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Despite the darkness, several of the arrows find their mark. They puncture the boat’s timbers and one shaft pierces your calf, forcing you to bite on your fist to stop yourself from crying out in pain: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Quickly you draw upon your healing skills to staunch the flow of blood from your wounded leg as the boat passes below the stone bridge.

You emerge unseen on the far side, but water is now rushing in so fast through the punctured hull that you decide you will soon have to abandon the boat. You turn the rudder towards the left bank and aim your foundering craft at a place where a copse of willow trees overhangs the river. As you pass beneath their branches, you clamber out and quickly take cover among the trees.

When the Eldenorans relight the torches, they notice your boat beached on the river bank and they come to investigate it. Silently you observe them as they drag the partially-submerged boat out of the water and sift through its meagre contents. They soon tire of this fruitless exercise and return to their duties at the bridge. Only when the coast is clear do you dare leave the copse and hurry away. When you have put more than five miles between yourself and the Eldenorans, you stop to rest for a few hours in the bough of an oak tree by the river.

Before you sleep, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

To continue, turn to 9.