Mysterious strangers arrive to claim the secret cache…
The crates were filled with bandages, antiseptic ointments, and common medications. There were also a few blankets and small metal tools such as scissors and knives.
[Skill Check: Camouflage default IQ-2 (8), rolled 12.]
Toria found a comfortable, safe place to hide behind a trio of bushes.
Late in the morning, three people arrived by wagon to collect the crates, two men and a woman. The rickety wagon had been painted in several shades of green, as if someone had used cans of leftover paint. The tawny dray beast pulling it was well cared for but obviously a runt. There was a single crate on the wagon marked with the symbol for collard greens.
The woman was the first to hop off the wagon, before it had even rolled to a stop. She had flinty grey eyes and long black hair. She would have been pretty if not for miles of road dirt and a grim mood darkening her demeanor.
The other two men were both weather-worn and muscular, with scruffy hair and beards. Their chestnut brown hair, dark green eyes, and similar facial features marked them as brothers.
All three were dressed in simple linen shirts, sturdy trousers, and heavy leather boots. Their clothes were patched and faded but fit them well.
The woman took the drey beast by the horn and spoke to it sharply, forcing it to walk backward until the wagon was near the hidden entrance to the cave. Once it was properly positioned, she held one of the bushes aside while the men loaded seven unmarked crates. Finally, they covered their crates with a stained brown tarp and departed the same way they had come.
The heavily laden wagon left clear prints in the earth as it wobbled and rolled toward its destination.
Toria had a choice to make. She could follow the wagon to see where it was going before the renegades made good their escape. She could take her evidence back to Healer Hall, hoping that soldiers could pick up the trail before it disappeared. She could also harvest Needlethorn and return home, keeping the knowledge to herself and avoiding the enmity of dangerous people.
Every choice had its consequences.