Outside
The survivors tell differing stories.
The boys' mother (Enyarra) tells a story similar to that told by them. Her family wagon was ambushed, most killed and she dragged off into slavery.
The Scion had made comments to the effect that the Orcs would be allowed a bit of sport with her after her usefulness was eneded as a miner, and she thanks all the slient gods that you arrived to rescue her.
The other men were miners here at the mine, looking for silver. There is a little in evidence, though mostly in the form of a greyish mud. The men mention that they have a sluice down at a nearby stream (along with their cart and donkey) for extracting the silver. The Scion attacked when they were down there two days past. They seem worried about their donkey (Vestria), and want to go and check on her as soon as possible.
The Dwarf was a lone traveller on the Road, captured, no doubt because of his racial prediliction towards mining. He has beenstubborn in aiding the Scion, and he bears many bruises and a broken finger for his insolence.
All of the people (except for Enyarra) know Gertle's Gulch well, and inform you that the town is about 15 miles away.
The Mine
Mantis and Tzzarcct hear Semm as he is rounding the last corner, and when he does, Semm sees that the bugs are indeed all right, although Mantis looks different somehow, the weariness of the day lifted a bit from his chitinous shoulders...