78

You cross the valley and, as you crest a distant ridge, you see the first rays of dawn sunlight brightening the eastern horizon. You continue to ride at a swift pace for you are anxious to put distance between your company and the Imperial Guards. But as the sun rises into a cloudless sky, you note a dense forest stretching like a dark wall along the southern horizon.

‘That’s the Vanchou,’ calls out Gildas. ‘They say it’s haunted.’

The trail continues due south towards the centre of the forbidding timberland. As you draw steadily closer, you feel an unnatural chill radiating from its tangle of sickly-coloured pines. You are inclined to disbelieve that it is haunted, yet you do not relish the thought of riding through it. Then a sudden sense of unease makes you glance over your shoulder, and your heart skips a beat when you see a column of dust on the track less than 3 miles distant. You magnify your vision and your worst fears are confirmed; the Imperial Guards have caught up and are fast gaining ground.

If you wish to leave the trail and ride east across grasslands, turn to 250.

If you choose to stay on the trail and enter the Vanchou Forest, turn to 143.