You take the High Road, and I'll take the... Triboar Trail?

Our unlikely companions headed south out of Neverwinter the next day on the High Road.  Traveling was easy and nothing hindered their wagon and oxen, other than the occasional outbursts from Prime concerning the horrible trees being too close.  Two days worth of travel had the group at the Triboar Trail, the last leg before arriving at Phandalin.  The road became rougher, the countryside rose into hills, and the tree lines moved closer to the road.  

Shortly before noon the road narrowed between some embankments and the woods came even closer to the edge of the road.  Around the next turn the group came upon a pair or horses down in the middle of the road riddled with black arrows.  The battle tested Gloin immediately shouted for a halt and began scouting for an ambush, taking a higher perch on the wagon.  Hollis, seeing as those were the same horses Gundren and Sildar had been riding rushed forward past the still walking and oblivious elvish wizard, writing in her book.

Right as Hollis reached the horses and he saw empty saddle bags and map cases strewn about, he took an arrow into his shoulder.  Gloin finally spotted four goblins in the tree lines on both sides of the road, rushing to the north to engage the attackers.  Bruner calming began waving his hammer and slung a barrage of magical missiles at the first goblin that had fired at Hollis.  The Oghma acolyte took her own arrows in the back from the south side of the road, screaming as she fell to her knees.  She scanned the southern treeline finding her assailant and shot a frosting blast in answer, shattering the goblins head.  Heramp rushed to the southern tree line as well and found a goblin trying to hide behind a small sapling.  Trying to hide, because Heramp's great sword swung out and through both tree and goblin neck.

On the wagon Lance took aim hitting one of the southern goblins but it duck back into the trees before it could hit home.  Gloin had by now jumped down and raced into the northern thicket finding another goblin hiding there and cleaved his skull through.  Prime also ran forward from the protection of the wagon, doing an odd hopping gesture, wrapping both Hollis and the elf wizard in a blue and gold mist, sealing their wounds.  Another goblin suddenly came running from the south across the road, narrowly dancing past a desperate thrust from Hollis, only to be taken out in the back of head by Lance's arrow.

After checking the area for any more goblins, Hollis found a goblin trail that seemed to have recently been used.  Lance suggested they follow it as the horses had only been dead maybe a day and they needed to at least try save their employer.  It was decided then that the group would split up with Hollis and Heramp left to guard the wagon in the bushes while the rest followed the trail.

The trailed turned out to be trapped along the way, snaring Lance once which resulted in a bumped head and pride when the elf wizard used her magic to untie him while he was still hanging 10 feet in the air.  The favor was returned shortly though when Lance spotted some sort of trap on the trail, warning the group.  The elf ignored though, and fell right into a trap hitting her own head and needing Bruner to climb down with her to help her out.  Greatly to the amusement of Bruner, that an elf would need help from a dwarf while in the forest.  

About another hour down the trail resulted in finding an entrance to a cave.  Gloin not showing much fear simply walked up to the entrance and found two goblins hiding behind the thicket.  Not before, however, other goblins already began firing onto the party.  Everyone ran for cover and to get a better shot at engaging their enemies.  Gloin waded into the battle, while Lance sneaked around the thickets getting shots off surprising the other goblins.  Bruner shattered more goblins into ice, heads and arms exploding.  The nameless elf, however, simply ignored the battle and went into the entrance of the cave.  Just as she entered, another goblin jumped out of the thickets running and dodging past everyone attempting to warn the rest of the cave.  She shot sparks into its face stunning it just long enough for Lance to get a killing shot off.  Prime healed their wounds and lounged in the stream as they decided how to proceed as there wasn't any lights inside the cave.

Meanwhile Hollis and Heramp were having their own troubles with a swarm of stirges that were attacking them.  Between hiding under the wagon and some brute savagery from Heramp, they were able to slay their attackers.  Hollis kept complaining about how long this was all taking, in addition to Heramps misguided blue that ended up taking a good slice into Hollis' shoulder.  They built a fire in the hopes of the smoke would keep away any more attempts of the stirges from attacking while they bandaged their injuries.