The light inside the veins faded away. The egg went cold again. I felt a little disappointed but I finished wrapping it up. I put it deep in my bag where it would be safe. I hurried outside to meet the others.

Elena told me Garrick was ready. I heard the horses and went to them. Garrick had done a good job.

[b]"Good work Garrick,"[/b] I said quiet.

I looked at the five horses. I walked over to the biggest one. It was a tall stallion with broad shoulders. I am a big man and my golden arm adds a lot of weight. I didnt want to tire out a smaller animal. I swung myself into the saddle. The leather creaked under me but the horse held firm.

[b]"Follow me,"[/b] I told them. [b]"Stay close and stay quiet."[/b]

The sun was gone now. The sky was turning purple and black. It was hard to see but I know this land. I grew up in these woods. I guided the horse to the edge of the trees. I looked for the hidden paths that soldiers would not know about.

I kept my eyes on the ground and the stars. My plan was to keep us moving while it was dark. I wanted to put as much distance between us and the orchard as I could. I looked for signs of a safe trail that would let us travel quietly until late in the night. If the path stayed clear I wanted to ride until maybe two in the morning before we stopped to rest.

As we rode through the dark trees I broke the silence. I needed to tell them what I saw.

[b]"I saw something in the woods,"[/b] I said low so only they could hear. [b]"Before I found Meli. I saw a statue of an old man with a crown of thorns. It felt like it was watching me."[/b]

I looked over at Meli riding beside me.

[b]"And I saw a stag,"[/b] I told her. [b]"But it was not normal. It was golden. It had fur the same color as my scales."[/b]

I touched my draconic arm without thinking.

[b]"It waited for me,"[/b] I said. [b]"It led me to the cliff edge. It showed me where the bandits were taking you. If it wasn't for that stag I would have been lost."[/b]

I tried to remmember the games the satyr children played.

[b]"The kids in the Gathering always talk about it,"[/b] I asked her. [b]"They play games about the Golden Stag. I never really listened to the stories before. Do you know them? Why would it help me?"[/b]

[hider=OOC]
I am rolling a Survival Check to navigate us safely through the night and find a good hidden path to avoid the Windpikes.

My first roll was a 15: [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/29674]1st Roll[/url]

However, since I have Meli (a satyr/druid) and Garrick (an experienced stable master/outdoorsman) with me, I am hoping one of them can provide the Help action? If so, my second roll was a Natural 20 for a total of 23!

[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/29675]2nd Roll (with Help)[/url]

My intent here is based on the result:
If the check is successful (the 23), Cadmus feels confident in the path and pushes the group to travel safely until about 2 AM to maximize distance.
If the check fails or is lower, he will play it safe and camp much earlier to avoid getting lost or stumbling into trouble.
[/hider]