You watch the sun sink below the horizon. Somewhere in your mind, you hear the inn's doors close and the bars fall behind them. Wolves howl in the night, under the cover of snow, and you realize... You will not survive.\n----\n[[Try Again?|Start]]
<<set $man = 1>>\s\nHe thanks you, grabbing you by the shoulders and turning a thousand directions in which she might have gone. You’re familiar with these woods, he can tell. Where should you look?\n----\n[[Start Looking|9]]
<<set $minutes += $travel>>\s\nThe man grabs your shoulder. She wouldn't have gone this way.\n----\n[[Turn Back|$position]]
<<set $minutes = 310>> <<set $travel = 10>> <<set $man = 0>> <<set $woman = 0>> <<set $child = 0>> <<set $slope = 0>> <<set $wolves = 0>> <<set $wounded = 0>> <<set $south = 0>>\s\nYou stand at the edge of a thick forest, branches bare in the midst of winter. Snow falls in thick sheets, blanketing the ground, cracking the trees, forcing your coat tighter. Were it not for the small sleds strapped to your soles, you’d be calf-deep in the powder, but for now, you can walk. A telegram sits carefully tucked inside your breast pocket. It’s message sets fire to your step.\n\n“MEET AT MERCY’S. LOVE.”\n\nThe last word cost extra, but they sent it every time. It carried everything: their voice, their scent, the warmth of their skin. It was dark roast on a cold morning, a hot bath for an aching soul. It was the only thing that made this place worth visiting.\n\nMercy’s Inn is no more than a cabin, nestled between the dens of thieves and wolves. Mercy herself is a hard woman, born and raised in world where morality is the butt of a good joke. Still, she opens her doors to weary travelers, charging a piece of what she should. She facilitated your little tryst and the eloping you hoped would follow. She is a good woman.\n\nBut not without her irony. At sundown, her doors close, shutting out the night-time bandits and clawed beasts that wander when good people shouldn’t. Those doors don’t open for anyone, no matter how they beg or scream or pound. On a day like this, stragglers might be spared the bandits, but the cold is paralyzing and the wolves can run.\n----\n[[Enter The Forest|3]]
<<set $child = 100>>\nYou grab a nearby branch, thick and heavy. You catch the child’s eye, and they prod the wolf harder, enraging the beast. You step lightly behind, raise the branch, and bring it crashing into the beast’s skull. It falls, head buried by the force of your blow. A small whimper escapes its mouth with the last of its breath. The child crawls out from between the roots, their legs withered to the bone. They prop themselves up with the stick you now see is their crutch, and hobble toward you.\n----\n[[Carry Them|Child 2]]\n[[Travel North|24]]\n[[Travel South|14][$slope = 1]]\n[[Travel East|20]]\n[[Travel West|18]]
<<set $child = 200>> <<set $travel += 10>>\s\nYou lift the child into your coat, slipping their crutch between the straps of your pack. They bury their face in the crook of your neck, tears cold on your bare skin. They don’t say a word, just whimper softly with each step. Keep moving. The sun is on its way down.\n----\n[[Keep Going|19]]
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 24>>\s\nYou stand in a cleared area at the base of a hill. You lift your foot to find it streaked with red. Winter berries. Mercy keeps a patch near the inn, mixes them into her drinks during the winter. You carefully cover your footprint and smooth out the area. Mercy’ll have your skin if she knew you ruined a batch.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<if $child is 0>>[[To the South|19]], you hear a child's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the South|19]], you see the place where you found the child.<<endif>>\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and a warm glow.\n[[To the West|23]], you see paw prints in the snow.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 25>>\s\nYou stand outside Mercy’s Inn, a large cabin nestled in the nook of a grove of trees. Warm light pours from the barred windows onto the snow. Slivers of smoke roll from the chimney, smelling of venison and spices. Snow is piled in drifts against the walls, but the space before the door is cleared, a sign it’s been opened recently. Faint sounds of laughter slip through the cracks around the door.\n----\n[[Enter Mercy's Inn|Finish]]\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the South|20]], you smell the harsh odor of wild onion.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the West|24][$slope = 1]], you smell the pleasant aroma of winter berries.