The Boar Hunt

The boar hunt is a welcome distraction from the frenzied past two days. It is nice to meet up with your new companions again, and Aldern Foxglove (the noble you saved), is very happy to see that you all turned up. He has organized mounts for all of you, and has several retainers to accompany you (as well as about 6 yapping hounds). He was unsure if a horse could handle the dragonborn’s weight but he was willing to give it a try. Arao, however, politely declines the ride and offered to just walk.

The two mile ride to Tickwood Ford is pleasant, taking you all north of Sandpoint, just north of the limestone upthrust known as the Devil's Platter. The Tickwood itself is known as a home to deer, boar, and a few firepelt cougars (or so go the legends of the hunters). There are no known goblin tribes in this area, so hopefully no more freakish pests!

Aldern is a charming conversationalist, who regales you with funny (and slightly risque) stories about Magnimar high-life. He asks tons of questions about you all, where you came from, how long you have been fighting goblins, what harrowing tales you have. It becomes a very pleasant trip, and although he does seem rather over-keen to learn from Arao how to be a proper hero (and yes, he does try to lift your axe, but he has trouble holding it straight, and laughs at himself). He was clearly impressed by your ability to cleave the goblins apart, and you get the impression that he wishes he could have done the same and been a little less cowardly.

You stop for lunch, a fine picnic of rich meats and wine, and finish the day with a very fortunate catch: Aldern finally manages to send an arrow through the eye of a very large wild boar (after you had all failed miserably on the previous three you managed to spot. You have a suspicious feeling that Jarek would have done better and just has allowed the noble to do so). He seems to be cheered by his ability to do something semi-heroic in front of you all.

Aldern invites you all back to the Rusty Dragon (the oldest, finest inn), where he hands over the boar to Ameiko to cook for a big dinner. Ameiko is the owner and operator the Rusty Dragon, a beautiful young oriental lady, heavily tattooed, with snakes circling her pale, perfectly smooth shoulders.

* * *

The feast ... what a feast! The boar was perfect, the crackling crisp and juicy, the flesh deep and dark. Ameiko cooked it with heavy spices that seemed to set the mouth aflame. It went particularly well with the cold beer from the Rusty Dragon. At the end of the evening you noticed a disheveled young elven woman enter the bar. She was wearing traveling gear, and was equipped with bow and longsword. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun, with dark feathers splayed down towards her neck in decoration. She smelled faintly of smoke, and looked exhausted. Ameiko immediately broke off from her work behind the bar, moving to the woman, putting her arm around her, and walking with her off to the private residences of the inn. You catch them deep in whispered conversation as they walk past.

The rest of the evening slowly winds down, with Aldern making his excuses and departing before sun-down (he is travelling back to Magnimar tomorrow morning. He bids you all farewell and leaves the inn. It is not long before the rest of you go down for the night. Soon you will need to decide what to do with yourselves.