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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2001 - 2007 All Rights Reserved
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472
 The forest crowds in about you as you run, long branches and creeping tendrils grasping at your clothing as you follow the trail northwards. There is little sign that anyone else has used the path for some time, but you keep a careful watch on the edges of the undergrowth and find the way slowly veering to the west and towards the mountain. Quickly you advance, your only concern that each passing hour puts you closer to the collapse of Maenum's defences and the inevitable tightening of the metal collar at your neck.
But you are not that concerned for the speed of your rush to Stoneholme that you do not notice the slight difference in the ground ahead. Upon the trail the leaves have been disturbed, their pattern and colour upon the track slightly different from the humus that surrounds them. Quickly you come to a halt and take a moment to catch your breath. As you settle your breathing you poke carefully at the edge of the leaves with a long stick and find a small hole opening in the ground as you move the detritus. It takes only a moment to find the edge of a deep pit and then uncover a fragile mesh of dried sticks and leaves that conceals it. Before you is a pitfall and in the shadows of its depths you discover neat rows of sharpened spikes reaching up towards you. It is well made and well concealed and you have no doubt that if you had fallen into it you would not have survived the experience.
With some care you drag the remainder of the pitfall's cover away and then carefully step around its open maw. Under other circumstances you would fill the hole in and save the next unwary traveller from a quick end, but you do not have the time. Instead you drag a few large branches from the undergrowth and place them across the path, effectively barring any further victims from passing over the pit without first coming to a halt and seeing the danger for themselves. For the moment it is all you can do. Without any further delay you turn back to the path and make your way westwards. Ahead the ground rises towards the Devkraager Tor and you run for it all the faster.
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Quickly you leave the pitfall behind and continue on. Turn to section 353.
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This book, and its associated books and other documents in the Chronicles of Arborell series are the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Windhammer is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution. Any questions regarding the Chronicles of Arborell can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au
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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2001 - 2007 All Rights Reserved
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