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<if $child is 100>><<set $child = 0>><<endif>>\s\n<<set $ending = $man + $woman + $child>>\s\n<<if $ending < 212>>\s\nYou step inside and the heat warms your shivering bones. The inn is busier than normal, no doubt a result of the winter storm. Mercy waddles over the slam the door shut, before barring it for the night. She smiles at you before returning to her patrons, ever the gracious host. You scan the room, clutching your telegram, waiting for them to approach. No one comes. Mercy returns, telegram in one hand, steaming mug in the other. She hands both to you with a look at speaks volumes. You make your way to the roaring hearth, and take a seat with your face toward the flames. They didn’t come or they didn’t make it. In either case, your journey was for nothing.\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $ending is 0>>\s\nYou open the telegram. \n“CAREFUL MERCY. BANDITS IN AREA. ONE DEAD. MORE INJURED. CLOSE EARLY. WILL VISIT SOON –SHERIFF”\nOne dead. Mercy wouldn’t have shown you if she wasn’t sure. You toss the paper into the flames, watch it curl as it burns. Wolves howl in the night. How many people did you pass? You keep your eyes locked on the fire. How many have family here, waiting? The orange and yellow blur. Everything blurs. Little drops tumble into your drink as you press it to your face, desperate for some kind of relief.\n<<elseif $ending is 2>>\s\nThe man and wife clutch steaming mugs and whisper to one another in urgent tones. Together, they chug the fiery liquid, then approach Mercy. You hear quiet arguments that grow loud. They have to leave. The woman and the child, they can’t just leave them. Mercy watches them rant, her face set. She will not open the door. They know the rules. You won’t meet their eyes. You saved their lives. They should be grateful, not concentrating on what had to be done. Don’t think about the woman. Don’t think about the child. Think about your future together. Think about what you’ll do when the snows fade, when the green returns, when the fields and flowers blossom. They embrace one another, crying softly.\n<<elseif $ending is 10>>\s\nThe woman feels her way to a seat beside you. Mercy hands her a mug. The woman grasps your hand. She didn’t need to see the child to hear their screams. You both sip your drinks, but the warmth they should have brought is absent. You saved a life, but at what cost? How will either of you live knowing what you might have saved if you’d moved a little faster, worked a little harder? If you’d tried? The woman lays her head on your shoulder and closes her eyes. You can’t blame her. The journey was exhausting, but you can’t close your eyes. Every time you do, you see the wolves bearing down on those you left. Red-rimmed and glassy, you stare over your mug into the fire.\n<<elseif $ending is 12>>\s\nThe man and his wife help the woman to a seat. They retrieve bowls of soup from Mercy and gather around a small table. They smile at you, their savior in the storm. What’s your name? Where are you from? What is it like? Why are you here? Layers and layers of small talk to bury the child they’d left to the wolves. Still, the stories spread, and strangers approach you, praising you for your compassion. Another drink for you. No, really, it’s on them. Mercy, can’t we find them some more soup? You thank them to distract yourself, eyes twitching each time a wolf howls.\n<<elseif $ending is 200>>\s\nThe child stares at everyone from behind your shoulder. Mercy bustles over, carrying a bowl of soup. She takes the child from you, instincts unwilling to let them remain unfed. She feeds them hot soup, and they smile weakly in return. Mercy would find a bed for the child, and their parents in the morning. Failing that, she’d raise the child herself, no doubt. It’s the one good thing to come of this night. The wolves howl, and the child whimpers. You feel one rise in your throat. No one would contest your decision to save the child. No one. But that only makes it worse. Who had been waiting for than man and his wife? Who had been waiting for that blind woman by the road. Maybe no one. Or maybe someone like you, clutching a telegram, hoping to whatever god they trust that someone cared more than you had.\n<<elseif $ending is 202>>\s\nThe man and wife lift the child from your arms and carry them to a place at the table. Are you okay? How are your legs? What’s your name? Where are you from? We’re going to take care of you now. Nothing bad is going to happen. You scoff. No one can promise that. But it’s the closest thing to a fairy tale ending you’re likely to get, so you return their smiles and unspoken thanks with a nod. The child is carried away, and Mercy joins you at the hearth. You should feel proud. You tell her about the woman, the dying blind woman you left in the cold. Mercy closes her eyes, a silent prayer for the lost. You did the best you could. No one can save everyone. Thoughts for hardened people, but maybe it’s time you adopted them. You sip from your mug and stare into the fire. You're warm and safe, and three others can say the same. In a place like this, you can’t hope for better.