Two hours passed. Sigra and some of the warriors who fled west to escape the mountain trolls found themselves in the middle of the forest.
Sigra inspected her surroundings checking for any signs of the trolls following them. After a quick inspection she is relieved that the trolls did not seem to have followed them.
As the exhausted warriors took deep breaths and recollected their strength, a warrior asked if they saw the others, the other warriors simply shook their heads.
Sigra looked at the group and found that both Endal and Buaros was nowhere to be found. "Has anyone seen Endal?" She asked. "No...We ran as fast as we can and couldn't look back." A warrior responded.
"Endal said to travel south and follow the river flow did he not?" Sigra asked, the warrior beside her nodded. As she looked around she could not tell which direction was south. "Does anyone know if there is a river near us?" Sigra asked but all of the other warriors simply shook their heads.
The dense gray forest made it difficult to get a proper sense of direction, the dense withering leaves and thick branches covered the group of warriors so much to the point it was impossible to see the northern mountains.
All of the warriors tried to determine which way was south but to no avail, if they split up, they ran the risk of being lost or worse, being hunted by other beasts. "We should wait nightfall, We can use the alignment of the stars to determine which way is south." Sigra suggested. The warriors looked at her with a calm amazement.
"Using the alignment of the stars?" A warrior asked. "Yes... Do you not know how to use the stars as navigation?" Sigra asked with a puzzled expression. "No... We have never heard of one using the stars as direction... Perhaps Endal may but we are unsure." A warrior replied. "We never journeyed far beyond our village, the only one who has is Endal. So it was never necessary for us to learn such thing." Another warrior told her.
It was not too surprising for Sigra, she understood their reasons. After all, what point is there to journey beyond the relative safety of their walls, in a land filled with dangers and horrors. She too, was once like them, until certain circumstances forced her to learn.
"I will teach you when the time demands it necessary, for now we must atleast secure the area and make camp, then tomorrow we head south." Sigra said, all of the warriors agreed with her and scouted the nearby areas for any signs of danger.
They had also tried to look for any other survivors that might have been lost, unfortunately they found none.
Some of the warriors fled by themselves, Sigra can only hope that they are safe, however the claw forest is inhabited by a number of vicious hungry predators. To travel alone in these parts is to risk being eaten by those large beasts of prey. Some even says that ghosts haunts these forest, but whether or not these rumors were true is undetermined.
The warriors of Lynsk never thought that they would venture out of the safety of their village, most expected to grow old within and die.
The village provided almost all of what they needed. Food, shelter and many necessities, most were content.
Those that do venture outside the safety of their village walls, do so when one cannot find what they seek within the village or simply for the thrill of adventure.
Most that did venture far from the village never came back and those who did came back, returned with scars, both in body and mind.
Aesgar is no place for the weak and the naive. It is a constant survival of the fittest, the strong preying on the weak, hunter and the hunted.
And although the people of Lynsk had their fair share of horrendous encounters, they were nevertheless closed off from the rest of the world. Unaware of the true dangers of the outside world.
Their home has provided them plenty, yet has made them ignorant. For the first time ever since the founding of Lynsk, they are forced to adapt in this dangerous land.
The warriors were indeed still formidable against average threats, however their lack of experience outside their usual adversaries makes them vulnerable.
Some of the men have started to gather wood to make a campfire, while others forages and hunt for food before the sun sets. Sigra and the others scouted the area for any nearby threats.
Sigra's mind were filled with worries, she is unsure whether or not Endal was safe. Endal was indeed a great warrior on his own, he has fought many foes and creatures that would otherwise lay a lesser warrior low, nevertheless Sigra's concern preoccupied her mind.
The sun nearly rest on the horizon, turning the sky burning bronze, the group had finally made a camp fire, and those that went hunting brought a number of hares and mushrooms that are healthy to eat from the base sides of the trees.
As the day turns night, the group gathered around the campfire ate their fill, Sigra stared at the alignment of the stars so she could determine the which direction they should go.
The group sat close around the campfire, despite surviving the terrifying encounter with the mountain giants, most were still afraid. The cracking branches from the distance and the howls of animals had only made them even more cautious of their surroundings, some prefer that the fire should be put out only to realize without it they would freeze to death.
No songs nor banter were exchanged between the group, only the cold breeze whistling through their ears and the crackling firewood rang to them.
One of the men who gripped his fur cloak tightly started whispering prayers to his gods, the others could not hear his prays clearly. "Oh Fraeyr, please keep me safe and guide me back home." One warrior silently mumbled.
Sigra quietly observing them with a concerned expression. She noticed that some of them were young boys, looking younger than twenty years of age. She wondered if some of those who fled alone were also young boys, all she could do is simply hope that they were safe.
"...The heavens are rather merciful tonight...If it were cloudy, it would made determining the stars harder." Sigra said. An attempt to to break the discouraging silence, however most simply glanced and quickly returned to their brooding.
"I know that most of you are afraid... I know that feeling well." Sigra said to them, attempting to lift their spirits. "There will be more horrors to face in the future...I am sure of it." The sentence that came from her mouth made the youngest warriors tremble and further wrapped themselves in their cloak. "...One day you will have the choice to face it or run from it." Sigra said.
She understood it was not the words they were hoping for, but understands it is the truth. In this journey alone they had already faced a great terror, more so, undoubtedly in the future. They have to have a strong will if they ever want to have a chance to see their future through.
"It is no words of encouragement, I understand. But know this, should you find the strength to stand, even should you tremble, even should you piss yourself facing against the horrors of this world, know that you either survive by swinging your blade or found yourselves standing in the halls of the gods knowing that even when you dreaded your final moments... You died fighting... You will find yourselves proud in that hall and be glad to know that you did not die as cowards." Sigra said to them.
