They did not get far, though, for immediately an annoyed and violent hiss came from their leader, causing the two thugs to stop and fall back in line.Īs they got closer, they saw that the campsite was on a small, secluded clearing. After hours of crawling through the forest at a snail's pace, the three slavers were stiff and half-frozen, and two of them increased their pace as the prospect of a warming fire called out to them with an undeniable allure. It seemed to take forever, but eventually they spotted a soft glow in the distance warm and comfy, the kind of glow only a campfire against a cold night was able conjure. Padding the hilts and handles of the concealed weapons that they carried beneath their heavy cloaks, they were certain they were the meanest predator out here tonight. The three men were used to this though, and gave so sign of discomfort or fear. The darkness was near absolute, making it all but impossible to spot anything roaming between the trees, and yet the noise of something scurrying around or stirring up the bushes was a all too frequent companion. But now, with the sun set and not a shred of star- or moonlight reaching the ground, it was a nightmarish place, capable of sending a chill through the veins of even the bravest men. Even during the day, the forest tended to be grim and forbidding this late in the year, gloomy and colourless save for the sickly browns and yellows of decomposing foliage. It was an agonizingly slow process, but patience was key, and so they took their time, merging with the shadows of the forest in their dark garbs, their faces concealed and protected against the cold of the coming winter by deep-drawn hoods.īeneath an overcast sky, the surrounding forest rose with black wooden pillars into the air, reaching out to form a canopy of claw-like, barren branches that ached hauntingly beneath the howling wind. At every step, they probed the ground thoroughly for sticks and branches, before putting weight on the extended foot.

They were careful men, wary of the forest ground even with their eyes long adjusted to the dark and years of experience to fall back on. T he three shadows moved through the night like ghosts.

Prophesy of pendor tips