\n<<elseif $ending is 210>>\s\nThe woman finds her way to a seat beside you. She reaches out to the child’s legs. Her face grows pained as her fingertips dance over the frail skin. She holds out her arms and you pass the child to her. She cradles them, cooing in their ear, pulling a smile to their face. A sight like that should be enough to warm your heart, but between the whistling of the wind and the howls of the wolves, you feel as though you hear faint whispers. A man calling for his wife, knowing he’ll die before he reaches her.\n<<elseif $ending is 212>>\s\nYou push, but the door doesn’t move. Shutters fold over the windows, blocking the light. The sun dips below the horizon, turning the forest to cold darkness. You beat on the door, rattling its hinges. You didn’t come this far to be stopped at the gate. Your love is waiting for you. These people depend on you. Mercy’s rules can go to hell. How dare she lock you out! She knows who you are. She knows your voice. Your love, their inside. They’ll plead for you. They’ll get this door open. The child cries. The woman weeps. The man struggles to lift his wife as they collapse in the snow. You’re too late. The trees creak under their heavy load. The wind bounces between the limbs, whipping powder into the air. The wolves sniff. Their feet step lightly on the white blanket, moving toward the cabin on the hill. Meat. Outside for the taking. They watch it collapse as they circle. This will be quick. This will be easy. With a snarl, they leap toward the door.\n<<endif>>\n\n
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 20>>\s\nYou stand in a clearing, much like any other except for the faint whiff of wild onion. Even knee-deep snow can’t mask that unmistakable odor. In better weather, it’s enough to bring tears to your eyes, but today, those tears come for a different reason. Mercy won’t grow those onions at the inn, but at her age, she keeps them close.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|25]], you see a warm glow.\n[[To the South|15][$slope = 1]], you see paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<if $child is 0>>[[To the West|19]], you hear a child's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the West|19]], you see the place where you found the child.<<endif>>\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 21>>\s\nYou stand beside tall stacks of firewood, easily your height, with the width and breadth of a small room. The stacks are covered with strips of moss and vine, and the ever present dusting of snow. This might have belonged to the woodsman, though it’s far out of his way. You’ve never seen this collection before, a sign you’re off the beaten path and deeper in the woods than you should be.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the South|16]], you see a small cabin.\n[[To the East|22]], you see a cluster of trees, protection from the wind.\n[[To the West|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 22>>\s\nYou stand in a cluster of trees, temporarily sheltered from the wind. At the base of one tree, a few frozen fingers stick up from the snow. Larger than a baby's, but too small for an adult, you avert your gaze. From the look, they were there before you entered the forest. There is nothing you could have done or can do now.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the South|17]], you see a tall cedar.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the West|21]], you see stacks of firewood.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 23>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $wolves = 1>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'wounded'>> <<set $wounded = 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 0>> <<set $wounded = 'wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\nYou’ve walked into a den of wolves! They circle you, growling through their fangs. Their claws leave pockets in the snow, the light pitter-patter a stark contrast to their bloodthirsty gaze. There’s no way of escaping unharmed, but you might get away alive.\n----\n<<if $wolves is 1>>\s\n[[Attempt Escape|Wolves]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the South|18][$slope = 1]], you see a child's treehouse.