<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/d/db/NLTaliaElf.png)</div>Talia smiled at Varanos' suggestion, "That'll work for when we stop for the evening but I don't want to waste too much time getting back to the others," she replied, "Speaking of wasting time, I think that if we're ready to go, let's not delay any further."  Tucking the remains back in her bag and starting to reach for the wine, she waved her hand giving up for it.  She should have known better than to share it if she expected to get much back.  Hopping to her feet, she brushed herself off yet again and bit her lip.  "So... we're off? she laughed.  It was obvious that she wasn't a natural leader but if seemed that if she had to be, she could fake it for a while.  Her dog rose as well, stretching its back before bouncing to her side.<br/><br/>The land between Starfall and the Ghostwoods was mostly grassland now, the forest cleared over the centuries to build and rebuild, but also much of it sailed away as ships.  Some of it remained in small clusters near the river.  Her path intercepted it by the first night and she returned with a few small rabbits that were easily cooked to provide fresh meat for the meal, but she woke everyone early that morning, "If we travel fast today we can make Hupe's Hill by nightfall.  Beds are always better than the ground," she said as everyone started their travel for the day and fast was an understatement.  She pushed everyone hard that day, yo-yo'ing from the front to the back of the group, seemingly full of energy even when the hard march was over and the group could see the signs of civilization - torches burning against the evening sky.  The small village was protected by wooden palisades that stretched from the top of a local hill down to the river itself, a few lanterns hanging from poles at the ends of small docks to warn anyone on the river.<br/><br/>As they approached, however, what should have been a busy evening seemed almost... too quiet.  Even Talia seemed puzzled by it.  "This is odd..." she said, words that never meant normalcy was in charge but something was afoot.  Otherwise known as a good sign for adventurers.  A quick search of the town found most of the folk in a small building near the top of the hill, an inn of some kind.  Before you can even enter, you can hear people arguing, voices both excited and angry.  "Its been almost a week and she's still not back.  What do you plan to do?" a voice said, only to be answered, "We told her to find people in Starfall and it'd be tough for her to make it there and back by now.  If she finds people to help her, they're bound to help us too.  We're all in the same boat."  Talia turned to her new companions, confusion writ large across her face, before she stormed in through the door.  "What do you mean you?  Are more people missing?  What happened to my wife?" you hear her from the inside, not waiting for you to follow.