The team leaves the gemologist shop slightly before noon, and head farther into town to talk to Carver’s mother at the grocery store where she works. She is kind but somewhat exasperated that more people are here looking for Carver. She tells them that the mayor and his wife, accompanied by armed guards came to her home looking for him several days ago. Then, a woman named Coriander came looking for him just yesterday. She does not like how the mayor has always had a negative view of Carver. She believes that her boys’ background, as half-orcs and the product of rape, should not be held against them. It made Harven (Hack) into an angry, aggressive man, whereas Carver over-compensates to the point where he is so nice that he is taken advantage of. And she thinks Wendella may be doing just that. And she did not trust this woman who claimed to work on behalf of the city. She told both of them that Carver had taken employment on a merchant caravan headed north. Sartan explains to her that they met Hack and they wonder why he is so angry with Carver. She says that there has always been bad blood between them because of their different personalities and the perception that Carver has always been favored. She comes to trust the party, and hopes that they can actually help find Carver and bring him back. She gives them a map that he left behind in his room, and four liver/onion/limburger sandwiches on rye. She also mentions that she has given Carver a family heirloom, a chain and locket, for luck.

Outside the grocery store, they are immediately confronted by Hack and his friends. he yells at them for bothering his mother, and they retort “what do you care, you haven’t seen her in years!” A fair point to which he has no answer, but to ask again what they want with her. He figures they are looking for information about Carver. He insists they they go together to find Carver. He asserts that he and Bignose have the kind of skills they will need. The party tells him, they are going to the police station first and that he should go get his horse and they will meet him there. He relents and goes off to get his horse.

The party picks up their steeds at the 3 Javelins stable. Then they inquire at the police station about the body they brought in last night. The first officer they speak to says that, they were unable to identify the body and they don’t believe him to be local. The body has been sent to the morgue.They ask what he thinks about Hack. the office says he thinks he is an upstanding individual despite his reputation as a brawler and troublemaker. Upon further questioning, the officer is obviously somewhat uncomfortable and says he will have to ask his boss. he goes into an office, and a second senior office comes out shortly thereafter. This officer knows them, having met them the previous day. They ask him if he thinks it wise to travel with Hack. He looks around, and says in a hushed tone, “If I were you guys I would involve as few people in this town as you can. It’s a small town, but a complicated one. Why do you think the mayor brought in outsiders to do this? If you are supposed to meet Hack here, I suggest you get going now before he arrives. And go by the North Road. People will see you leaving, it will be no secret. But Hack will probably leave out the back of the Stoneyard and take the trails called the “Thieves Highway.”

With that, they head north out of town. About an hours and half out of town, they identify the trail that should take them to the river crossing. They cross the river and come to a fork in the road at the tip of the bluffs. Here they are confronted by a huge, angry bear. It rushes toward them, but stops short, towering 10 feet tall and roaring at them. The party handles the situation calmly and with much delicacy. Cycek approaches the bear with liverwurst sandwiches as a peace offering, while Sartan, noticing a silver chain around its wrist calls out names of people he suspects this bear might recognize, “Carver, Lolly, etc.” The bear continues to make threatening gestures, but does not attack. The parties tentatively draw nearer. They perceive that this is a female bear. The party continues to make peaceful gestures, until finally the bear turns and runs behind a rock. Cycek moves closer with another sandwich, and before long a transformed creatures come out from behind the rock. No longer a “natural” looking bear, this is now sort of a fur-covered bear-human hybrid. It says in a throaty bark, “You know Carver?” They respond in the affirmative. She responds, “Follow!” And takes off at a run down the trail. The quartet follow on horseback, until the fleeing figure disappears into a cave in the cliff face.

Davros keeps watch outside while the other three cautiously head down the narrow stone tunnel. They hear a voice calling out for help!. The voice turns out to belong to Carver himself who has been held captive by Ursula the werebear. He asks to be released. Cycek is reluctant, not wanting to earn the ire of the powerful bear-woman. Shortly, Ursula, now in human form, emerges from a side cavern and expresses her unwillingness to let Carver go. She says he’s safe here. He’ll get hurt out there. He begs her to let him go. He says he cares about her, but he can’t stay. He promises to come and visit. He wants to go with the party to find Wendella. She finally relents with the condition that she will travel with them to make sure he is safe. Cycek says she can have him back after they find Wendella. All in agreement, the party, now of six, sets out north on the trail in the late afternoon.