"Don't worry, child," reassures Leofric, "my companions are more than able to defend us from wolves, should it come to that. Look at Hamish," he points at the captain of the grogs, "don't you think wolves would be afraid of him?"
«Wo-olf-rick!» adds the girl trembling.
Leofric is a bit puzzled, then seems to understand what Laureen is saying, although he is taken aback by what she implies, "Wulfric and his men are the wolves?!?" His suprise makes his voice loud enough that the others can hear him.
"Have you seen this yourself?" The monk apprears a bit shaken by the possibility that this might be true.
She shakes her head, «Woolf-rick's hounds? He-he is c-c-coming, isn't he?»
"Wulfric has hounds that sound like wolves?"
He turns to the other, "We may want to hurry, because these might be the sound of hounds, not wolves. Could it be that Wulfric came back to find the girl gone and is tracking her?"
It take perception+survival 9+ to tell the difference between wolves and hounds by their howls, if anybody cares for the distinction. Ruedi first referred to them as hounds, when he was chased by them; the ones you hear now may well be the same, at least pending that survival roll.
«Hunting hounds. B-big as d-do-donkeys,» says Laureen.
Ruedi groans loudly, and tosses, and you can hear a very low growl, like an hungry wolf, coming from him, as he suddenly sits up straight, and his eyes seem golden.
He jumps off the wagon, on all fours, and seems to be uncomfortable in his clothes, and keeps making growls that keep getting louder, and if no one stops him, he lets loose an howl of challenge at the hounds.
Hamish cocks an ear to the sound of the hounds but shakes his head. "Can't quite tell." [Roll: Per + Survival 8].
To Nauvi, Hamish says: "But we need to get moving. I think I would mask his scent in something common around these parts. Maybe sheep? Cow? Or dogs?"
Leofric, who is close to the cart, reacts to Ruedi, "Wow, there, calm down!" He shakes him so that he'll wake up from whatever nightmare is driving him.
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Ruedi gives one last piercing howl If you dare come after me, I will feast on your warm hearts! before collapsing back, asleep.
"Crap," says Leofric after Ruedi howls, "we better get moving and away from here." He proceeds to quickly putting (hitching) Roxie on the cart, making ready for departure.
Hamish helps get things ready to depart. He makes no point of masking that someone camped in the location but does try to confuse the scents where the girl and Ruedi were resting, putting some of the ash from the fire on those areas, food scraps, and any other thing that might make the scent more confusing. He doesn't spend a long time but is ready to roll when the cart is hitched.
Nauvi finishes recovering from his spellcasting, then stands up. "I think our best shield is being in a village surrounded by people. Wulfric will have to keep his hounds leashed when around people and their livestock, lest he be accused of damaging some lord's property."
You can hear the first hounds entering the village, less than a hundred paces away, causing some commotion among the villagers who are just starting their daily chore. The attentive ones (Awareness + Perception 9+) can see the odd villagers escaping across the fields.
Hearing what happens in the village, Leofric says, "He doesn't seem to care if his hounds frighten the villagers. Perhaps we should stay put in the woods for the moment."
Your camp is pretty much on the road. You made a point of being known to camp there, and the carts go badly in the woods. You are ready to move in a minute though, if you wish. And the hounds would need about twice that to reach you if that's their intent.
"I think we need to get moving and put some distance between us," says Hamish. "We're just a group of simple travelers on our wait to meet up with friends to do a little commerce in these troubled times... Let's look the part. And keep those two under wraps."
He gestures at Loreen and Ruedi with a smile.
When (If?) the group gets going, Hamish makes a point of urinating on in the area where the group camped, particularly in the area where Ruedi and Loreen slept or rested if it was on the ground. It would not go unnoticed that this giant of a man may have held back his morning's micturition for just this opportunity given the volume of his flow.
"If you all feel the best way is to move, then let us move. If the villagers are going to hide, we shall have to do our best to look like ordinary travellers."
Leofric just nods, makes sure everything is loaded into the cart and that Ruedi and Laureen can quickly hide themselves if necessary, then takes Roxie's reins and lead her on back on the road, with his staff in his other hand.
Hamish walks just behind and to the side of the cart, keeping a regular eye and ear out for anyone coming in pursuit. Despite the wariness, he seems to be relaxed and occasionally whistles the random tune.