more bird no mind at all. Each of the two cat-holders (and cheetahs were decidedly not native to this forest!) seem to be large, bulky males, with large swords slung across their back. They look... bored, inasmuch as they're slouching, though the angle of their hoods prevents an easy look at their faces. The third cultist stands pointedly away from the other two, and has no pet; it's a slimmer figure, probably feminine, and seems to be staring at the ground and standing rigidly upright. Not the most attentive of guard outposts, but probably enough. With that information, Xarithe and Albali move into the woods- as good as the druid is at using the cramped deer paths, his stealthiness leaves much to be desired to Albali's ears. Every few steps, it seems, he's breaking another loud twig, and they have to stop to be sure they're note heard. Ain continues periodic flyovers, confirming that the cultists aren't moving. At long last, Albali and Xarithe reach the exit of the deer path uncomfortably close to the cultists' rear; it seems remarkable they haven't been spotted yet, but it must just be a terminal case of inattentiveness. As such, Ain lets the others know that the hammer is in position and for the anvil to advance.<br/><br/>The others start heading up the path, also not showing off particularly noteworthy stealth... but then, they're not meant to. As they head up the path, the first notice that they've been seen is a bellowed "HALT!" from a strong male voice ahead; with Ain having told them what to look for, they see the shapes of the three cultists ahead through sparse branches hanging at head height over the path. They too see all three that the bird saw. The third cultists lifts its head, and begins talking in a feminine voice oddly distorted; the consonants are a bit harder, more choppy and abrupt, while she lingers a bit too long on some of the vowels. "You will return to the village." She says, just loudly enough to carry. "But- ma'am- they're not local!" one of the cat-holders protests. "They're the adventurers we-"<br/><br/>"You will return to the village," the female cultist says. "Or, if you surrender, we will take you to our temple and educate you. Submit and you will not be devoured." She doesn't seem particularly interested in the answer, nor does she look up from the ground.<br/><br/>[[<br/><a class="postlink" href="http://orokos.com/roll/138057">Know(Nature), Albali</a>:<span style="text-decoration: underline">1d20+9</span><span style="font-weight: bold">17</span>to identify cheetahs and see something strange.<br/><br/>I will put up the battle map when battle begins in earnest, but Albali, Ain, and Xarithe are just off the path about 60 feet behind the cultists, and the rest of the party is about 50 feet on the path in front of them. ]]