The warriors looked at her with varying expressions and feelings towards her speech. But Sigra knows that what she has said will stick with them, and should they face such horror again they will ask themselves in the chance that if one day, if they somehow think it will be their final moments in life, they have a choice, stand and fight... or die and face shame in the afterlife.
As the night continued, one by one the warriors fell asleep. The warmth of the campfire and cool nightly breeze only supported their tiredness. Even sigra was affected but nevertheless kept watch, a warrior approached and sat beside her. "The young ones are fast asleep, no doubt from exhaustion." The old warrior said, caressing the end tip of his beard. "I'm surprised that you have not." Sigra remarked but has no arrogance in her tone. "Haha...Well i am kind of used to staying up late despite these old bones of mine." The old warrior replied with a soft smirk.
"...Was i a bit harsh to what i said earlier? About facing further horrors in the future?" Sigra asked as she hugged her knees. "Harsh? Yes... But it is truth... a truth that they will indeed face in the future." The old warrior replied. "I have only traveled in these lands once, and it is still harsh as before...Or maybe i am wrong, it may have turned for the worse." The old warrior pointed.
"You've been in these lands before?" Sigra asked with a rather widened eyes. "Yes, years ago in my youth. I was young and headstrong...And a bit arrogant, too stone headed to listen to the elders about the warnings of this forest." The old warrior claimed, but had a amused smirk about his lips.
"I wanted to prove myself to the people. At first it was going well... I lasted seventeen days in this forest alone, fighting all manner of small beasts...That is until a gray bear decided that i seem like a good snack." The old warrior said.
"It was bigger than me, even when it was just on all fours. It rushed at me and tried to maim me with its dagger like claws. I managed to evade and thrust my spear on the side of its belly, I thought i had it, until it swiped me with its large arms and i found myself laying on the ground, I think it broke three of my ribs. It became hard to breath, as i tried to recollect my breath, it stood on two and its arms raised high, I think it intended to squash me. I rolled over, barely dodging its attack. I grabbed a pile of snow to my hands and threw at its eyes. It bought me time to escape after that." The old warrior told his story to her.
Sigra found his story interesting and listened closely. "So...how did you manage to kill it?" Sigra asked. "I did not..." The old warrior said in silent anger and shame. "I became afraid to come back to the forest, but the desire to return and to finish what i started remained in me." He said. "What prevented you from doing so?" Asked Sigra. "Well...eventually i had a family... I married the woman that had healed me from my wounds... I daresay that i am somewhat thankful to that monster. Perhaps without that furred bastard i would not have met the love of my life." The old warrior said with his eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his face.
Sigra was enjoying his story and had a gentle smile. "But years later, a scout patrolling the borders of the forest reported that a gray bear, one that matched the description that i fought before was roaming near the village. Already some of the villagers had been killed by the monster. Eventually we gathered a party to hunt down the creature, but when the time came when were about to set out to kill it." The old man paused his sentence and gave a wry smile.
"The guards guarding the entrance walls blew their horns. They opened the gate and the one that entered was Endal... Soaked in blood, head to toe, and a bloodied bag on his hand. The people gathered near the gate to where the commotion was, we were worried as to what had happened." The old man said. Sigra was listening so intently that she did not realize how wide her eyes were.
"And when he threw the bloodied bag to the ground, the head that was inside, rolled out, revealing the head of a gray bear... Apparently he claimed that, upon his return from his travels, the gray bear suddenly attacked him, forcing him to kill it." The silent awe of the crowd slowly turned into cheers and as the old man recalled, he saw Endal with a puzzled look on his face as the villagers celebrated and started to cheer for him.
The old man laughed at his understandable confusion, but as the crowd walked over the gray bear's head and began to carry Endal above them, despite Endal's confusion, The old man walked and looked at the gray bear's head.
"I stared long at the lifeless head of that furred bastard that gave me this scar" The old man said to her as he revealed his scar just above his chest.
"And although i still had some shame that i was not the one who ended the beast, I was nevertheless relieved, If we had set out and tried to slay that beast ourselves, I have no doubt in my mind we would suffer casualties... And perhaps lose my life." The old man said and ponders silently.
"to slay that beast but die in the process, would still embolden my warrior spirit, but i feared to leave my family to fend for themselves. I fear to leave my wife and son more than i fear for my own life." The old warrior said.
"But you have left them again to journey with us?" Sigra questioned with a raised brow. The old man's expression turned serious. "...A few weeks after Endal had killed the gray bear, my wife passed away peacefully and soon after, my son finally met the love of his life and eventually started a family of his own." The old man said, a satisfied grin on his face.
"I am no longer needed... and when the elders requested to assist Endal on his journey, I was one of the first that was chosen... And i accepted. My son protested of course, but i said to him that he now has a family, a wife and two children to care for. While i no longer have anything to provide them." The old man said.
"I said to him. I am old... And these weary bones of mine are of no use to the village, but it yearns for one last adventure. My son found that as outrageous... But eventually he and I agreed peacefully in the end." The old man said.
"Should this journey be my last, I have no regrets and i have led a satisfying life." He put a proud expression on his face.
Sigra was smiling upon seeing the old man's proud expression. "Well...I hope that i did not bore you with my story." The old man grunted as he stood up. "No...not at all, In fact you had raised my spirit instead...Thank you." Sigra expressed her gratitude.
"Well i am glad then. You should get some shut eye, and i will keep watch." The old man offered. "I suppose i do need the some rest" Sigra said as she gave a long yawn.
As the old warrior walked away, Sigra laid sideways with her arm acting as a pillow, her eyes began to slowly shut, eventually falling asleep, as the crackling wood continued to snap as the night peacefully passes.
Tomorrow begins the arduous journey to the south.