[h2][color=af9d80][b]Roger Falkner and Shortclaw[/b][/color][/h2]

The griffin circled the area three times at steadily increasing altitude, both beast and rider closely looking over the area for any sign of the enemy.  Perplexingly, there was nothing.  Roger had initially figured that the necromancers figured out that trouble was coming and fled, but there was no sign of the enemy, nor any telltale evidence of a large group hastily retreating from the camp.  The broken barricades and torches suggested some sort of scuffle, but there were no bodies, just some bloodstains that Roger managed to spot during the lowest pass.

Unless they used some manner of dark witchcraft, there was nowhere they could've gone but into the ground.

Roger signaled Shortclaw to return to the Lions.  The griffin complied, but instead of a slow descent, it pulled into a dive, then braked hard once it was low, before gracefully touching down on a suitably flat spot in the bandit camp.  If there was anyone in the immediate vicinity, they would experience powerful gusts of wind from the griffin's arrival.  Evidently, Shortclaw was harboring some disappointment at not finding any foes to swoop down upon.

[color=af9d80]"We saw no sign that they retreated overland,"[/color] he reported to Velvetica as he readjusted his helmet, which had been slightly misaligned by the dive.  [color=af9d80]"Some bloodstains, but no tracks, and no people."[/color]

[@VitaVitaAR]