>Int Check
>Rolled 4, Passed

Emerald needs to get ahead of Hope without also being seen by the ponies. Thinking on it for a second, Emerald realizes that Hope will probably take the road back, meaning the mystery ponies will as well. There is a curve in the road to go back up towards Trotton, and if he cuts through the forest he can make up for lost time.

He rushes as quietly as he possibly can through the thick brush and trees, worrying that every rustle of leaf and crack of a branch might alert someone or something to his presence…

>Dex Check
>Rolled 3, passed

…But he makes it to the road uninterrupted. Emerald removes the notepad from the rucksack and quickly scrawls out a letter, telling her that he is fine and that she is being followed, and that maybe it may not be a good time to meet up again but hopefully some time soon they will be able too. He then sneaks out into the road and puts the note down, holding it down with a rock.

After a few minutes, Hope comes slowly comes around the corner, and he can just barely see the ponies behind her sneaking in the shadows. Emerald almost thinks that she'll miss the note, but luckily she steps on it while walking by and picks it up.

Her ears prick up as she peruses the letter, but then she suddenly turns around worried and looks behind her, scanning around, but clearly seeing nothing. Emerald grimaces, she probably got to the part about being followed, and now the ponies tailing her probably know that she knows something.

When Hope turns back around and continues on her way he sees one of the ponies pop back up and continue following her, but only one of them.

What does Emerald do?