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-----"Ahh . . . ya been prunin’ thorns outta the roses," The wild-looking woodsman says, " And now, heed my words as I tell ye of the dread bone-men!" He walks along the "small caravan" and it appears he addresses not only the heroes, but the prisoners also.
-----He points behind him to the east, "A little over four hours march straight from this blessed valley, across a small marsh and many hills lies the old ruins of a village. Each night from the bowels o’ what once was, they come quiet and tricksey." Trist uses his arms in exaggerated motions as he opens his eyes widely.
-----"Quiet and tricksey, ‘cause they make no sound, they do! Nothin’ but the air that leaves their lungs what once took a breath. Quiet and tricksey, ‘cause what Mother Terrena should claim back from them, they deny her. Quiet and tricksey, ‘cause what they use ta have, but don’t anymore, they mean ta take. That’s what they is, ‘cause they is the bone-men!" Trist hisses out his last sentence. The captured men watch him closely, some with opened mouths. As Trist finishes, one of the prisoners, the one who surrendered mutters, "By the gods!"
-----Raven says, "We want to help, but what should we do with these men?"
-----Rand looks at Trist and bows, "I humbly offer you our thanks, O’ Watcher of these truly magnificent woods. If we could perhaps take these men on to Broactor’s abode and return tomorrow." He turns to the other heroes. "As Sol has said, this will give us a chance to meet Arliss. In the morn, it will also give Thalog and myself time to regain our spells." Thalog nods once toward Rand.
-----Rand turns back to Trist, "Sir, I must humbly beg your pardon and your leave on the promise we will surely return tomorrow." He looks to the others to see if they wish to add something.
-----Trist takes a deep breath, straightens his stance and smiles, "Noble Keeper of the Light, the seeds you and your noble friends leave behind do much good for the forest. What time by the sun shall ye return?" He then looks at the men standing before him.
-----Raven says, "When the sun is high in the sky tomorrow."
-----The heroes mount their horses, Zentil once again riding along with Thalog. They leave the grove and ride out of the valley. They move now at a much slower pace with the men that they captured walking beside them. Soon they move out of the forest and see the plains and hills before them.
-----Over an hour and a half later, they round a wooded hill and arrive at the small shell keep. Someone waves down to them from atop the structure. It is now late afternoon, almost two hours before sunset.
-----As they pull their horses up in front of the keep, two men walk out the front door to greet them. The first is a tall muscular man with blond hair and a dark beard. He wears a tunic of chain mail over his clothes and carries a large battle-axe. The other is a younger man with short light colored hair with a dim-witted expression on his face. He also wears a chain tunic and wealds a light crossbow.
-----The taller man’s eyes show an expression of surprise, but his mouth is open with a wide smile as he looks at the six men tied together. "Well, you have taken this hunt seriously, my friend!" he says to Raven in a low masculine voice. "Your small troop has changed somewhat," he adds looking at Zentil and Sol. He offers his hand in a friendly handshake to all the heroes as they dismount. "I am Jon and this other fellow is Goff. Welcome to the Temple of Thales."
-----Raven gets off his horse, "Jon and Goff, it is good to see you!" Raven shakes hands with both Jon and Goff, "You remember Rand and Thalog."
-----Raven turns toward Sol, "This here is Sol. He is a brave swordsman that has greatly helped with the quest."
-----Raven then motions toward Zentil, "This fine bow man is Zentil. His aim is true and he is wise to the wilds. As for these six men, they are bandits that were helping fund the madness that has taken over the children of the forest. I need to speak with Broacter. We must return to the hunt in the morning." Raven pauses, "Where is Rinda?"
-----Thalog shakes the men's hands with little conviction and says hello to them politely. He then goes over to his bags and begins comparing the contents in the bags, with the contents in his pockets. He moves items from one location to another.
-----Jon looks sternly at the men who the heroes captured and his smile leaves his face for the first time since they arrived. "Well, we’ll need to find a special place for these ‘gentlemen’ to rest inside." He then turns back to Raven with a devilish look, "So, how badly do we need to flog these rascals?"
-----Then a look of shocked realization passes over his face, "Oh, . . . the Priest of the Hunt will be thrilled to meet these ones!" In answer to Raven’s question, he adds, "He should be rising shortly."
-----"Rinda, on the other hand, has developed quite a fever, "Jon’s tone turns more serious, "We’ve checked on her as much as we dare, but she has not risen today."
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