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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 2113031" data-attributes="member: 5808">Day 14Eva and Anvil are sitting second watch, when suddenly the entire sky is illuminated by a massive flash of light to the North.Although it made no noise, the flash was bright enough to wake nearly everyone, and the others are soon roused by the rest of the party.Anvil estimates that it came from over the next ridge at least, possibly over the next two.“What was it?” asks Kiara.Benedic shakes his head.  “I have no idea.  Seemed to be far enough away, though.  If it happens again, we’ll worry about it.”Annika is obviously intrigued.  “It might have been some kind of augmented flare spell.  I’ve never heard of one, but it’s theoretically possible…  Or maybe a will-o-wisp exploded.”Anvil, for his part, theorizes that it is either Kettenek smiting the extremely wicked, or a flash of divine inspiration.  After all, he points out to Thatch, “Did not Master Genichi tell us the story of Rikitaru, who it is said descended bodily into heaven in a great flash of divine light?”Although he does not say anything, Thatch privately suspects that Rikitaru probably fell into a sinkhole, or was eaten by a xorn.In case the flash marks a newly formed holy site to which he should make pilgrimage, Anvil casts an augury asking if traveling to the source of the flash will bring them weal or woe.A slight trembling beneath his feet replies, “Woe.”And there the matter rests.Day 15As the party sets about making camp, Lira suddenly notices that Benedic is not back from his usual evening scouting mission.It’s getting dark, and having been told by Benedic that they should keep light to a minimum, Kiara, Reyu and Paws—who are the least troubled by the dimness—resolve to go out and look for him.  Since Lira can’t see in the dark, she sends Euro with the others.Don’t worry, Boss.  I’ll find him, no problem.Euro begins sniffing around at the ground, and almost immediately picks up a scent.To Reyu’s keen eyes, Euro’s white paws stand out clearly amid the surrounding gloom.  He leads them for a time through the woods until they come to the top of a scree slope down into a narrow and rocky ravine.Unable to see to the bottom of the ravine, Reyu casts light on the end of her spear.  There, at the bottom of the slope, pinned under a boulder, lies Benedic.He spots Reyu and the others and frantically gestures for them to be quiet and hide the light. Reyu does so, although she notes that there does not appear to be anything immediately threatening to hide from.She hands a coil of rope to Kiara who silently glides with it to the bottom of the ravine.All pretense of stealth is quickly lost however, when Anvil, Lira, and Annika come charging through the underbrush, bearing a lighted staff.“How did you know--?” Reyu begins to ask, then catches Euro and Kiara’s sheepish glances.Lira lies down and looks over the ledge.  “Are you okay?” she calls, softly.Benedic gestures to his leg with some agitation and puts a finger to his lips.Anvil ignores the cautions and, letting himself down a rope, half-climbs, half-slides to the bottom of the ravine, where he frees Benedic and heals his mangled leg.Back at the top, Benedic thanks the others for the rescue as he hurries them all back towards camp.“Why did you want us to be so quiet?”“I didn’t want to wake anything up.”“What kind of anything?”Benedic sighs as he answers Kiara, “Look, when I’ve got a broken leg, trapped under a rock at the bottom of a ravine, I don’t care what it is.  I just don’t want to bother it.”Benedic’s concerns aside, the group makes it back to camp, and the night passes without incident.</blockquote>

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