As Berrick, Flynn and Null return to the Last Stand Inn to say their goodbyes Lotty is still kicking stones outside waiting to get moving. She notes that Flynn is preserving his modesty with his bear hat and questions where his trousers are. Flynn quickly darts inside the Inn and spots a wounded soldier covered in burns and decides a healing potion is a fair trade for the soldier's blanket.
As Flynn comes back out he explains he's been helping to treat wounded soldiers and this blanket got infected; a local tailor passes by the Inn dragging a cart brimming over with clothes of all shapes and sizes doing their best to help those who have lost everything in the recent attack. Flynn drops the blanket to the ground and finds himself a new pair of trousers, giving the merchant 5 platinum to help the efforts in his own way.
Null notices Lotty is in no mood for anything and sensing the sadness, anger and frustration coming from the gnome leaves Lotty be whilst her and Berrick go in to the Last Stand Inn to say goodbye to their allies. Flynn stays with Lotty to keep an eye on her and the pair sit in silence.
Null & Berrick notice a shivering solider in the corner missing a blanket. Null tried to convince an older dwarven in the next bed to give up her blanket. The woman seems more interested in the book she's reading (BDSM A Masters Guide: There are no safe words) and giving Null some sass. Berrick saves the awkwardness by digging out a blanket from his pack and covering the shivering soldier. Null strangely admires the old woman and they go to find Rhone.
After he finishes giving some syndicate guards orders, Null & Berrick check in with with Rhone. He explains that the teleportation circle under the Last Stand Inn will be deactivated, it's too much of a risk to have an easy way in to the heart of Sieronna in such troubling times. He wishes he could go to Zanadonia and join in the fight and thanks the Ashen Company for their efforts to save his people; as he returns to the bar he asks Berrick to look after Lotty. Null checks there's nobody that Rhone wants either punching in the face or taking care of and goes to say her goodbyes to Latharial. Berrick wants no part of that soppy departure and joins Flynn & Lotty outside.
Null finds Latharial scouring over maps, tokens and battle plans but even the impending war manoeuvres can't dampen Latharial's one-track mind as she beckons Null to sit on her lap. Taking the seat next to her instead Null goes over the plans one last time. Latharial goes over the march route from Sieronna, to Zanadonia and estimates it will take around five days before their arrival. Neither of the betrothed feel ready for the adventure ahead and both admit to feeling terrified of what's to come. Latharial reminds Null that "what we are fighting for is bigger than our fears". As Latharial gently holds Null's hand tracing over the map Null thinks on brighter thoughts and asks again what is involved in a Zanadonian wedding. After teasing Null about fending off dozens of suiters Latharial says that they can have any kind of ceremony that makes them happy. Null mentions she's invited Vi to the wedding and Latharial seems annoyed that Null didn't consult her first but wants to see her bride to be happy and the two make themselves scarce to a side room for a more steamy farewell.
Before leaving Null lets Latharial know that regardless of what ceremony they have she wants Latharial to know that she chooses her, she's free to choose now, nobody is in her head any more and she wants to make sure her beloved knows how important it is to Null that the commitment is real. Null tears of a small strip of cloth from her shirt and ties it around Latharial's finger telling her it's a placeholder to remind her. Latharial reciprocates in kind picking up her dress from the floor and tearing off a strip to give to Null. Null tucks the strip in to her shirt, next to her heart, taking comfort in the familiar smell of her perfume.
Emerging with hella bed hair Null joins the group and Berrick teleports the Ashen Company to the cabin he and Null once visited outside of Highrock and casts non-detection scrolls on the group. Finding a headless body they previously left in the cabin Null & Berrick begin to dispose of the frozen body. As they drag it outside Berrick spots something moving in the snow and warns the group of an incoming danger.
The Ashen Company find themselves surrounded by Coldlight Walkers. A group of undead looking creatures beaming blinding light from where their eyes should be. Flynn manages to misty step from the grasp of one of these to the roof and rains down powerful blows. Berrick manages some effective crowd control and deals massive damage as he does his best to group the walkers in to an easy to hit group. Lotty manages a little crowd control as well but is too occupied in taking hits to the face to help Berrick out of the crowd of Coldlight Walkers before he falls. Null manages to dodge a weave like the rogue she is dealing some deadly blows whilst managing to, mostly, keep herself out of harms way.
After their victory over the ghoulish entities Flynn is quick to revive Berrick and notices many more sets of eyes in the treelines around the cabin. Knowing Null & Berrick have faced these before Flynn messages Latharial for advice, she confirms they seem to be more active in darkness and retreat in sunlight.
It makes sense to wait it out in the cabin overnight, it's a two and a half hour ride on horseback in good weather, probably eight hours on foot but in this weather the best part of a day on foot even without the Coldlight Walkers to content with. Lotty is insistent on leaving anyway, everyone else can go in the jar and she'll make a run for it, she's small and fast and certain she can make it. Despite Lotty's insistence the group makes her see sense that it will be quicker to use magic means in the morning than try and make a run for it now. Berrick summons a magnificent Mansion with an interior that resembles the Ashen Company villa and provides all the comfort of their shared home.
Unable to take the bag of holding and Flynn's jar inside the tower Lotty insists on waiting outside. She summons a faithful hound to help her keep watch. Null is worried Lotty is going to run in the night and offers to stay outside, Flynn does the same leaving Berrick alone in the mansion he loving crafted to take care of the group. Eventually Null and Flynn are convinced to go inside the manner and Null asks Lotty if she'll have a look at the broken music box she found at her childhood home knowing that Lotty will find comfort and distraction in focusing her attention on fixing something.
As Lotty pecks at her rations and enjoys the company of the wolfhound only she can see she tinkers and mends the music box. It begins to play a tune, it's a familiar lullaby that Lotty remembers hearing being sung to her by her father and Aunt Ella when she was a child. She takes some comfort in the song but also is also reminded that her family is still in danger.
