Thomas watches the raven for a while until they move further away.
"I wonder if it's a familiar. Could be a magus hiding in that town, I suppose, hunting for Diedne," he says to Edwin and Luciu.
To Luciu's comments about the reaction in the town, Thomas nods in agreement. "I haven't spent any time in towns really, but I had no idea the Gift caused that much anger. "
The Merinita nods to Edwin. "Ahead and behind."
Outside the town walls, Luciu climbs out of the wagon to get a proper look around. The comfort of the wagon is not very much, and neither is the field of vision.
Thomas watches the raven which remains perched until you have moved out of sight. Just at the same time you see a couple of tall figures emerging from the town, alone on foot they make good speed on the road.
P.S. (EDITTED) Luciu can roll Premonitions + Per
Edwin Magic Sensitivity + Per
Thomas can roll Awareness + Per
Luciu looks behind as well, wondering who follows them. He's unsure if they are enemy magicians, or some sort of inquisitor, so he refrains from using obvious magic, until he has a better idea what kind of threat they pose. His instincts in such matters are very good...
[13 on Premonitions, 14 if Supernatural Threat counts]
In the distance, you can see the end of the croplands, and the road continues into the wilderness. Danger lies ahead, thinks the premonitionist. Nothing imminent, and there is no sense of Evil. He comes to think of the constant struggle to survive in the wilderness.
Edwin focuses on the road ahead, occasionally looking to see if there's anything magical.
[7 on Per+magic sensitivity]
Apart from Luciu's sense of the threatening wilderness, nobody sees or feels anything untoward. The two figures catch up with you. They are dressed in dark clothes, with their hoods up. That has to be awfully warm. It is actually a pleasantly hot Summer day, and they maintain a quick trot, almost running.
A dozen paces before they catch up, they skip over the ditch along the road, and keep trotting past you at the edge of the field.
Awareness+Perception 9+ to spot the raven flying overhead at the same time (24+ to tell if it is the same raven or not).
Thomas strides along with the goats, oblivious to any particular birds flying high or low. The handsome young enjoys the hot summer day, his tunic pulled open a tad.
As is his regular pattern, he has cast his parma as well as Doublet of Impenetrable Silk.
Thomas is also keeping his eye out for any convenient game that might be delicious in the stew pot: rabbits, partridge, pheasant, etc.
Edwin sees a raven flying overhead, but has no idea if it's the same one. He waves at the two men moving past. "Good day to you!" he says.
The man closest to you briefly hesitates. «Good day,» he says, surprised. The second man almost runs into him. «Oh, safe journey to you,» he mutters, before they both speed up again to trot off as they were.
Luciu sits quietly, only nodding politely to the two men, but as they advance beyond the wagon so he is out of their sight, suspicious of their behavior and the raven, and thinking inquisitors wouldn't be so circumspect, he takes the risk of casting a spell, as they move away, that will allow him to see any magics that are present.
[Sight of the Sigil, cast but with 1 fatigue]
The pedestrians are as mundane as they come, but the raven is the result of an Hermetically enchanted item with a Muto Corpus effect. It gives off a slight scent of crow's poo, which must be the enchanter's sigil¹.
¹ Order of Hermes Lore [Stonehenge]+Int 9+ to recognise the sigil.
Having been trained by a wise Merinita parens, Thomas remains ever vigilant with Second Sight, rarely fully trusting that what he sees is not hiding or masking something else.
After the two men pass, he moves up beside Luciu.
"Those fellows sure want to get somewhere fast."
"Well, they're not magical," Luciu whispers, "But that crow is. It's a Hermetic item, actually. As for the men, I'm not getting a bad vibe off of them, I originally thought they might work for the lord whose man we fought, but now I wonder if they might be covenfolk..."
[OOC: Got a 10 on an Int roll, but don't have Stonehenge Lore so not sure if you want it to count.]
Both the raven and the pedestrians disappear ahead of you. There is no way the wagon is ever going to keep up with their speed. The rest of the day is uneventful.
At this speed it will take four or five days to Carlisle, and probably at least two days to find Ungulus within the Lake District, where the roads are not going to be this good.
You can see small villages and hamlets from the road, if you want to seek one out. Otherwise you will have to camp in the woods.
"Shall we camp in the woods again? After the last village I feel we should be careful about entering villages more than necessary." Edwin is still concerned by the earlier events.
"Seems like we have less to fear out here," agrees Thomas.
"Troubles seem to gather in the villages."
I do not anticipate Luciu's objecting to the plan to camp out.
The night passes without incident; assuming some precautions with guards and such.
In the woods, the road is full of weeds, and some places, there are branches overhead. There can't be many carts using the road. The terrain is hilly and broken up with rifts and streams. The road is still good, but not as straight as it was.
Please roll
Edwin instructs the grogs in setting up a system of watches. In the morning, he takes a look at the path ahead.
[11 on both awareness + perception and perception +magic sensitivity, or 12 if the magic sensitivity is to do with regiones]
You have just gone uphill for a bit, where the road follows the narrow path between the woods on your right and a five-pace steep slope, well, a drop mostly, on your left.
Below the road, to your left, Edwin spots a stone cottage, seemingly abandoned, between the trees, and he senses a weak aura (3 tops) around it. The aura does not seem to cross the road though.
After going through is morning patterns and spells, Thomas takes a circuit about the campsite. He checks in on the goats and the nisse, the grogs, Luciu, Edwin, and the others.
As always he's looking about for any sign of things faerie or arcane, visible or otherwise. He's also always looking for a rabbit or other small game to add to the cookpot, his bow to hand.