79
You awake shortly after dawn to a chill morning and, unless you possess a Blanket, you must deduct 2 ENDURANCE points. You are rising to your feet when suddenly you realize you are being watched. Two children, a boy and a girl, are sitting astride a little black pony, staring at you in disbelief.
‘Have you been asleep here all night?’ asks the young girl. You nod.
‘You should have called on our uncle,’ says the boy. ‘He’s the blacksmith of Oak Hill. He would have given you a bed for the night.’
The little girl leans forward and offers you some bread and cheese. Gratefully you accept her kind offer (restore 1 ENDURANCE point).
‘We’re on our way to Searsby for the feast of Fehmarn,’ says her brother. ‘Are you going that way?’
The village of Searsby lies to the south, where a road to the Kai Monastery branches off from the main highway.
If you have the spell Sense Evil and wish to use it, turn to 30.
If you wish to accompany the children south, turn to 14.