[center][h2]Within the Castle[/h2][/center] 

Balidvar placed his foot atop a fallen piece of scaffolding timber and pushed. The motion caused the thing to tumble audibly, but it revealed more of the same. Nothing but debris and tattered cloth. Perhaps a weapon or two. A sword, or maybe a single handed axe with a slight hint of rust. The courtyard itself was a mess, and it gave no sign of life other than a cat that scrambled across the space as quickly and nimbly as if it were itself a Witcher. 

Meanwhile, Avery and Renar were feeling the atmosphere quite differently than most. There was a faint rift in the air, drawn by more lifeforce than the feline could have obtained, unless it was a polymorphed cat and no magics in the air suggested it. Which meant there was, or had been a larger creature within the walls at some point recently. Of course, the gate had been open and the forest was likely teaming with animals. But this felt somewhat queer, and a concern Avery would have would be confirmed when Renar found a knapsack atop a barrel, with fresh fruit and jerky within. But even a human couldn't make such a mark on the area, despite the find. 

Little good it did, for Balidvar and Nadia across the courtyard behind further wreckage. Eyes from the shadows watched them, and Nadia would hear a slight whimper that she would note would be closer to where they had come from rather than where they were going. If she turned, she would see a skinny man in a cloak and vagabond leathers, who, no sooner had her eyes fallen on him, that he let out a wail and rushed at Balidvar, knife raised in the air. 

Meanwhile, the stables were rank with decay and rot. Even the wood that held the walls up seemed tired, but a powerful stench would draw Morgan in further. It was a smell he had likely smelled before, and it was not just because he had been around quite a bit of shit. It was shit that had a peculiar hideousness to it, as if it was blood mixed with distinct venom...mixed with further shit. There was no doubt it was a type of Ornithosaur. 

Further in the keep, within the first hall, Aidann discovered another smell with his keen senses. Though this smell was something any man or woman learned in combat or hardship would know well. Two doors down the hall it came from, and as the Witcher approached he would see his fears given life. Perhaps that would be the incorrect term to use, for he found a corpse that had been torn open from neck to navel, still wet with blood. The bones had been shattered as if by a beak, and claw marks raked the man (who was likely a highwayman's) skin.  

[center][h2]Without the Castle[/h2][/center]

A few of the soldiers looked at Tyrvariel as if he were either a pest or a manman, while the others seemed to hesitate while seeing the reasoning in his words. Jurga looked between Tyrvariel and his men, and then suddenly barked an "Aye! You heard the man! Er, elf. Get to it lads, or we'll be eating you for when our bellies rumble!" He smacked one of the guards in the back, and all of them began to scramble until he halted three of them to keep a watch over the cooks, engineers, workmen, and the like. Tyrvariel would find himself being volunteered to locating a fresh water source. But where to begin? Obvious castles were build beside them, but was it east or west?  

Alan did a fine job with his austere manner to keep the workers from pulling out pipes, but one of the cooks had already begun a small fire to make what stew they had left. It was closer to the fortress, however, and they kept the smoke houses as best they could. It was obvious it was not the cook's fault when a wolf howled in the distance, and another howled far closer from the east. 

Alicia was still as safe as one could be, beside Alan as she searched the tree line for what she could find. It took a great deal of inspection, and she found what she knew to be two helpings of Balisse fruit, and to her delight she found a stalk of Wolf's Bane. Perhaps these could help the Witchers and the cooks, or even herself if she wished to? As she marveled at her finding, she could see a pair of yellow eyes a dozen meters away. It was what Alan had heard. A large black wolf, approaching cautiously. 

As it stalked forward, one slow moment at a time, it snarled. The noise sounded like a shovel scraped across too much gravel, and its gaze was fixed upon Alicia.