The Carnies took fresh horses and headed north towards Longsaddle. After the sun went down, they came to a roadside inn called the Hearth’s Haven, run by a halfling widow named Eileen Hearthglow and her son, Finn. The inn was fairly busy, but Eileen seemed most attentive to four burly lumberjacks who were eating by themselves – Thane Oakenshield and his brothers.
When Eileen is summoned to the kitchen by a large crash of dishes, the lumberjacks transform into werebears and attack the Carnies. Saul led with the spell Suggestion, telling the leader Thane to take the fight outside of the inn. Thane did so, followed by his 3 confused brothers. The Carnies were able to kill the lumberjacks. They questioned one of the brothers, asking why they attacked. The brother claimed it was because the humans were travelling with a goliath and a goblin. But mostly he didn’t respond to their questions or threats, except to say “Hail Malar”. So he was killed.
Eileen and Finn were very appreciative of the Carnie’s destroying the werebears, even though the brothers were well known at the inn. Bowie invited the widow Hearthglow to his room, and she readily accepted.
The next morning, they made their way to the next roadside inn on the Longroad, The Whispering Willow Winery & Inn. They met the jovial dwarf innkeeper, Aldric Stoutwood, and his half-elf wife and children. There was a table of wizarding students sitting in the dining room. They played a trick on the Carnies by summoning a sphere of magical darkness. This did not impress the Carnies, but it did not provoke them to violence. “We’re not going to fight these kids,” they said. Bowie threw a steak knife towards the spell caster, striking the wall behind him. Saul picked the young wizard’s pocket, coming up with a scroll of teleport.
The innkeeper yelled at the young wizards, telling them to stop playing tricks. The darkness was dispelled, and the teenagers apologized sullenly and went to their room. Also at the inn were three people whom the Carnies had seen at the Hearth’s Haven, but did not talk with.