\n[[To the East|24]], you smell the pleasant aroma of winter berries.\n[[To the West|22][$slope = 1]], you see a cluster of trees, protection from the wind.\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 1>>\s\nYou stand beside a few bits of broken caravan sticking out between the trees. The tattered remains of the canvas roofing flap in the wind. A cruel joke, that, likely on some unsuspecting merchant unfamiliar with the area. There’s no sense in checking for valuables. The bandits are vicious scavengers, and you don’t have time to go digging in this weather.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the South|Block][$south = 1]], you see the forest's edge.\n[[To the East|2]], you smell the faint odor of charred wood.\n[[To the West|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 3>>\s\nYou stand at the southern edge of the forest, at what most think of as the entrance. The path to Mercy’s is faint in the best of times, easily obscured by a few puddles of rain. In this mess, there’s almost no chance of finding or following it.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|8]], you see an old friend.\n[[To the South|Block][$south = 1]], you see the forest's edge.\n[[To the East|4]], you see a sliver of frozen water.\n[[To the West|2]], you smell the faint odor of charred wood.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 2>>\s\nYou stand beside the charred ruins of what was once a woodsman’s hut. You explored it during your first visit to these woods, but everything valuable was taken long ago by the scumbags who torched the place. Mercy said it was a miracle the whole forest didn’t catch fire, and swore her wrath on anyone who dared try again.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|7]], you see a gathering of stumps.\n[[To the South|Block][$south = 1]], you see the forest's edge.\n[[To the East|3]], you see the entrance to the forest.\n[[To the West|1]], you see canvas flapping in the wind.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 5>>\s\n<<if $man is 1>>\s\nThe man rushes to a pile of rotting branches, calling his wife’s name. The pile rustles, and as you open your mouth to warn of snakes, a man’s overcoat penetrates the thorns and brings with it the face of a rescued woman. After losing the man she’d hid, hoping the pile would keep her warm and safe from the wolves. The man and woman embrace each other, passionately, but for only moment. The sun is on its way down.\n<<set $man = 2>> <<set $travel += 5>>\s\n<<else>>\s\nYou stand by a pile of rotting branches and the wisps of leafless bushes, likely a warren for rabbits and the snakes that feed on them. The sunlight glancing through the trees casts long shadows. There’s no way of knowing what it contains without stripping it down. You watch for a moment, but the pile is still. Whatever creatures hide inside want no part of you or the cold and wet.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|10]], you see the trunk of a great oak.\n[[To the South|Block][$south = 1]], you see the forest's edge.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the West|4]], you see a sliver of frozen water.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 4>>\s\nYou stand by a small frozen brook, its pebbles making the ice look like a stained-class mosaic. To the south, through the trees, you see smoke rising from a farmhouse, thick and black. It’s too far away, but you can imagine the crackling of cedar around a pot of warm broth.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $man is 0>>[[To the North|9]], you hear a man's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the North|9]], you see the place where you found the man.<<endif>>\n[[To the South|Block][$south = 1]], you see the forest's edge.\n[[To the East|5]], you see a mountainous thicket.\n[[To the West|3]], you see the entrance to the forest.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 7>>\s\nYou stand by a collection of scattered stumps. Your love has many stories of their friends and those stumps. They’d jump between them, pretending the ground was a lake. They’d build forts around them, stumps lifting them to see over. They now serve as a gravestone for the woodsman who once lived here.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $woman is 0>>[[To the North|Block]], see a steep, icy slope and hear a woman's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.<<endif>>\n[[To the South|2]], you smell the faint odor of charred wood.\n[[To the East|8]], you see an old friend.\n[[To the West|6]], you see paw prints in the snow.