[Fallinel]

Once the decision had been made to join the exodus from Dale, Rhysdan raced to his homestead to retrieve the large wagon and remaining livestock. He was grateful that Esmerelda had previously packed clothes, food, and small items, and the four bags were already at the Millwind farmhouse. Working quickly, but without nervousness so as to avoid frightening the animals, Rhysdan hitched the two roan oxen to a large wagon, and urged the animals to pull it near the small pens and paddocks. The back portion of the wagon was divided into several compartments for hauling lambs to market, and Rhysdan placed two of the ewes with their lambs into these areas. He quickly caught several of Esmerelda's laying hens, as well as the rooster, and rather unceremoniously contained them within a large overturned basket in the remaining wagon compartment. Rosebush, the children's bay pony, and Granite, a stout horse who was used for plowing and riding, were tied to the back of the wagon and could trot along behind. The dairy cow, whose calf had been taken by the dragon, would also follow behind the wagon. Rhysdan quickly threw a few bales of hay and a barrel of oats into the wagon, and hopped up onto the seat, calling Hawkweed to jump up as well. He twitched the reins and clucked to the pair of oxen, and drove back to the Millwind farm.

Once at the Millwind homestead, Rhysdan helped his wife and daughter onto the wagon, and Elian placed the bags that Esmerelda had packed behind the seat. The Whitfield family wagon fell in behind that of the Millwinds as they headed into Dale, filled with uncertainty and fear rather than the usual excitement and optimism of a journey into the market town. From the homesteads, it was not far to Dale, and the road was wide and smooth, so the pair of wagons made good progress. As they neared the outskirts of town, Arinn called the wagons to a halt, and both he and Rhysdan stood up on the seats and scanned the view in front of them. Behind the wagon, the pony and the horse flared their nostrils and pranced nervously, and Hawkweed's pinkish-brown nose twitched at a disturbing faint scent.

"What is it, Pappa?" asked Elian, "I see smoke rising from the center of town!" Rhysdan nodded, "I don't like the looks of this, Elian-I think that dragon has attacked Dale. I saw it fly overhead this morning." Rhysdan called out to Arinn, "Let's make our way to the warehouse if we can. Dale seems to have been targeted by that winged beast, and I doubt it will be safe to stay there." Arinn signaled his agreement, and the two men sat down and urged their animals forward with the wagons.

As they approached the town of Dale proper, it was clear to everyone in the Millwind and Whitfield families that the once-bustling trade hub would never be the same. Gone was the famous Toy Market, with all its magical clockwork animals, musical instruments, miniature boats and wagons, dolls and dollhouses. Many of the beautiful buildings had collapsed, or were flattened and incinerated completely. Women and children, faces blackened with soot and hair singed by the dragon's flames, wandered the streets, confused and weeping. Daisy was very upset by this sight, and hid her face in Esmerelda's lap. The great Dwarven-wrought bells on the yoke of the roan oxen made a mournful sound as the wagons progressed through the ruined streets of Dale.