The sound of metal plated armor clanking and creaking with the steady rythem heavy boots stamping in the dirt as they marched through the forest. Kale chewed on the stem of sweetgrass as he watched the soldiers in armor march on by from his hiding spot, beneath the tall green ferns. Once the soldiers had passed, he glanced behind him and let out a relieved sigh, and then rose back up to his feet, and fixed the large black rimmed hat and and dusted off his deerskin jacket. Kale was no soldier, he just never got the whole marching in straight lines to die bravely on some fat lord’s damned bloody battlefield nonsense. Being a young strong man, with good set of shoulders, and strong chin, it would be easy to get snatched up and be accused of being of some sort of spy... or drafted into the army... or just killed for sport..<br/><br/>Not Kale, no he getting out of this place! Just on the other side the next bog was freedom! Nobody went through that bog, supposedly it was haunted and filled with all sort of witches and vampires and all sorts of other creatures lived there or something silly.... Kale however was more concerned about the sinkholes... witches! ha they didn’t exist! and vampires another silly fairytale!<br/><br/>Soon the forest was filled with the foul odor of sulfur, the ground beneath him was getting spongy and squished beneath his feet. Kale did his best to keep his boots dry, but after a while it was pointless. He cursed under his breath as he waded through the need deep grimy green swamp water. The trees were were no longer green, they were black and gnarled.  Kale grimaced as the white fog began to role in, he shifted his heavy  back pack, that contained his unstrung short bow, a quiver of arrows and other camping supplies.... there was no way he was going to spend the night in this forsaken swamp!<br/><br/>For some reason he felt like he was being watched. Kale spat out the sweet grass from his mouth and drew his cutlass,<br/><br/>“Hello?” he called out into the gloom. Kale chuckled and shook his head, what a lot of a nonsense! His imagination was getting to him.... who in their right mind would be out in a swamp like this? He then frowned, obviously somebody who didn’t want to be found, or some one desperate... or not in their right mind... or both.  Kale shook his head, laughing to himself, witches, vampires, elves, ghosts! a whole lot of nonsense!<br/><br/>When suddenly something coiled around his boots and he found himself dangling upside down in a large weeping willow tree!  Kale cursed loudly as glanced up the rope tied around his ankles. Kale groaned as heard the arrows and other camping gear went falling out of his ruck and splashing into the water below him... He cursed himself as he knew he dropped his sword a well! At least he still had his hunting knife in his belt, he thought to himself until his hands found the sheath empty... no that was gone too...  dammit, he was stuck!<br/><br/>Then reaching to up to tug at the brim of his favorite hat he froze feeling top of his wild raven black hair, his blue eyes went wide in terror...<br/><br/>“My hat!” he exclaimed panic!  "Son of a goat! My hat!" he shouted again, this time he was furious!  "Take whatever you like! Just give me my bloody hat back you bloody bastards!" he snarled, as he twirled around upside down in the air....