It has been a long three days of travel.  Not the longest trek on the road that Shalashaka has been on, but it has<em>felt</em>like the longest.  The only caravan that goes towards his destination is not one geared for comfort as it delivers critical supplies the small frontier town needs before making the return journey with whatever goods the town creates.  At least he didn't have to pay for it; the only thing required was that he pull his own weight and not slow them down - something the owner of the caravan,<strong>Ayda Vorshin (https://i.imgur.com/8BEuFDp.jpg)</strong>, made harshly clear from the outset.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://www.1zoom.ru/big2/414/240817-Sepik.jpg)</div>After a bumpy day long ride downriver, the rest of the journey was made horse-drawn cart on an unworked dirt road.  This far out, the trappings of civilization have gradually, but unmistakably given way to rude frontier land: broad swathes of grassland, gnarled trees and stubborn bush, and the forlorn cries of a swooping falcon magnifying the sense of desolation. Wolves, both ordinary and their dire cousins, run free and unhunted in the distance, eyeing the passing wagons with inscrutably blank countenances somewhere between hunger and idle curiosity.  The caravan guard glare back at them, bows in hand and arrows nocked.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yLpelDsKbeDJ_A-V1wP-NBdq9YPRQrlUxECrP-h2aRSjSrgH2BybXVcIzDWjFesMQ4XCoQ8ECDmzssi6P6-KogoB43bVpKpumLwNE-1qB2iqP3a03z7_NcTL4DuxkPRtCDVOyPCjC_rdjAFgL4GR1ECr-MUdplKkD2Gt7851T5LjTBWNeE_tpkC9Bbbw5HAyyDMOu-DWaSQTr2z1-8_R_WePXfn7)</div>As the evening begins to fall, Falcon's Hollow appears on the horizon, and, in the far distance behind it, the dark looming forests of Darkmoon Vale.  Even before the caravan can get into town proper, the broad sluggish waters of the imaginatively named River Foam must crossed, and as the caravan gets closer, large barges are launched from the other side to meet them.<br/><br/>With the dark already on them, there is a flurry of activity to unload the wagons and cross the waters with the precious cargo and the draft animals as it seems the wagons themselves will be left behind until the return trip back in a few days.  During all the hubbub, Shalashaka, seemingly forgotten and left to his own devices manages to find a moment to board one of the ferries, little more than a overly large raft, and make the crossing.  A town of the size of Falcon's Hollow should have already built a bridge, but, clearly, infrastructure (and perhaps even motivation) is somewhat scarce in these parts of the world.<br/><br/>Before Shala can truly be left to his own devices, he is spotted by<strong>Ayda</strong>, who points him to the only inn in town, called the Jak-a'-Napes, not too far from the waterfront.  The from all appearances, the inn proves to be a very ramshackle affair, much in keeping with the rough-and-tumble appearance of the town.<br/><br/>"This is a rough town princess,"<strong>Ayda</strong>grunts, with her nickname for him, derived during the course of the trip.  "Don't stay out for too long after sunset."<br/><br/>With this final bit of pragmatic advice, the half-orc takes her leave, giving Shalashaka's rump a hearty smack, already forgetting him as she starts shouting at the dock workers to be more careful with the cargo they're handling.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">The high priestess in charge of the temple wasn't too happy to send Shala on his way, but has seen to it that he is was provided for witht the following items:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>A backpack (https://aonprd.com/MagicWondrousDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Secure%20Paypack)</li><li>An ornate electrum hair-clip (https://aonprd.com/MagicWondrousDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Hat%20of%20Disguise)</li><li>A foot-long black iron rod (https://aonprd.com/MagicRodsDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Immovable%20Rod)</li></ul></div></div>