"Oh, one other thing," says Nighthill, "do you guys need horses? Leosin offered to set you up with horses and tack if you need any. Just let me know, and I'll have them set up for you."

Everybody who doesn't already have a horse - Black Barry, Elbolin, Karat, Gourbain, and Nars - says that they could use a horse, and so Nighthill accompanies them over to the General Store, and has them set up with horses and saddles and tack. Except Black Barry, who declines a saddle, preferring to ride bareback. His horse is black, and he names it Shadow.

Black Barry and Karat also buy scale mail for their horses to protect them in battle.

Then they pack up their cart and head out on the road to the west, hoping to disguise the fact that they actually intend to go around Greenest on the bypass road and connect with the road that goes east and then north to Elturel. But they hardly get out of sight of the city before they are confronted by cultists blocking the road. There are only two main roads out of town; they must be blocking them both. Fourteen cultists block the road, and as the group of adventurers approaches, they draw their weapons.

"Stand down!" calls out Hooflepoof.

One of the cultists steps forward a half-step. "We have orders to bring you back dead or alive".

"You try, you die," says Hooflepoof.

"Who gave you your orders?" asks Karat.

"Our orders come from the dragon authorities," says the cultist.

"We killed all your dragon authorities," Karat retorts.

"There's more where they come from," says the cultist.

"From where?" asks Karat.

"From everywhere," says the cultist.

This conversation seems to be going nowhere, so the adventurers attack.