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 6>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $wolves = 1>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'wounded'>> <<set $wounded = 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 0>> <<set $wounded = 'wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\nYou’ve walked into a den of wolves! They circle you, growling through their fangs. Their claws leave pockets in the snow, the light pitter-patter a stark contrast to their bloodthirsty gaze. There’s no way of escaping unharmed, but you might get away alive.\n----\n<<if $wolves is 1>>\s\n[[Attempt Escape|Wolves]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.\n[[To the South|1][$slope = 1]], you see a canvas flapping in the wind.\n[[To the East|7]], you see a gathering of stumps.\n[[To the West|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 9>>\s\n<<if $man is 0>>\s\nA man wanders between the trunks, bellowing at the top of his lungs. He sees you and trudges over, tripping through the powder. This is weather for coats and layers, but the man has neither, and his naked arms have chilled to the color of his frost-tipped beard. He shivers, teeth clattering through a hasty description of a woman—his wife—lost somewhere in the snow. He’d let go of her for just a moment, left for just a short time to scout the area and find the way. When he’d returned, she was gone, lost in the blizzard, doomed to an icy grave if he can’t find her.\n<<elseif $man is 1>>\s\nYou stand beside a flurry of footsteps in the snow. These are the man's tracks. His wife is not here.\n<<elseif $man is 2>>\s\nYou stand beside a flurry of footsteps in the snow. The man’s tracks serve as reminder of how close he and his wife came to permanent separation. They urge you to keep moving and leave the place behind.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $man is 0>>\s\n[[Help The Man|Man 1]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $man is 1>>[[To the North|Man 2]], you see a fallen tree.<<else>>[[To the North|14]], you see a fallen tree.<<endif>>\n[[To the South|4]], you see a sliver of frozen water.\n[[To the East|10]], you see a great oak.\n[[To the West|8][$slope = 1]], you see an old friend.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
Snow Before Sunset
<<set $woman = 10>> <<set $travel += 5>>\s\nShe grabs your collar with an iron grip as you lift her out of the snow. She whispers many thanks into your ear, to you, to her god, to the angel you must be. She asks to pause, for blood to once more reach her legs, for her breath to return. You wait, but the sun is on its way down.\n----\n[[Get Moving|12]]
<<set $minutes -= $travel>>\s\nMinutes Left: <<$minutes>>\n<<if $man is 2>>\s\nYou are leading the man and his wife. You travel slower.\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $woman is 10>>\s\nYou are helping the blind woman. You travel slower.\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $child is 200>>\s\nYou are carying the crippled child. You travel slower.\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded != 0>>\s\nYou are <<$wounded>>. You travel slower.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n<<if $slope is 1>>\s\nYou slide down an icy hill, tumbling to a stop at the bottom. \n<<set $slope = 0>>\s\n<<endif>>
/* Your story will use the CSS in this passage to style the page.\nGive this passage more tags, and it will only affect passages with those tags.\nExample selectors: */\n\nbody {\n\t/* This affects the entire page */\n\tbackground-color:#fff;\n\tcolor:#555;\n\tmargin:5em auto;\n\tmax-width:800px;\n}\n.passage {\n\t/* This only affects passages */\n\tmax-width:500px;\n}\n.passage a {\n\t/* This affects passage links */\n}\n.passage a:hover {\n\t/* This affects links while the cursor is over them */\n\tcolor:#000;\t\n}\n#passages {\n\tmargin-left:220px;\n}\n#sidebar {\n\tleft:auto;\n\tmax-width:200px;\n\twidth:auto;\n}\n#sidebar li a {\n\tcolor:#555;\n}\n#sidebar li a:hover {\n\tcolor:#000;\n}\n#sidebar #title {\n\tcolor:#000;\n}
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 8>>\s\nYou stand beside an old friend, the tip of a sharp rock propping up a piece of a fallen tree. It’s a curious landmark, one you remember from your first time lost in these woods. You traveled in circles, never able to escape it for more than a few minutes. It was the only time you met the woodsman, but he was kind to you, a rarity in these parts.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.\n[[To the South|3]], you see the entrance to the forest.\n<<if $man is 0>>[[To the East|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and hear a man's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the East|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.<<endif>>\n[[To the West|7]], you see a gathering of stumps.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
