Out of the corners of their eyes, a shadow flickered and then vanished; a few seconds of sight and then nothing more. Enough to see a very tall and bulky shape...<br/><br/>As they approached the gate, the forest around them suddenly seemed so full of sound: crunching snow, rustling leaves, snapping twigs, wind rushing past their ears as though something akin to a spectre was dancing around them. Getting closer and closer and closer until - nothing. Silence once more as they reached out to touch the age-touched gate made of wood.<br/><br/>It was a tall structure that seemed to be an old wooden bridge that covered one of the small openings in the ground. Still wide enough to prove an obstacle, but not looking quite as frightening as a chasm. The drop did seem to go on forever, though, so the bridge was probably a good idea in the long run, and it certainly was proving to be too open to jump over - not that this was a good idea anyway given the shifting nature of the snow that covered the edges of the gap.<br/><br/>The bridge, they noticed, was also covered in these...bars of sorts. Some kind of huge gateway perhaps? It was taller than they would jump, but certainly wide enough for anyone to fit through. Maybe it was just an archway? Something on the decorative side?<br/><br/>Before they could ponder further on this unusual structure, a definitive crunch in the snow, and a presence that did not vanish this time, revealed that they were not alone. Something - someone? - seemed to growl behind them,<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: verdana;"><em>"Don't you wanna greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand..."</em></span><br/><br/>Harsh, rasping, hidden in the shadows. A skeletal hand (claw?) outstretched in foul parody of a greeting. Smoke drifting from some unknown location in the darkness that surrounded the figure.