My character will head to the tavern for rest. Next morning he'll ask the guard or the military about the beast that took down the other city. If nothing happens to him by then, he'll stick around to help out the refugees until he decides to leave the city and move on.

He's on a pilgrimage and trying to prove himself. If anyone from the main group told him that they were trying to stop the withering, he'd join up in a heartbeat.

Right now I'm still waiting for nightfall to make up for the walking distance that he has to cover before reaching the main city.