Into the Wilderness.

 The party decides to leave the Northern Expedition's camp to try and find the tree. The are not sure what they are looking for or what they will find. 

The party leave their fire burning and quietly pack up their items. Under the cover of Adrahil's pass without a trace spell they manage to evade the camp guards and escape to the west. They decide to continue heading roughly west. The night is dark and even though it is challenging, they make good time and with a few hours are miles away from the camp. 

The party continues to move west through the night. To the north they can hear a fast running river. They move north and come across a cairn. Many of the rocks that make up the cairn are inscribed with runes. Kallista is able to discern their meaning. A rough translation of the words under an arrow pointing to the East is Follow Me to the Sea. There is another arrow point west and the runes read as Follow Me to the Tree. Adrahil finds the pathway indicated by the arrow and the party moves off into the darkness. A while later they reach another cairn. As they pause to examine it Nodrog hears galloping horses approaching from the East. 

Kallista casts an invisibility spell and the party shelters at the edge of the water to avoid the approaching horses. They soon see the silhouettes of a party of which hunters and Lux Militants. Nodrog sneaks up to eavesdrop on the witch hunters. He catches snatches of what they are saying and it becomes clear that they are chasing Nidal and she is now considered an outlaw. The witch hunters sniff the ground and try to find signs of the party, but they can find none and their group rides off to the west. 

The party uses their collapsible boat from the bag of holding to cross the river to try and get some separation and a barrier between them and their pursuers. Their skillful paddling counteracts most of the current in the river and it is a relatively easy cross. 

The sun rises in at the party's back and reveals a forest in the distance to the west. The party decides to stay on the northern side of the river. The party realizes they will have to go through the forest. Adrahil warns the party that dangerous things lurk in the northern forests. No sooner has he pointed this out, than Nidal spots something moving in the forest ahead. 

A troll attacks the party. When Nidal draws her sword she notices that it feels heavy and somehow different. The troll is a cagey fighter and managers to score two hits on Adrahil. The fight rages on and the troll manages to get through Nidal's defenses and his claws sink through her plate armour and find the vulnerable flesh beneath it. Nidal call's on the Light to deliver a smiting blow, but nothing happens. Kallista and Nodrog manage to cause damage to the troll as well. Eventually Nodrog brings it down with a well placed crossbow bolt. Adrahil uses his troll slayer sword to hack up the body of the troll. He then removes its head and hangs it off his belt. Nodrog cuts a 100 gp earring off the troll's ear. 

The party finally emerges from the forest and see a plain stretching out before them. Far off in the distance they can see what looks like a ruined tower or castle. They also see the cairns on the south side of the river. The party stops to rest in a small fold in the ground. The have some soup. Adrahil realizes that his troll head isn't quite dead. In fact, it appears to be a bit hungry, so he gives it some soup. Just as the party is finishing their meal, a storm moves in. First their is some rain, then hail, and finally a blinding snowstorm. Adrahil shouts for everyone to grab Nidal's rope. 

The party stumbles around in the snowstorm for hours. No one knowing which way to go. Even Adrahil is disoriented. They continue to stumble around. The party is trying to make their way to the ruins. Just when Nibbidard has given up hope they see the outline of the ruins through the falling snow. The relieved party head towards the ruins. They cautiously approach them and then Adrahil casts his leafy bower spell and the exhausted party flops down around the warm fire and the boiling kettle. The party wakes a bit later and notices that there are figures approaching from the south.

 They crouch down behind a ruined wall and try and determine who or what is coming towards them. It appears to be a group of worgs and men. unfortunately the party is spotted. The men disappear into the snow and the wolves begin to circle around the ruins. As the party is planning what to do next, the men, who are wearing wolf cloak, burst into the ruins to attack. Kallista freezes them in their tracks. The worgs are terrified by the blast of magic and flee. 

Having defeated the attackers, the party decides to look around the ruins and see if they can find anything of interest. Adrahil finds a passage way that leads underground. Adrahil, using his lantern of revealing, leads the way. The party move into a room that has ice on its walls. In the floor is a what appears to be a 5' X 5' piece of glass. Nidal looks at it and sees that it is in fact the top of a block of ice. Inside the ice can be seen two adventures who are frozen in death. The party decides to make camp and rest.