[b]Robena and Constance[/b]
"Nothing burns aye?" the man looks at you with an appraising eye, Robena. Much more carefully than before. "I suppose you've been to places where that's not so and come through the other side of it then." 

The man puts one hand on his chin to think, his stance so thoughtful that you both nearly miss him flipping the carrot with the other hand so that it lands right in Constance's lap. The mule, held less firmly than may have first appeared, makes a beeline for it and, heedless of any sense of decency, goes straight for the carrot, nuzzling Constance's thighs in the process. 

[Constance, your right to be acknowledged by the traveler is denied. The mule, however, has definitely acknowledge you.]

The man, attention on Robena, finishes his thinking. "Perhaps you could help a traveler with something, you seem noble of bearing and strong of arm enough for it. There's a ruined castle a little ways down the road from here, less than half a day's ride. I thought I'd spend the evening there, but it was haunted by..." he shrugs, not offering the words for what it might have been haunted by and runs a hand sheepishly through his thick hair. "Well, I got so scared that I ran out and left something there, two something's actually. An old lockbox, no bigger than two handspans and my cat, you see. If you could find it in your heart to bring them back to me, I'd be grateful."

[b]Nin[/b]

The beast begins to calm and starts sniffing it's surroundings, it's snake tongue lashing outward. It picks something up in the direction of Pellinore and lunges to the side as another shot lands where it had been. 

Your best way out of here is to ride the Questing Beast. It is not clear if you could bring Tristan, but you've managed to hang on long enough for it to accept your position and if it leaves with all its strength, it's doubtful anyone could keep up. 

There are two ways to preserve your strength, I think, but that's a harder question to answer. One is to hold on and get the Questing Beast to run, there will be no other threats to you unless or until you enrage the beast. On the other hand, if it stays and you can dismount before King Pellinore enrages it and seek shelter with the hunting party, that too would preserve your strength. 

As to the biggest threat. Difficult to say, everyone present is quite dangerous. As you stand now, at this exact moment, King Pellinore and her party are your biggest threat. There is a high chance that they interpret you as either protecting the beast or trying to assault it when it is Pellinore's quest to hunt it. Either may lead them to turn hostile to you and collectively they are as strong or stronger than the beast. 

King Pellinore is approaching, though you won't be able to see them because of the slight rise in the ground created by the Questing Beast. Tristan obviously can though, and they'll be upon you in a few moments. 

What do you do?

[b]Tristan[/b]

Two things happen to change the situation. One, the approaching hunters hear you shouting and two the Questing Beast stops shouting and moves from where the arrows were raining. King Pellinore hesitates and relaxes the next arrow on her bowstring, guiding her horse instead towards the upturned tree scanning for you. 

Her party is still riding in haste with Pellinore and at least ten knights plus at least as many hunting hounds coming through the trees. They are making for you as fast as they safely can and will be upon you in a moment. King Pellinore appears indeed to have already spotted you from your perch and is waving an arm to hail you to come down and speak. Because of the earthen barriers, they have not yet seen Nin an the beast, but they will as soon as they crest the little rise where your broken tree hangs on precariously.  

What do you do?