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The path led down a gentle slope through mixed deciduous woodland. The two men had been joined by two others, equally muscular and young; all four were now dressed in loose coven robes. Jan lay on the stretcher. Gerry, Morwenna and the women, the latter also in coven robes, followed.
Ahead was a small picturesque lake surrounded by tall trees. The lake rippled as a light breath of wind danced across it. Treetops swayed and branches creaked like primal voices.
The foursome placed the stretcher on a prepared wooden rest. Jan appeared still to be unconscious. Gerry watched her with deep concern as Morwenna and the young women cast off their clothes. n***d, they began to project a very simple sound, a rising and falling cadence.
Ripples on the lake grew still and the water's surface bec
