No matter how the tale was told it was sure to bring up painful memories but if he had just some more time he might have handled it better. Time was indeed against him and that was a small part of the tale that Riven selectively left out. If his research was right then this ritual of death would conclude not on the vernal equinox as the old crone had told him but in 13 days time at the stroke of midnight. The information he gathered was quite vague but it all pointed to the fact that once the ritual deaths of the men began there was only a short window for the ritual user to make use of the collected life force. As the narrow winding pass began to widen Riven could see the beginnings of the barrens laid out before him, and a cold despairing sight it was. After another hour the pass gave way to the barrens and the despairing sight from above was only more dismal from within. The fresh fallen snow was a blessing to hide the feeling of death that permeated this place. By noon Riven had found his way to the lake and turned his mount North climbing the gradual slope towards the sheer granite cliffs that loomed over the valley.
