Swamped

You've really gotten yourself in trouble now. If you'd actually thought ahead for a moment, you wouldn't have rushed right out into the open.

Worse, your quarry managed to slip out of sight. Which means, if they opt to retaliate, they could come at you from any direction. Easily taking you by surprise.

The best option you can see now is to just turn around quickly, but carefully, and watch for movement. So you first glance between the two tents ahead of you, and then when you don't see anything, you turn around...

Just in time for the sandy-mocker to get the jump on you. Well, at least it only knocked you on your back instead of your front.

"Are all you Marshguards this well-trained?" Rudolph asks, walking up and grabbing the bird. "That's certainly not a maneuver I'd have ever thought of."

"I didn't expect it to be so fast. Or so strong, for that matter," you grumble, picking yourself up. "What's got it all riled up, anyways?"

"Dunno. Jebediah says the wild ones have been gathering at his tent and making a ruckus, not to mention a mess. Maybe our tame one's been getting the same idea. Or maybe he's just lonely. Too much time around greblings, not enough around his own kind."

Jebediah? It takes you a moment to remember the name, but you think that's the priest.

And come to think of it, the last time you saw a bunch of birds gathering, Reth was involved. Now a lot are turning up around the closest thing to a church this camp has? You wonder if there might be a connection, but you're not enough of a theologian to say.

Maybe Jebediah has some ideas, though. You might want to talk to him later.

First, though, you've got to help Rudolph get this sandy-mocker back in its cage. And then you've got some other jobs to take care of.