Overheard at an Empire outpost in the Border Princes...

[Mike the Pike]

"What do you mean gone?" exclaimed the man behind the desk.
"Ummm...well... It appears that the Beasts have ... gone Herr Ausfahrt... Disappeared" the young officer replied. "Our scouts have just arrived back after three days hard riding and none of them reported seeing a single Beastman"
"But a horde of Beastmen don't just disappear Herr Kranke. There must have been some sign of where they went." said the disbelieving officer.
"Well... there were the expected dung hills and the remains of several camps and plenty of tracks...but no actual Beastmen to be seen" said Kranke.
"Tracks? Well that at least is something. Where did these tracks lead? North towards those Elven types? Or perhaps west to have another crack at the Dwarves?" suggested Ausfahrt.
"Ahhh...erm...that's the thing Herr Ausfahrt... The tracks head due south... towards the sea... then..."
"Then what?" asked Ausfahrt.
"The tracks all eventually led to the sea and then... they stop"
"Stop?" Asked the older officer, now incredulous.
"Jawohl, Herr Ausfahrt. Stop. "
"I suppose you are going to tell me they built themselves a navy in the last few months and sailed off into the sunset. Do you take me for a fool Herr Kranke? The Beasts are fearsome opponents and there is no denying they possess a certain low cunning and intelligence but a nautical race they are not."
"No Herr Ausfahrt, I am not trying to tell you anything of the sort. I can only relay to you what our scouts, trusted men all, have reported to me."
"So do you have anything else besides tracks to nowhere and piles of dung to report?" asked Ausfahrt.
"Well our scouts did find a handful of these" said Kranke as he placed a bundle of wooden objects on his superiors desk.
"Crossbow bolts? Dwarven? Ours?" asked Ausfahrt.
"No Herr Ausfahrt. They appear to be Elven."
"Elven? I've never heard of an Elven crossbow. Are you sure? "
" Jawohl, Herr Ausfahrt. The craftsmanship is beyond any human hand and the fletching and decoration are not Dwarven." replied the young officer.
"Hmm, yes, yes, you're right. I can see that now. They are definitely Elven." said the older man examining the shafts closely.
"But that leaves us with somewhat of a conundrum Herr Kranke. What do crossbow armed Elves have to with the sudden disappearance of two large Beastman warbands? "

[job]

Well done. A switchero, eh? !