A couple minutes later, the new guards pile out of the back of the cart, pick up their weapons from the road, and walk off to the side, as if considering what to do next.

"If you want to prove yourself to Noohar," suggests Hooflepoof, "help us fight these perytons."

The guards laugh, and one of them says "what, with these weapons?"

Hooflepoof doesn't understand. "With all of us, it should be easy."

"No, seriously," says the guard, handing his sword to Hooflepoof. It is light wood, wrapped in a thin shiny metal wrapper. It isn't even a real sword, more like a prop from a play.

"You guys suck," says Hooflepoof.

The perytons swoop closer and closer, and the adventurers begin to attack them as soon as they are close enough. Both Gourbain and Karat notice that the perytons aren't even attacking the adventurers except in self-defense, actually seeming more interested in the dead horse, but still they do not hesitate. One of the perytons attacks Bilbo viciously, laying her out unconscious on the road. Hooflepoof uses a potion of healing to bring her back to life, but just barely, and she hides in the cart to avoid further damage.

Karat uses Inflict Wounds to kill one of the perytons and deal quite a bit of damage to the other; Nars, Barry, and Elfo each manage to inflict some injuries, and Elbolin strikes the final blow. One crashes down near the road, the other off a few meters in the trees. Hooflepoof checks the bodies, but finds nothing but normal feathers.

"Hey, I've lost my guards," says Noohar. You guys want your jobs back?"

"No", says Hooflepoof, but Elfo volunteers. Elbolin isn't paying attention and doesn't hear the question.

And so, they get back on the road, and the rest of the day passes uneventfully. They make camp in the evening, and settle down for the night. It's one of the last few they will have on this road; Noohar tells them that within another travel day or so, they should be arriving in Waterdeep, and the job will be complete.

In the deepest part of that night, when all men and civilized beasts are fast asleep, Hooflepoof is shaken awake with an urgent whisper: "Salbon, wake up!"

Hooflepoof barely awakens, recognizing the speaker as Jamna Gleamsilver, the gnome who joined the caravan a few days ago and pointed out the secret weapons in their cereal. "Why are you here?" asks Hooflepoof.

"We don't have time for that. Come on, get up."

"First tell me why."

"You are in grave danger, we must get you out of here. The cultists know who you are, and they are coming for you."

Hooflepoof digs out a piece of paper and starts to write a note, but Gleamsilver slaps it out of his hand. "Put that down, we have to go NOW!"