| 377 The stand of trees is a bare cover at best but at least you will have some shelter. Drawing Pallenten into the centre of the trees you tether her beneath a sturdy branch, and then find a spot amongst the spreading roots of an ancient Oak for yourself. Overhead the branches of these trees intertwine into a dense canopy that still holds most of its foliage. Hopefully it will be enough. Swiftly the storm overruns your meagre shelter. Like a thick blanket descending on an unprotected land the tempest lays siege to the plain and unleashes its fury upon it. As it rages you can feel the immense power held within the stormclouds, all about you the trees groan as they are twisted and bent in the wind, the rain quickly turning to hail as a growing crescendo of lightning and thunder assaults the ground below. Looking up you can see nothing but the thrashing of the trees, highlighted in the frequent blasts of lightning that spread great arcs of destruction over every standing thing on the plain. Hail smashes through the treetops, cutting pieces of foliage to rain down upon you and Pallenten. Amongst the turmoil you can do nothing but huddle further into the side of the old oak and just hope that Pallenten will survive. Then, from directly overhead comes a bolt of lightning so massive that it stuns you with its violence. Arcing out of the blackness above, it crashes down through the upper reaches of the trees and strikes the old Oak, splitting it neatly in two. Jumping out of the way you avoid the main part of the falling tree, but you are not quick enough to evade a branch that whips out and down across your face and left shoulder. Knocked senseless you fall limply to the ground.
| Throw one dice and turn to section 408.
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