The trees creak under their heavy load. The wind bounces between the limbs, whipping powder into the air. Your wounds bleed heavily, painting the snow a sickening red. The wolves sniff. Their feet step lightly on the white blanket, circling their prey. They watch it collapse into the snow. This will be quick. This will be easy. With a snarl, they leap toward you.\n----\n[[Try Again?|Start]]
<<set $minutes += $travel>>\s\n<<if $south is 1>>\s\nThat way leads out of the forest. You have to get to Mercy's Inn.\n<<set $south = 0>>\s\n<<else>>\s\nYou cannot find a path this way.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n[[Turn Back|$position]]
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 11>>\s\nYou squeeze between tightly-knit trees and the drifts of snow between them. There’s a small clearing, lit by a break in the branches. You remember laying on a blanket in the summer months, packing food and wine. Useless bravado in a sea of possible danger, but still, you remembered it. The first place they said, “Love.”\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|16]], you see a small cabin.\n[[To the South|6][$slope = 1]], you see paw prints in the snow.\n<<if $woman is 0>>[[To the East|12]], you hear a woman's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the East|12]], you see the place where you found the woman.<<endif>>\n[[To the West|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 10>>\s\nYou stand beneath a great oak, and under its roots you see cracked cobblestone, a fragmented relic of the days when people thought these woods could be conquered or civilized. The day the last one threw down their tools was the day Mercy opened her inn.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the South|5]], you see a mountainous thicket.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<if $man is 0>>[[To the West|9]], you hear a man's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the West|9]], you see the place where you found the man.<<endif>>\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 13>>\s\nYou stand in a clearing like any other, but something deep and inaccessible says the path is beneath you. You’re not sure which way it leads, or if the way you’ve been traveling follows it, but this place feels right. If it weren’t for the snow, you’d know exactly where you were.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.\n[[To the South|8][$slope = 1]], you see an old friend.\n[[To the East|14]], you see a fallen tree.\n<<if $woman is 0>>[[To the West|12]], you hear a woman's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the West|12]], you see the place where you found the woman.<<endif>>\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 12>>\s\n<<if $woman is 0>>\s\nA woman sits between two ancient trees, the bark stripped everywhere within her reach. Her eyes are covered by round, dark glasses, the signature of the blind. Her lower half is buried in snow, occasionally disturbed by the thrashing of her feet. Her wails push back against the wind’s whistling, then fall into pitiful moans. You step forward, crunching the snow, and her head whips in your direction. She pleads for help, sir, madam, whichever, whoever you might be. She cannot lift her legs and if she could, the way to the inn is lost to her in this icy hell.\n<<else>>\s\nYou stand beside a deep hole in the snow, the mark of what might have been a slow, painful grave. The woman can’t see it, but her grip on you tightens nonetheless. You need to move on.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $woman is 0>>[[Help The Woman|Woman 1]]<<endif>>\n[[To the North|17]], you see a tall cedar.\n[[To the South|7][$slope = 1]], you see a gathering of stumps. \n[[To the East|13]], you see a place that feels familiar.\n[[To the West|11]], you see what might have been a picnic spot.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 15>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $wolves = 1>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 'wounded'>> <<set $wounded = 'heavily wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\n<<if $wounded is 0>> <<set $wounded = 'wounded'>> <<set $travel += 5>> <<endif>>\s\nYou’ve walked into a den of wolves! They circle you, growling through their fangs. Their claws leave pockets in the snow, the light pitter-patter a stark contrast to their bloodthirsty gaze. There’s no way of escaping unharmed, but you might get away alive.\n----\n<<if $wolves is 1>>\s\n[[Attempt Escape|Wolves]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.