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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 316605" data-attributes="member: 114">To their astonishment, they see the man known as Cuckoo picking his way through the brush which surrounds the barrow.“Excuse me gentlemen” the reedy voice enquires “Might I camp with you for the night?”“Come into the light, where we can see you” Anne-Marie demands.Sure enough, it is the lanky, balding minstrel which they met in the village.“What are you doing out in the woods at this hour?” Trajan enquires. “Don’t you fear the horseman?”“Ah” says Cuckoo, “I was out seeking my muse, inspiration for song and time ran away from me… as did my sense of direction!” He chuckles lightly. “Your campfire?”“Well, you may stay with us the night then” says Trajan.Meanwhile, K’tan is eyeing the minstrel up. He whispers to Trajan “He looks remarkably well fed compared to the rest of the villagers, don’t you think? In fact Dyson and Tully looked quite well fed too, didn’t they? How come all the villagers are starving and these retired adventurers are not, hmmm?”By common consent watches are shared that night, Trajan keeping his watch with Cuckoo, and on him, despite the odd lullaby coming from the minstrels lute.Come morning, they decide to set off to the Red Horse, another one of the local landmarks. Cuckoo counsels against it, recommending that they return to the village with the latest news from the dweller in the barrow - but he soon acquiesces to the desires of the rest of the party. However, they have covered less than a quarter of the distance to the Red Horse when disaster strikes!One of the trees which they are walking past suddenly wrenches itself free from the soil and swings around towards them, its branches swinging in punishing arcs which just miss Anne-Marie and Cuckoo.Trajan draws his weapon and starts chopping at the bark of the tree, Anne-Marie deduces that her rapier is not likely to penetrate the trees wood and so fights defensively and attempting to draw attacks her way. K’tan starts launching concussions at the horrifically mobile tree, and the air resonates with the voiceless shouts of his power manifesting.Cuckoo backs off, attempting to start a rousing war-chant to inspire his comrades, but the tree takes two great strides past Anne-Marie and Trajan to strike at him again, putting him off his music.As suddenly as the attack had started, it is over. The tree appears to be rooted once more, although badly blasted by the mages power and with chunks hewn out by Trajan. The strange spirit which had animated the tree seems to have fled. Cuckoo is all in a fluster, and keeps mumbling about getting back to the village, that he should never have come out here.  The other three confer quickly and decide that it would make sense to return to the village and get Cuckoo safely home. It certainly seemed that the tree life around here has something against him, and if they can get him safely back within the stone circle they should be free to continue their investigations.Changing bearing, they strike off through the thicker woodland towards the village. After a couple of hours walking they take a break for lunch before setting off once more so they can reach the village before sundown.Then they hear them.Hoofbeats.Coming from behind them, the hoofbeats grow louder.Drumming, drumming, DRUMMING!With a scream of fear Cuckoo charges off into the woods on their left, and Anne-Marie runs screaming off into the woods on their right. Trajan’s resolute aura enables K’Tan to stand his ground alongside the Jaxumai - as a ghostly horseman manifests, charging through the trees towards them!</blockquote>

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