Treated was thrilled when she heard whisperings from other kin about a frightfully delightful maze taking place in the Winter Market this year. Usually, she was pretty tuckered out from all of the autumn festivities and steered clear of the Winter Market save for a tasty snack now and again, but if there was something spooky involved, she had to check it out! Maybe she'd even gather some inspiration she could pass onto her adventurous children making their own experiences in the woods of the Swamp. The colorful doe trotted to the entrance, barely able to contain her giggles. She thought she recognized the blue and black doe, and gave her a nod in greeting and listened to her introduction. This was going to be a scream!Rustling Leaves (1–2): You find a random feather.
- Roll a 4-5 -You were so close but then a crow came and took one. +1 Tickets for trying OR, if you found a feather in the Outer Ring you may offer it to the crow and it will give you back the corn husk. +2 since you had to trade in order to win.
Dry corn husks crunched under her as she walked through the beginning of the maze. Treated supposed it was shaped like a circle that you went further into, based on the shape of the cornfield from the outside. That was something important to keep in mind. She paused to take in the lovely scent of the maze and smiled. It was good to have a little sprinkle of her favorite season around, especially in this bizarre warm weather that the Market had taken on. Thankfully, her eye caught something on the ground before she could step on it. At her feet, a large and pristine feather lay in the dirt. Gently, she picked up the beautiful owl feather and held it as she continued to walk. This would make for a really pretty decoration! She would have to keep an eye out for any more on the ground, or even try to catch a glimpse of the owl that dropped them!
Turning a corner brought Treated further in. Something on the ground ahead caught her eye and when she realized what it was, she leapt toward it. "Well, aren't you fun!" she called to the carved pumpkin sitting amongst the stalks. There was another further up, and another, and another. Maybe the pumpkins were leading the way to the center? She furrowed her eyebrows. That would kind of defeat the purpose of the maze. So, maybe they were leading to something fun inside! With that idea firmly lodged in her mind, she followed the pumpkins (while stopping to admire each one, of course).
The path opened into a small clearing, a cozy and open circle amongst the tall stalks. In the center was a pile of corn husks. Treated looked around for a clue on what she was meant to be doing here, and saw a distinct row of corn stalks from the rest. The line of them were cut so that the next one was taller than the last. "Got it," she murmured to herself, and set to arranging the husks by size. The crinkling felt nice, and the flash of variegated colors on the cob was fun to pick out under the wrapping. She was almost done when the flutter of wings met her ears. Treated turned in time to see a crow taking off with the smallest husk. She scrambled to try and save it, but the bird flew away before she made it. The crow perched on a more sturdy stalk and stared down at her. Treated looked around for something she hoped to trade with the bird. The only other thing around was...the owl feather. She offered it to the bird gently, trying to give it as much space as she could to hopefully gain its trust. "It might not be food, but it's awfully pretty, right?" she said, trying to sound encouraging. The bird hesitated, but eventually dropped the husk to snatch the feather from her with a caw before flying off. "Thank you!" she called after it, and put the remaining husks in their proper order. Before she continued on, she looked them over and smiled at the satisfying array put together so nicely.
Further into the circle, it felt like the stalks were somehow taller. The shade from the sun was nice, and Treated felt cozy nestled amongst the dried out husks. It seemed like she was getting pretty close to the center, but her view of the area started to wane. Thick fog rolled in as she continued forward, and Treated let out a cackle before she could stop herself. This was great! How spooky! She reached out and whipped some fog around her with a giggle before pressing on. This new obstacle made the challenge of finding the center even more fun. Carefully, she stepped and hugged the wall to keep herself from bursting through the stalks or bumping into anything. Well, mostly anything. Her shin bumped something lower down.
Upon further inspection, Treated discovered a chest nestled in the dirt. "Wow, we must have made it then!" she said, excited, and inspected the chest. Slowly, she opened the top and poured over the treasure inside, a reward for a spooky adventure.
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