Daniel Shen was Samira's son. Apparently, he and his friend Thomas had gone out for a ride, and been ambushed by bugbears when they'd gotten too close to the forest. Thomas barely got away, battered and bloody from his fall off his horse, but Daniel had been taken.

Samira wanted to get every able body in town into a party to go after him, and had already started giving orders to ring the city bell and call for volunteers when Arden reminded her that they were in the room. The headwoman wasn't particularly in the mood to entrust the fate of her son to strangers, but it would take time to rally together a rescue party from the townsfolk, and the outsiders were ready to leave now. In the end, she gave them her permission to go, though she continued to muster a force of her own.

And so the three of them set off, borrowing horses from the stable under Egon's name and riding off to where Thomas had last seen Daniel alive.

List had expected to have to follow Valerie and Arden's lead to know when they were at the spot, assuming it would take some sort of monster hunter's instinct to pick up the trail.

She was more than able to figure it out herself when she saw the blood.

The ragged remains of what used to be a horse spattered the dirt trail they'd been following, carrion birds tearing away at it. They were so engrossed in their meal, they didn't scatter until Arden sent a pulse of divine power rippling out from his pendant. The blood was everywhere, but much of it formed a dragging trail that led off the path, and into the hills and brush.

They pulled their horses to a stop, List having to fight to keep hers under control in the face of the carnage. Arden quieted his own mount with a prayer, and slipped out of his saddle.

"Valerie, get the horses tied down. The terrain won't suit them from here," he instructed as he strode toward the scene.

Valerie got to work immediately, leading her horse and Arden's far enough away from the mess that they wouldn't be agitated, and far enough away from the trail that an enterprising thief wouldn't stumble on them and get any ideas. List guided her horse over the same way, but as soon as Valerie had that in hand, List went to join Arden.

The scholar stooped low over the scene, his cane tucked under his arm as he crouched. His eyes swept over every bit of flesh and bone, scanning them for answers. Eventually, he stood back up.

"Valerie?" he prompted.

The blonde girl had only just come over from dealing with the horses. She looked over the scene with the same eyes Arden had given the scene, though she took longer, and her gaze lingered in several places. List found herself looking over the scene too, trying to see whatever they were seeing.

"Ambush," Valerie said finally. She gave the scene another once over, as if watching the events unfold as she described them. "Something caught them by surprise. Something strong. The horse had its legs wrenched out from under it in the attack, and the rider fell off. There were . . . "

She paused, staring hard at everything around them, as if the details she was reading were fuzzy. "Two, three attackers? The rider of the horse didn't get far after he fell, but he was alive when they took him. That direction."

"Well done," Arden said, tapping his cane. "And all consistent with a bugbear attack."

List didn't see how they'd gotten half of that, and said as much, and Arden inclined his head.

"The tracks and other indentations tell most of the story. The remains tell the rest," he stated. "Once you know the signs to look for—"

"Sounds fascinating," List said. "Can you find them?"

"We wouldn't be terribly good hunters if we couldn't," Arden said. "Bugbears are quite studious about saving some food for later. If we move quickly, we might even be in time to save the boy. Valerie?"

Valerie suddenly looked worried. "Dr. Siren, if we're trying to hurry, I don't think I should be the one following the trail."

"You would be surprised how effective pressure and stakes can be as an improvement aid," Arden said. "Lead the way."

Valerie's worry lasted only a moment longer before she steeled herself, nodded, and started off after the trail. The blood initially made things easy to follow, but to her credit, even once it stopped being so easy to spot, she worked quickly and confidently, and only twice paused to make sure she was still on the trail.

In only a few hours, they found themselves outside of a small cave nestled into the side of a hill, with a smell lingering in the air that reminded Valerie and Arden of a sewer, and List of one of the worst places she'd ever slept.

"Is that usually what a bugbear den smells like?" List asked.

"No. They're usually worse," Arden said. "Approach carefully, and stay quiet. Bugbears can be difficult to catch unawares, but it could be what makes the difference."

"Don't suppose either of you have a spare weapon I can borrow?" List asked.

Arden raised an eyebrow, and reached into his coat. "As it happens, I have a spare training implement for Valerie that I believe you can get some use out of."

And then he produced a whip, holding it out to List.

"You people know I know how to use other things besides a whip, right?" List asked, even as she smiled and took it.

"No," Arden said with a too-earnest smile on his face. "I did not."

List stopped, realizing that Valerie and Arden had, in fact, only ever seen her fight with a whip, a broom, and technically her teeth if Valerie counted their struggle against the mob that tried to hang them.

"Well, it'll have to do,"  she said.

And so they descended into the cave.