You gather your gear and your hard won loot (what little there is, in Trevor's opinion - the fact that it is more than he has seen in his life not withstanding), you make your way back out of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Back past the bodies of the bugbears, the hacked and burned corpses of the trolls and their pets, up to the first level of the dungeon and directly up to the Temple Proper. The entire area is oddly quiet as you make your way out into the rubble strewn coutryard; of course, you've undoubtedly slain a good portion of the Temple's strength.
That fact, though, means that your task will only be more difficult during your next intrusion. As chaotic and unorganized as your opponents have seemed, they can't ignore your latest victories. With two of the four elemental factions destroyed, you are certain that even the "greater Temple" must respond to your righteous crusade. Still...that is for another day.
It is only about noon when you leave the Tmple, and it takes just over an hour to make your way down the rutted dirt track to Nulb. You decide to pass straight through the wretched village, making your way back to Hommlet. Encumbered as you are by loot and armor, night falls well before you make it to your destination; indeed, when the lights of Burne's tower come into view in the dark ahead, you are only a couple hours shy of midnight.
Tired and dirty, you make your way straight to the Inn of the Welcome Wench. The brightly lit, fenced yard in front of the place, and the painted sign showing the buxom, smiling girl holding an overflowing flagon of ale, is one of the most welcome sights you have ever seen. You make your way up the front steps and into the great taproom of the inn. The cloying scent of pipesmoke reaches your nose, and you breathe a sigh of relief as you take seats around a rough-hewn trestle table, nestled between a cluster of age and smoke darkened tree-trunk pillars that support the ceiling overhead.
Only a few folks are about at this time of night, but Ostler is still up, pouring drinks behind the bar. Spotting you enter, he calls out with a smile.
"Ah, the heroes have returned. And looking rather weary, haggard, and worse for wear by my reckoning! Ha!" He gives a hearty laugh, and then snaps his fingers and points to your table.
"A round of ale will do you well. And for dinner...how does some roast venison, with mushrooms and shallots, and garlic mashed turnips sound to you?"
FYI, I've done a poor job of tracking each PCs encumberance, but some of your PCs are carrying 100 or so POUNDS of coinage on them...let's make sure they stop at the moneylenders so you can trade some of that in for platinum and gems. Or spend your coin...either way. 
I know there is all sorts of contradicting information as to the positions of Hommlet and Nulb and the Temple, but since we've previously established it is about a day's travel, we will stick with that.
