Legion of Shadow by Michael J. Ward Page B

those mouths to feed – seven little brats at the
last count – I know she’ll stop at nothing to win that prize. A nice medal it is too, been in the village for generations – and one that she’ll melt down in a second for a
few measly coins, I’m sure!’ She takes a deep breath and then holds out the earthenware pot. ‘I can’t do this myself. If I was caught . . . well, my reputation would be in
tatters. But you – you could do it.’
    Will you:
    Agree to the task? — 63
    Refuse and leave? — Return to the map
    149
    After listening to the woodsman’s gloomy warnings, you are initially surprised by the pleasant and inviting woodland. The path is easy to follow, leading you past gentle
tree-lined hills and picturesque meadows of wildflowers. The sun casts dappled patterns over the leafy clearings, ringing with birdsong. You can’t imagine these woods hiding any deadly
monsters . . .
    Half an hour later and you find yourself grudgingly eating your words. Almost without warning, the trees have closed in on all sides, swallowing the sunlight and replacing the gentle sound of
birdsong with the eerie rustle of leaves and creaking boughs. The path has narrowed, becoming little more than a game trail littered with rocks and wandering tree-roots. Picking your way carefully
along the dark trail, you keep an anxious eye on the tangled knot of trees to either side. This is prime territory for an ambush.
    The trail leads you along the crest of a hill, then plunges down into a wooded valley. The sound of a chuckling stream can be heard from somewhere off to your right, where the ground rises
steeply into rocky hills. You are considering whether to leave the trail and refill your water skin, when a scream from up ahead shatters the silence. It sounded like a young girl.
    Drawing your weapon, you break into a sprint, racing along the narrow, winding trail. After a few minutes, you skid to a halt, ears pricked for any further clues as to the girl’s
whereabouts. Then you hear another scream, coming from the trees to your left. You leave the trail and plunge into the undergrowth. Turn to 37 .
    150
    You haven’t gone far before you find the corpse of a goblin – a kitchen knife protruding from its chest. Perhaps the woodsman’s daughter knows how to defend
herself after all. You search the body and find 5 gold crowns. You may also take any/all of the following items:
    Goblin leathers
      
Goblin grog (2 uses)
(chest)

(backpack)
+1 armour

Use any time in combat to restore 4 health
    You push your way through the tight undergrowth, to find yourself back on the main trail. There is no sign of the woodsman’s daughter.
    Will you:
    Follow the trail to Grandma’s house? — 168
    Head east into the hills? — 152
    151
    The wooden stairs are rotten. After only a couple of steps, your foot goes through the wood with a loud crack. Carefully, you withdraw your leg from the jagged splinters and
continue up the creaking staircase.
    Reaching the top, you find yourself on a narrow landing. Opposite you is a closed door, its surface scoured by a series of deep claw marks. At the end of the landing, a door stands open –
the space beyond swathed in darkness.
    Will you:
    Open the closed door? — 169
    Enter the room at the end of the hall? — 158
    152
    As you head east, the land rises sharply, becoming a series of rocky hills covered in gnarly vegetation. You quicken your pace, aware that the sun is already beginning to set,
casting an auburn brilliance over your stark surroundings.
    You haven’t ventured far into the hills before you spot a thin column of food smoke rising into the darkening skies. Could this be the huntsman’s camp that the young girl mentioned?
You hurry towards it, the succulent aroma of freshly-cooking meat providing all the encouragement you need.
    You finally reach the campsite, set in the sheltered hollow of a bleak, stony hill. A skinned rabbit slowly roasts over a roaring fire, the