Zoom 2023-05-23 21:00

White Beach is far busier than we remember - all races and many Clans (though these are the Clans that are less enamoured of the ThunderClan and Soratan)
In fact, the place is so busy that there aren't enough rooms for us all at our recommended lodgings - The Seaview Tavern, and given that the cheapest rooms at The Dunes cost 'only' twice as much, we try there instead (4sp/pp/pn)
On the way we pass by the docks and find a Free Trader that is going to Norport, so we ask for passage: They cannot guarantee passage for all 13 of us as they may be getting a large shipment that would take priority - however, we are told that if we come back the next day around noon, they would know if the shipment was arriving or not. They would be sailing the following day - though another Free Trader bound for Norport would probably be coming in a week's time that we might be able to take instead.
At the Dunes, we find that they can only put up 10 of us, but we reckon that the 4 Wyldwood worshippers could probably beg an overnight stay at the Diamond Fort - so Twoo gets his wish and stays at The Dunes for a night. (No food/drink though - we eat elsewhere!).
Quercuis, Brokev, Francis and Joshua go off to The Diamond Fort and are admitted into the Wyldwood shrine, where they make appropriate offerings and are allowed to stay there overnight. Quercuis 'deals with' the Box (whatever that  involves.)
We had all agreed to meet up at the docks around midday, so the next day, the Wyldwood party and the other party set off for the docks from the Diamond Fort/The Dunes and head to the docks. Joshua and Caradoc both notice that their respective parties are being followed - by quite a large and sophisticated gang: There are people staged in front as well as behind and to the side, with agents being swapped in and out in a 'professional' manner. Joshua starts using True Sight/ESP/Know Alignment etc to get info on the surveillance team - they appear to be 'Evil' to him, and certainly have hostile intent towards him/the party. However, they soon realise (or are told) that they have been rumbled, so they back off somewhat. 
Comparing notes afterwards, we reckon that there must have been about 30 people involved in following us - and they were all humans or hobbits, none of them whom you would describe as 'clumsy'. Wondering who they could be, we rule out Solaran involvement due to the hobbits - and muse that that could imply an Alveran group, which is somewhat troubling. 
There is good news at the Free Trader - the large shipment has been delayed, so they have room for all of us instead. Given that we are now feeling 'hunted', and knowing that there is no one hostel where we can all stay overnight, we ask if we can stay on the ship overnight instead - which we are allowed to do, though we would have to come back after lunch. So we go and have lunch in the nearest tavern. As we leave, Umar spots an extremely well dressed dwarf (ie the 'natty' one) moving away along the docks - and (s)he disappears once Umar has seen them.
Back on the ship the Bosun mentions that 2 humans had approached him and asked where we were going - so the he told them (it is hardly a secret), but thought he would pass the info along to us. He asks if 'we are going to cause any trouble', and we give the assurance that we don't intend to cause any trouble...  We ask if any sailors have signed on since we first came to this ship yesterday, and are told that one new crewman did, but Joshua sees nothing untoward about this particular seaman.
Although we detect that we are being kept under surveillance from the docks, we have a peaceful night and set sail in the morning. 
(Note: If Quercuis would have wanted to have done anything about getting to see the Herbalist before departure, please let Darrell know!)