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-----As the morning progresses, the time approaches when the adventurers think of leaving, although their next destination has not been decided. Beyond the woods, the surrounding plains seem very peaceful in the new day. Thalog and Sarah take some time to study through their books. Amythiel approaches Raven and Rand. She tells them as she looks back at Broactor and Rinda, "Someone should stay behind and help look after their injuries. I believe I will do that. When the time comes that they are well and healed, I shall return to Hearthorn and report what has happened. Does that sound all right to you?" She waits for them to answer.
-----After Thalog has finished his morning studying, he says, "The witches are still out there. We should find them and stop their evil magic first so we have more information as to what is going on. If we go to Krondor's Keep to investigate what happened to the Temple of Thales, Sir Krondor will kill us for knowing too much. I still think Sir Krondor is cursed from the wound he suffered. How else do you explain a Knight of Joren attacking the innocent, if he did of course.
-----Looking up from cleaning his sword, Sol eyebrows furrow, "What wound is this? How come there are so many curses at the moment? Dammit...Mad gods can be so annoying." Sol looks back at his blade, "I'd prefer to find out those responsible for the attack on the keep as soon as possible. And make those bastards pay." Once more, he returns to cleaning the Lathanian blade.
-----Raven turns from talking with Rinda and says, "I think Thalog is right." Raven pauses, shakes his head in disbelief and then continues, "I say we rest for a day and then head out after those witches. 'Sir' Krondor might be under the power of the witches. Which means he would kill us if we walked up to the town and asked questions." Raven's rests his right hand on hilt of his sword, "Yes, Sol, those witches will pay for this crime."
-----Rinda speaks up, "It is good you are here this day. Broactor wants us to gather what we can from the keep and help make a resting place for Jon and Kylne. This is to be our new home. There is much to be done." She then pauses and looks at each of the adventurers. "All of you will be staying?"
-----She then turns and speaks with Raven again. Examining his wounded leg, She utters another prayer to Thales, "O Great Hunter, Cure this, your hunter’s wounds." A slight warmth and glow is emitted from her palms and it envelops the wound. This time the wound completely heals.
-----Rand turns from Amythiel and says, "I also agree with Thalog, if Sir Krondor is under the power of the Witches we should not yet approach his keep." Rand looks around waiting for what the others have to say.
-----"Fine. Break for the day, then witches." Sol says with some regret.
-----About mid morning, Sarah stays behind with Amythiel, Goff, and Broactor mending her robe that had been torn. The rest of the party goes with Rinda to the ransacked keep. From a distance, everything about the structure looks normal. As they draw closer however, they begin to see evidence of the attack.
-----Around the keep, the ground is broken by the passage of many horse hooves that encircled the place. Broken and shattered arrows lie about on the ground. In the light, it is easier to see the damage done to the door as the attackers evidently smashed it open. Raven, inspecting the tracks, finds that the hoof marks lead away from the keep. It seems as though there were over a score of riders that rode away to the south sometime yesterday.
-----The adventurers solemnly remove the bodies of Jon and Kylne and lay them outside on the grass still covered respectfully by some of the ruined wall hangings. They then reenter the building to remove what they can salvage. After an hour’s time, they remove some stored meat and grain and quite a few of the personal belongings of the surviving former occupants.
-----They then begin the slow process of moving everything to the small woods . . .
-----After lunchtime, the Priest of the Hunt picks out an appropriate site behind the small stone building they stayed in the night before. Most of the men then set out to dig the burial plots of the two that had fallen from the keep. A while later, after the bodies have been interred, Broactor hobbles out and stands before the grave sites. Everyone else gathers behind him.
-----The Priest of the Hunt and Rinda begin chanting in prayer to the Great Hunter. A few moments later, a great cat and a bear begin approaching as if answering the call of the chanting. They stop and stand on the opposite end of the graves. The bear sits down and looks across at Broactor while the cat begins cleaning its paw.
-----Broactor lifts his arms and says to the surprisingly calm animals, "YOU WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF THALES KNOW OF THE GREAT HUNT! ALL WHO ARE PREDATOR OR PREY KNOW THEIR PLACE! THE HUNT IS THE LIFE! WITHOUT THE HUNT, LIFE CANNOT GO ON! SO IT IS FOR ALL TIME!"
-----Pointing at the two wild animals, he continues, "HERE BEFORE YOU LAY TWO WHO BELIEVED IN THE HUNT! THEY WERE GREAT HUNTERS AND HAVE GONE ON TO THE GREAT HUNT IN THE BEASTLANDS! THEIR PART HERE IS GONE, BUT MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN!"
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