\n[[To the South|10][$slope = 1]], you see a great oak.\n[[To the East|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n[[To the West|14]], you see a fallen tree.\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 14>>\s\nYou stand beside a fallen tree, one of the many great oaks in the forest. Its roots are pulled and stretched out of the ground, unearthing a myriad of worms and fungi. It’s almost tragic to see a giant fall beneath the wait of a single storm, but it provides a useful landmark.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $child is 0>>[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and hear a child's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope.<<endif>>\n<<if $man is 0>>[[To the South|9]], you hear a man's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the South|9]], you see the place where ytou found the man.<<endif>>\n[[To the East|15]], you see paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the West|13]], you see a place that feels familiar.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 17>>\s\nYou stand beside a tall cedar, its needles twinkling in the wind. You see old scratches in the bark, two sets of initials and a faint heart. It wasn’t you. Some secret superstition or sense of karma tells most visitors to leave the trees be. “AM & AW.” You hope you never meet them. Happy endings are better found elsewhere.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|22]], you see a cluster of trees, protection from the wind.\n<<if $woman is 0>>[[To the South|12]], you hear a woman's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the South|12]], you see the place where you found the woman.<<endif>>\n[[To the East|18]], you see a child's treehouse.\n[[To the West|16]], you see a small cabin.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 16>>\s\nYou stand beside a small, derelict cabin. Snow pours through a hole in the roof, and its timbers creak under the weight of the blanket. There is a corner where you might be out of the snow, but you dare not wait here. The claw marks and dried blood embedded in the walls stop you. The enormous bars on Mercy’s door are practically impenetrable, but a simple lock is no match for rabid beasts.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|21]], you see stacks of firewood.\n[[To the South|11]], you see what might have been a picnic spot.\n[[To the East|17]], you see a tall cedar.\n[[To the West|Block]], you see a tangle of trees.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 19>>\s\n<<if $child is 0>>\s\nA child huddles between the roots of an old, gnarled apple tree. Outside their self-imposed cage is a frothing wolf, biting between the roots. The child prods a long stick between them, keeping the beast at bay, for now.\n<<elseif $child is 100>>\s\nYou stand beside an old, gnarled apple tree. Its roots rise and return to the frozen ground in wooden waves and twisted sculptures. You will not look at the red-stained snow or the fragments of cloth, or the broken stick beneath the roots. Keep moving. Leave this place behind.\n<<elseif $child is 200>>\s\nYou stand beside an old, gnarled apple tree. Its roots rise and return to the frozen ground in wooden waves and twisted sculptures. The child burrows further into your shoulder as you pass. The memories of this place will never leave their memories, or yours.\n<<endif>>\s\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n<<if $child is 0>>\s\n[[Help The Child|Child 1]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[To the North|24]], you smell the pleasant aroma of winter berries.\n[[To the South|14][$slope = 1]], you see a fallen tree.\n[[To the East|20]], you smell the harsh odor of wild onion.\n[[To the West|18]], you see a child's treehouse.\n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $child is 0>>\s\n<<set $child = 100>>\s\n<<endif>>
<<display HUD>> <<set $position = 18>>\s\nYou stand beside a child’s treehouse, suspended on planks in the crook of a maple’s branches. The walls are no more than twigs and branches, but the floor looks solid, no doubt the handiwork of the child’s caretakers. For someone smaller, it would be good shelter for the night, but you weigh far too much for its slender supports.\n----\n<<if $minutes > $travel>>\s\n[[To the North|Block]], you see a steep, icy slope and paw prints in the snow.\n[[To the South|13][$slope = 1]], you see a place that feels familiar.\n<<if $child is 0>>[[To the East|19]], you hear a child's cries of distress.<<else>>[[To the East|19]], you see the place where you found the child.<<endif>>\n[[To the West|17]], you see a tall cedar. \n<<else>>\s\n[[Look To The Sky|Death]]\n<<endif>>
Dillon West