Spike listened to the speech as he stood behind the assembled, nodding at some of the statements, lowering his head as she mentioned the famine.  After Undol and Sherani speak up, Spike stands tall, putting his not-insignificant bulk to bare, "I don't know if this related, but I heard something else related to the famine.  I believe that one of the reasons the people are crowded in the town is because the countryside has become unsafe due to the mysterious growth of the wildlife.  Mirana told me about a rumor or a magical source to this transformation to the South, and I for one would like to check that out BEFORE moving in on Lesik.  If the roads and farms are safe, then tensions will be a little looser, and we might not have as much trouble when we move on Lesik.  Of course, if he is using this for some experiments," he shifted his vision to Lilium directly, "then it might be a good idea to remove this source of power from him first, if his camp isn't located at the site.  If it is, then we tackle both objectives at once.  Like I said, Lesik is a local threat, but this magic may be a greater threat to the countryside."