> Ominous unnatural big
Joy can't tell me what to do so let me at leaat illuminate the hints she gave you.
> Alice get your bow
Not every encounter results in combat. I don't know what Joy is planning because she has adeptly kept from thinking consiously about it but there are three key items: "unnatural", "big" and [1d20=14]
The big natural things in that forest are Bear, Moose, and Owlbear. I don't know what unnatural things might stalk horses but be careful.
The scale of danger goes from 1 to 20, 1 being the worst. So 14 can't be that bad; however, we had one where a green dragon flew overhead, if we had shot arrows at it, we would have all surely died and been eaten. Now you have many options and I'm not telling you what to do but she also said:
> try not to be stupid
In relation to the girl opening a can of cat food with the giant cat looming.
...
Meanwhile Gwen was almost downed by three large rats. She fell into a trap and they pinned her dowm. Rats are actually pretty OP considering they had 9-11HP each and when they're within 5ft of another rat they get advantage on attacks. If SheShe had given them full surprise attack Gwen would have been downed. The rats hit for 1d4+1 she has 12HP two rat hits brought her down to 4.