As they continue on the road, Hooflepoof again notices that one of the nondescript members of the caravan seems to be watching him. In fact, it seems like there are more than one of them watching him now. But they are being very subtle; if Leosin hadn't mentioned it, Hooflepoof isn't sure that he would have noticed. Leosin had mentioned that a couple of the carts, he was pretty sure were cultists; Hooflepoof regrets not asking him which carts he suspected.

In mid-afternoon, they notice a small herd of deer on a hillside overlooking the road, minding their own business, and grazing on the wild grass.

They are about 150 feet away, so Hooflepoof sneaks up as quietly as he can until he is within range of his shortbow. He steps on a stick one time, and the nearest deer look up, but they aren't alarmed until he lets an arrow fly, scoring a direct hit on one of them. At that point, the deer jump and scatter up the hill, but as they clear out, a great stag is revealed in their midst, and he does not run, he stands tall and holds his ground. He is an impressive figure, over seven feet tall, with a coat that shimmers in the light as if spun from gold, and with antlers like platinum.

Hooflepoof calls out to him, "Hello Great Beast!"

The stag answers with a series of grunts and gurgles that sounds a lot like a primitive language, but one Hooflepoof does not understand. So he calls out again, this time in Halfling language, "Hello, Great Beast!"

The stag answers again in another language, and although Hooflepoof cannot understand it, he recognizes that it sounds like Elvish. Hooflepoof calls out to Elbolin, who speaks Elvish. "Come up here, I think he's  talking Elvish."

Elbolin creeps up the hillside, slowly and gracefully so as not to spook the herd, and when he gets close enough, he calls out the stag, "Greeting, sir. I hope we did not disturb you."

"... by embedding an arrow in my doe?" says the stag, seeming irritated.

"I'm sorry," says Elbolin, "we didn't realize it was your doe. Can we heal her with magic?"

"I expect that if you can, you should," says the stag.

Elbolin calls out to Karat, who also makes her way up the hillside, and arriving within range, casts a Prayer of Healing, and the arrow pops out of the doe with no remaining trace of injury.

"Thank you," says the stag.

"You're welcome," says Elbolin. "Your coat is magnificent."

"Thank you for saying so," says the stag. "You seem like strong and honorable men and women. I'd like to show you something. Follow me." - and he starts up the hillside at a determined pace. Hooflepoof, Elbolin, and Karat look at each other, and decide collectively to follow.

The stag leads them over the crest of the hill, and down into a wooded area on the other side. They continue deeper into the woods for about a half hour, with the stag staying a ways ahead, almost blending into the woods, but revealing himself enough that they can follow.

As the woods get deeper and denser, they suddenly find themselves approaching the mossy, run-down ruins of what appears to be a small, and very old, castle. The stag is nowhere to be seen.

At Hooflepoof's suggestion, Elbolin calls out in Elvish, "Oh, great stag, are you here?"

In the doorway of the castle there appears a thin wood elf, naked, with a bright golden shine to his skin, and wearing a shiny antlered headpiece. He doesn't leave the doorway of the castle, and talks to the adventurers in an old, barely understandable dialect of elvish.

He explains that he is an elf prince, and the ruins are those of his castle where he once ruled. But he had a disagreement with the father of the woman he loved, who put a curse on him that makes him transform into the form of a golden stag whenever he goes outside the walls of his castle. He has lived with the curse so long that his kingdom is in ruins. He believes that there are wizards that would be able to lift the curse, but he can't find them, because everywhere he goes, he is mercilessly hunted for his beautiful coat. He was able to befriend the does - who are real does - just to allow him to blend in and get out for some fresh air, but he rarely has the opportunity to talk to anyone.

He has heard that there are many excellent wizards in Waterdeep, which seems to be where they are headed. He implores the adventurers to help him get to Waterdeep and find a wizard to lift his curse.