"That felt like an unnatural presence. Perhaps the spirit folk are telling us to leave. If the tax collector came here I wonder whether he would have felt the same way?"

Kuublu checks for tracks, blood trails and footprints, if none, he's inclined to keep looking elsewhere.

Turning left the trio walk along the path which meanders a little from time to time eventually curving sharply to their right, they followed it around and then the path split into two tending left and right. A foul stench reaches their nostrils. A few metres further on, they discover its source—the mists part to reveal a slime-covered stagnant pond. In the middle of the pond can be seen a small island where trees grow in twisted forms and trail their roots in the mucky water. Suddenly a flight of huge bats pour from the gnarled branches and soar towards the group like phantoms through the mist.