Summary

The march continued to the Ancients' Grove. The Northerners and bandits stopped by a creek to get water. Brendan asked Prue why she was not armed, and she replied that she hoped to serve as nonviolent support. Curtis and Prue then learned that the Ancients' Grove was the ruins of an advanced lost civilization that had once occupied the wood. The inhabitants were probably killed off by barbarian invaders who were the ancestors of the present day bandits. Septimus arrived with a report that a huge swath of blackberry brambles covered the path in front of the advancing army. Unable to cut their way through, Brendan thought it was hopeless. Prue however retrieved Iphigenia and asked her to work her magic. The Mystic sat down, spoke to the blackberries, and asked them to move out of the way. The brambles parted and...