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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GlassEye" data-source="post: 6323547" data-attributes="member: 40413">Two days pass.  Days during which Matta Sofya continues to dose Garadh with the chalky, foul-tasting concoction until she finally announces that she is satisfied that he will recover fully and not spread some horrendous disease to the citizens of the castle and town.  A red-eyed Queen Raisa is distracted and aloof and frequently takes counsel with Brother Goswald and Quillion.  King Danyll is concerned and makes sure that the group is as well equipped as he is able to provide though Valeriya is the one who handles the day to day needs of the guests of the castle.  The youngest daughter of King Danyll, Polina, still hasn't been seen in the castle.  Presumably she is undergoing some sort of preparation for the ritual to come.At noon of the second day, while the group is dining in the great hall, King Danyll stands.  He is solemn and stands silently until all in the hall fall silent.  "Tonight is the night.  Rest and prepare yourselves.  At dusk, those chosen to participate in the ritual leave for the sacred grove."When dusk finally arrives everyone gathers: all the Wolf Hunters, King Danyll, Queen Raisa, Valeriya; all escorted by a squad of the King's warband.  Notably absent are Matta Sofya and Polina.  Riding forth from the castle you discover the villagers have all lined the road and bear torches to light the way.  It doesn't take long to reach the edge of the forest.  Dismounting, King Danyll leads the way on a clearly-marked trail through the forest though the escort of his warband will remain behind.Winding through the forest on the path the group eventually arrives at a grove.  The trees of the grove tower overhead like living buttresses within a titanic hall, half-formed floral faces hover at the edge of vision, and the laughter of unseen fey mixes with the almost words of whispering leaves.  Fireflies dance in the gloom.  In the center of the grove a massive stone rests on the forest floor forming a low table.  Beyond it is a living arch formed from a pair of intertwining trees.  Flanking it are gnarled wooden statues of horsemen almost swallowed by weeds.  Vines curl around their wooden lances and tiny flowers poke through their beards of moss.  Beyond the arch, thick briars and brambles flank a narrow path.Instinctively everyone takes up a place along the edge of the grove forming a large circle.  Only moments after a young girl, probably around twelve years old, walks into the clearing of the grove.  She seems nervous and her eyes dart around the circle of observers and participants.  Valeriya gives her a smile and a brief nod of encouragement.  Matta Sofya follows after Polina bearing a bundle.  When Polina stops Matta Sofya continues walking, circling around the girl and chanting quietly in Old Landellian.  She unfolds the bundle revealing a cloak dyed crimson and spreads it over Polina's shoulders.  Polina pulls it tight and, shaking a little walks through the arch of trees and disappears down the bramble-lined path."We stand vigil until dawn when the Hunters cross into the deep wood to face their challenge."[sblock=Pics]<img src="http://imageshack.com/a/img841/886/c53u.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> <img src="http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/716/w26c.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> <img src="http://imageshack.com/a/img829/1056/hn3w.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />. . . . Jyman Trout . . . . . . . Brother Goswald . . .  . . . . . . . Valeriya . . . . . .<img src="http://imageshack.com/a/img856/2539/a9oq.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> <img src="http://imageshack.com/a/img840/711/rxsq.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> <img src="http://imageshack.com/a/img819/8620/zi8h.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />. . . . . King Danyll . . . . . . . . . Queen Raisa . . . . . . . . Matta Sofya . . . . .[/sblock]</blockquote>

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