<br/>The trip to the farm was mostly uneventful. The worse thing that came up was the goblin's singing. It was brassy and often offkey, and the rough quality was akin to honing stone arrow or spearheads. But, terrible as it was, Alphonse couldn't help but admit to himself that the words were clever and the rhythym grew on him as they walked until, by the time Tak was humming instead of singing, the halfling found himself sometimes humming along.<br/><br/>He laughed a little at Quinta's addition, but didn't comment on it. Alphonse was quiet most of the time. As Qunita drew Tax into conversation, he listened in and made mental notes on what the warrior woman said about defenses and how groups of Big Folk carried on their fighting. He listened even more carefully to anything Tak said regarding the similar tactics of his people. While Tak seemed a friendly enough sort, the ranger could not forget that one of his primary missions in life was disrupting the plans of goblin tribes.<br/><br/>Quinta and her pikemen would be hard pressed in the jungle, though, and Alphonse did slip in a question or three about how they would deal with not being able to form their squares or what they would do about being harried by sling and thrown rocks or darts from the trees, while pelted by blowguns at their waist or lower. "It not that Kik-Tez fight dirty, they just fight to win--or, at least, to scare intruders off."<br/><br/>Other than listening and occasionally commenting on the conversation about fighting and tactics, Alphonse will engage both Fiera and Hallen in small tidbits of chitchat, if they speak with him, that is. He is more of a listener, but would like to talk with the girl about whether she ever recalls seeing such animals as they suspect the claw belongs to any where around her family's farm, and would just like to get to know the elf more since--being a shop owner in Quinza makes her someone he might need the services of in the future, after all, plus Alphonse is always interested in elves not from the islands where Quinza is located since they are a bit different than what he is familiar with, but speak the same language and do have a lot in common with the local elves.<br/><br/>Once at the site of Hallen's home, Alphonse will go into his professional mode. With Tak searching the farm yard, Alphonse will go to the door of the farm house and work his way back towards the surrounding jungle looking for tracks, identifying any found, and trying to pick up on anything that doesn't mesh with what they know, expect, or have heard about the actions of creatures like the ones whose claw Hallen may have found.<br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">So...since we seem to have time...taking 20 on Perception as we approach (30 total), and on Survival for finding tracks  (29 total)</div></div>