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The sledge - signs of a struggle and there is blood and drag marks in the snow. We one set of adult tracks in the area and another set that vanish undere the snow. A suggests we follow the tracks, we follow the obviuosly recetn ones that seem to vanish. We start to hear a weak cough in the forest silence seeming to come from under the sled. We ssee a man half covered by the sled, he's very cold. One hand grips an axe, his clothes are ripped and he looks very cold. Guru puts his cloak over him. He thanks us and says he was sent last noght to search then there were lights, then dark. Guru helps him up. His shoulder is bleeding and badly injured. Salus tries to stop the bleeding, and succeeds. A asks him his name - Riteable is the answer. He used to be in the army and knows his way around his sword. Guru asks where he is headed, R says he was sent to look for Tala as folk know he was in the army and now sells his sword. THEN there were blue lights, the earth shook and he lost his footing. Thought he saw something, next thing he knows he sees us. We agree we have  the same goal.

A points out the other footprints and ask if Riteable knows who the footprints belong to, he thinks he saw Tala but heard her screaming a name like "arlan". A suggests it could be Harlan. Seb suggests we follow the footprints. R asks if we should go tot he village A says a Little Girl is lost we should press on. The other footprints seem to vanish, but seem to be wearing some short of shoes. Salus  realises the blood is recent  and can see that they were dragged under ground seemingly alive, but can't be seen. The other prints leading away look like a small barefoot child. A wants to try to help, we can't see other holes but there are roots which look like a mix of tree roots and black roots. We can't see the blue lights but there is a generl pulse. A says to the forest - you have one of ours if you let him go there is no need to set fire. There is no response. After a few moments we hear the birds are silent and the wind has dropped. Seems like somethin is listening. The forest doesn not feel hostile, not kind it doesn't feel like the forest itself doing it. A aslo feels a strange sense of smoke within the general forest scents. Seems to be comong from the direction of Tala's footprints. We follow Tala's footprints

We head north til  we see  one of the old camps. There is no smoke rising not voice in the distance. The watch tower has collapsed, and we can make out light blue pulses from the ground

Guru is leading so is scouting. Aeths notices faint ripples beneath the snow, he thinks there are potentially weak areas. He thinks he can see faint movement in the hut. Thinks the safesst way in is through the fence. He sees a small fire and lanterns outside the huts which the roots seem to avoid. Salus notices barefoot prints leading into the shed, seem to be drag marks and blood in the main courtyard. She can see frozen black sap in the snow. A sees the roots seem to be ffedin on the warmth in the areaa and the nearby plant growth seem to be corrupted. Aeths thinks the watch tower collapse is recent and caused by the roots