Chapter 10: The Bone Men
-----The breeze is cold as the six adventurers leave the small shell keep. Overhead, the gray cloud cover seems to offer no break from an otherwise gloomy day. Clouds of breath escape the horses’ noses as the riders urge their mounts into a trot. Zentil’s horse, the one Jon loaned the elf, slightly jerks its head at the abruptness of the chilly air.
-----One welcome change to this day is the silence that seems to prevail over the countryside. The nightmarish animal noises had long since faded out with the darkness. As if an aftereffect, the men and women feel a fatigue that echoes the gray.
-----They turn toward the northeast skirting the hills that rise up on their left. About two more miles, they pass the small lake on their right and see a few geese gliding across its choppy surface. As they approach the great Wesgol Forest, the gloom seems to take its hold under the budding trees.
-----The riders follow the gentle incline down into the valley grove. Here the birds flit nervously from tree to tree. The oaks and maples cut the force of the breeze although there is still movement in the smallest twigs and leaflets. Wild flowers dot the ground here and there fighting their way up through the undergrowth. The beautiful rock cairn looks bland in the shadowed day.
-----As Raven leads the group toward the center of the grove, they see no sign of the one called Trist.
-----"Well....no host for today? We may as well just continue onto the witches. If we're still around afterwards we can return and see if Trist is back yet." Sol looks at the others, waiting for a reply.
-----Raven takes a moment and looks around the area. Raven rubs his chin, "I agree Sol, let’s head for the witches. We'll stop back here and look for Trist again."
-----Sarah listens to Sol and Raven. After hearing what they say, she nods "I agree, let's go on and toast some insane people!"
-----Giving a smile to Raven and Sarah, Sol begins to lead his horse to the east. He stops after a few moments. Blinking a bit, his hand reaches up and smoothes his hair. "I have absolutely no idea where I'm going. Raven?"
-----Suddenly, everyone is alerted to the sound of a dog’s barking. Looking up, among the bushes and trees outside the grove to the east, they see a medium-sized dog with white fur. Its ears point up and its tail waves frantically. Looking back at the group, it barks twice and it begins to run toward a wooded hill next to the grove.
-----Raven and Thalog recognize the dog as the one they saw two days before in the swamp near the destroyed family’s house.
-----"Let’s follow the dog," Sarah says. She follows it on horseback, trying to keep it in sight.
-----Raven swings himself onto his saddle, "I know that dog, something must be up for him to act like that. Let's ride!" Raven spurs his horse into a gallop and heads after the dog.
-----Sol's face lights up with delight, as he urges his horse to pursue the dog.
-----The dog turns and waits on the side of the hill and the riders move their horses to climb out of the valley grove. They climb the gentle slope of the first hill. Their pathway through the woods is not cleared and they find they must ride at a walking pace. Their canine guide leads them on across this and to a second hill.
-----After an hour, the dog leads them down the second incline and out across a small marshy area. Here the horses’ hooves make a sloshing sound as they move across the wetland. The pools of standing water are dark and murky.
-----East of the marsh, they move along the banks of a forest lake. The gray color of the sky is reflected in the water, although the temperature has steadily grown warmer. Past the lake, the forest begins to slope upward again. They cross a few more hills before they stop to rest. The adventurers pull a few rations from their packs for a quick lunch.
-----The sun shines overhead behind the overcast sky. At this point, the group has lost sight of the dog, but spy something over on the next hill. To the east, between the trees there, they see what appear to be a few buildings.
-----After putting the rations away, they ride the horses down the hill they are on. They then dismount and carefully begin to walk up the next hill.
-----Raven continues toward the buildings. He begins to ready his bow as he moves forward.
-----Amythiel follows behind. "Who is this dog, if you know him?" she asks as quietly as possible while still being heard.
-----Raven looking back says, "Just a few days ago we found a farm that had been sacked by some orcs. The orcs killed the whole family. This dog was at that farm." Raven returns to looking toward the buildings.
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