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While Baron Braylec attends to the newly renamed Keismann Keep, Garguth and Thanodel continue to spread the news amongst the farms and find one fairly recently razed north of the keep. Orc tracks lead northeast so Garguth persuades Thanodel to follow them. It veers off and after a while continues northeast having avoided a pleasant valley. They continue to follow the trail.
Jutiapa is keeping busy in the old laboratory and Vildar takes a guard duty on the walls. Shortly after dusk Vildar sees a light shooting through the sky but it falls too slowly. He fetches Braylec and they see a group of riders approach under the slowly falling light. They great Zeemo and his band and invite them into the barracks to join them for the evening meal. His team has been mapping the ruins in the neighbouring area for Command Kraten. He recently had a great vision from his god about helping Braylec in a great struggle. The dream showed him that the end of days is hastening towards them even now.
In the north it starts to rain heavily. Soon Thanodel is unable to follow the trail so Garguth build a small cairn that they will be able to see in the day and Thanodel discretely marks it with the direction the were travelling. They returen back the way they came and come across the valley and see habitation in the woods. Thanodel leaves his horse with Garguth who wisely wants to come back in daylight instead of sneaking in the night like thieves. He slips in the mud towards the village but in the dark and rain he can see little. A human corpse hangs by a noose at the entrance to the village and he can definitely hear the howl of wolves coming from the woods. Thanodel tries to call on an owl for information about the villagers but without a bribe the owl is not forthcoming. Dejected, Thanodel joins Garguth and returns to the keep. Braylec accepts the beer that Zeemo has brought with him and they drink to their respective gods. Shaylea and Jutiapa help bed down the new arrivals while Braylec does a last tour of the battlements. Vildar has been relieved by the orc and the elf. Braylec finds Rampshush sleeping on duty and cuffs the orc awake. Rampshush swears away at Braylec in orcish as he is berated for failure. As neither speaks each others language they come to an understanding and they both continue on their rounds.
Thanodel and Garguth reach the keep without incident and only have to wait half an hour before Lothlindel spots them banging on the keep door. Rampshush is asleep again. Garguth isnt as forgiving as Braylec and kills his tribesman where he lies. The elves only shrug at the loss of an orc and they all go about their business.
In the morning the scouts report their findings to the Baron and while the new troop set about tidying the keep Braylec, Garguth, Thanodel and Vildar ride to the village to greet their neighbours. The villagers stay indoors as the four approach and it is only when Braylec calls out that they come peacefully and states his intentions that Edvard comes over to stop them from entering the largest most ornate house on the street. He points out that this is Almond Bistles home and he is the richest man in the village. They are mostly woodcutters and have a simple inn. Garguth and Vildar enter the in and leave Braylec to do the talking. The barman will not serve Garguth. They seem to recognise him as an orc even though he is still polymorphed in human form. It almost comes to blows but Braylec enters and diffuses the situation. They tell the story of the hanging man, a man beast murderer. He was a respected member of the village but he changed into an erect hairy animal and was found standing over the body of the Priestess of Gere. Almond instructed them to hang the creature with a special rope and it was only then when it changed back to Tendmill. Braylec offers to help with the mystery and they offer that there is a clearing where Tendmill was last seen. They however deny all knowledge of any wolves in the area. Thanodel goes off to see what he can find there and Braylec insists on properly burying the corpse. Vildar busies himself playing spelunking for coppers and Garguth follows after Thanodel so Braylec is left doing all the digging himself.
Spelunking is the local version of darts and Vildar looses a few coppers to the locals.
Thanodel sees many wolf tracks in the clearing and with a few nuts and berries wheedles that there are many wolves in the forest from a squirrel. They have in fact been talking to them already. Telling Garguth to follow he returns to Braylec and lets him know what he has found. Braylec prays to Thor for help but does not detect any evil in the patrons at the bar or Almonds butler who says that his master is away but may be back after nightfall. Braylec seeks out the small temple of Gere some ways behind the inn and with the other three in tow speak to the temple guards who again know nothing of any wolves