Assasins campsite

"spells yet remain here" murmurs Kai, a quieter but still as flatly as
ever "they cover areas so have a care until i can mark them  be on the
lookout for other traps as well  mac  quill have either of you any
guesses as to why such would be crafted or maintained a day after the
campers departure  for i can think of only two a warning device to
prevent their being followed unawares or a trap to destroy any who are
doing so"

Walking along in the sandy trail Manon says "I'll leave the 
investigation of this campsite to those bewandered in the ways of 
magic"

Mac looks wearily ahead. 

"No I do not have a guess." Mac answers Kai "The devious and paranoid mind 
would set it up as a trap to kill us here. The paranoid would set it as a warning. 

It may be in our best measure to scout around their camp to be sure they 
are not in ambush awaiting our investigations."

Handing his reigns to Beren, Kai murmurs "keep the horses well away from
the site lest they accidentally trip something by crossing a line that
means nothing to them as the lines i see and now will mark mean little
to the rest of you"  

Speechmaking done for the nonce, he moves over closer to the campsite,
pulling the dagger out of his left sheath... only the dagger keeps
coming, to form a slim bladed longsword.  With the tip, he sketches 
lines in the sand , walking around the site.  Finished at last, he wipes
his blade with care, then slides it home into its dagger sheath with a
single one handed gliding move.

Gwar says "I agree with Manon, It should be a deliberate attack.
Attacking CLOSE with stealth, attacking from air and attacking with 
ranged weapons will disorient the enemy quickly."

Dax: "Sssome of our shamans can move unssseeeen in -- or under -- the ssand.
Can any of your magicss do the sssame?"

Beren, quietly as Kai moves around the campsite, "That's some dagger... I
wondered if he used anything larger."

Quill says, "I cannot quite manage that, but I too can fly, or appear to be
something I am not."

Turning towards Dax Manon asks "Are we to camp here or do we press 
on?"

Dax: "It does no good to sstay here.  We should go around thisss area and
continue the march. I will not sstay ssso near their casstings."

 
The horses(and the rest of you) are dead tired.  Dawn is a little over
an hour away.  You won't be able to go much longer than that, regardless, 
without rest.

Mac says "Well I can offer us some protection tonight, we can go back to where
i store my equipment. But dax is right, we must continue as far as we can."

Swivelling to face Mac, Kai comments "i had no idea you had that degree
of power mac  i suggest the quickest way to intercept our prey now would
be to have all of us stored in your remote location while you use the
fastest transport to make to an intercept point and then bring us back"

Gwar looks at Kai, "What? stored in what?"

After a thoughtful pause, Kai continues "you could make best speed by
flying but if that were too exhausting you could ride first my horse at
a trot until it tires then swap it for beren's and so forth like a
courier with fresh horses at handy stations"

Considering still further, Kai churns out "if the method you use to
work your trick be some device i could use it to place you all in store
and walk the day this would let us truly steal a march on them as they
must stop the night and too i can make far better speed unencumbered by
you and the horses which must needs stop and eat or rest or walk behind
a dune"

"for our attack" he then commences "we need but have you or if possible
some other better suited hide us all away in their path wait a suitable
interval then re-emerge in their very midst and take advantage of the
surprise"

The wand will allow me to take everyone within a 10 yard radius to a 
roughly circular chamber. Attached to this chamber is a chateau high
up in some mountain range. I really have no idea exactly where, but
it is remote enough. The only people I have ever seen there are dark 
elves, of which I have slain every one. 

There are beds, although I do not know what the condition may be. Kitchen,
dining facilities, pantry, cells, a smithy, and two rooms you do not want 
to enter. Unless of course you like spiders.

"loan me then the wand and i shall take you all to that place return
here myself and move ten hours to intercept the band then return there
for you and put us all in easy reach of them well rested and fed"
replies Kai matter of factly, "kraken will have to give me some
landmarks to follow and you will have to tell me the trick of operating
the wand itself"

"Well my friends" Manon utters. Even though he should be worn and 
tired from being on the move and awake for more than twenty hours 
the count stands firmly and is alert. "I see Mac's wand as our chance 
to easily overtake and ambush the assassins. I am willing to take that 
chance"

Everybody gather around me within a few yards, horses should go too.

Gwar slowly walks over, obviously not liking this situation one bit and not
saying a word. He looks to be holding his breath.

When everybody has gathered close, Mac pulls out his wand and turns to
Kai. "Ok, this is how it works You break it to go to the chateau in the 
mountains and you put it back together to return to where you were. Time
passes normally while you are at the other place."

With that, Mac breaks the wand.