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The next morning, Prolur was awakened to a breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, toasted buns, sweet butter, and freshly squeezed juice brought to him by the servant. After the hearty meal, he made it downstairs only to find that the soldiers were already outside with their horses and packing. Several Cambas men were loading food and supplies onto wagons, and among them stood Sir Tarrel and Captain Roe.
Prolur walked toward them to wish them a good morning. Captain Roe looked tired, and the consumption of wine from the night before was clearly visible on his face. Sir Tarrel seemed unaffected and greeted Prolur with a smile as if nothing had transpired only a few hours ago.
“Morning, Father.” Captain Roe tried to smile as best he could. “As you can see, His Lordship has been kind enough to provide us with new supplies and wagons to move them with.”
“You are much too kind, my lord,” Prolur said and bowed in his direction.
“Think nothing of it. The journey to and through the mountains will be a long and arduous one, and your men need all the help and comfort they can get.”
“We do not have far to go now,” Captain Roe said as he looked to the north. In the distance, the tips of the Eccliat Mountains were visible as ripples on an otherwise calm ocean. “That is when the true test begins.”
“Believe me, Captain, the test will begin sooner than you think,” Sir Tarrel remarked in a solemn voice.
“What are you saying, sire?” Prolur asked.
“The road you must take into the Eccliati region passes through the Coronian Woods.”
Captain Roe looked puzzled and tried to bring the map back in view of his mind's eye. “True,” he said after a moment. “What consequences will it have on our journey?”
“The Coronian Woods and the regions around them are privy to local legends.”
“What kind?” Prolur’s interest was now sparked.
“Legends of a people. An old barbarian clan we Sauranians call Dar after the old Sauranian word for highwayman.”
“So, what you are saying, sire, is that there are barbarians along the way?” Captain Roe said in a nonchalant tone. “No disrespect, sire, but I do believe my men, young though they are, can defend themselves against simple brigands.”
“That is the problem, Captain. These men are not mere brigands. Those who have encountered them claim that the Dar are not even human. They leave no dead, and the few who have survived their attacks have never been able to describe them enough.”
“Do they always attack?” Prolur enquired.
“Not everyone is attacked by the Dar. They mostly seem to target transports and, for the most part, smaller parties, so I do not believe that you are in any trouble.”
“That is a relief,” Prolur said. “Our journey is going to be difficult enough without the intervention of bandits.”
“I would like to request a favor from you though,” Sir Tarrel continued.
“Naturally, Your Lordship,” Captain Roe answered.
“When you begin to close in on the woods, please arm yourselves—for safety and for my sake. These creatures come from out of nowhere and attack when people least expect it.
“Do not worry, sire, we will be well prepared.” Captain Roe saluted Sir Tarrel and then excused himself to go oversee the loading of the wagons.
Sir Tarrel and Prolur stood silent for a minute and looked at each other.
“How are you, sire?” Prolur managed to say. “Will you be alright?”
Sir Tarrel seemed puzzled for a moment and then smiled with his entire face like he had done when he came to greet them the day before.
“It was good to have you here, Father,” he said, apparently avoiding the question. “Make sure you return, and I will host an even bigger feast in your honor.”
Sir Tarrel put his hand on Prolur’s shoulder, and Prolur did likewise in return. Captain Roe broke the moment by calling to his men to mount their horses and get ready to move out.
“May Haugar guide you on your way, Father.” Sir Tarrel let go of his shoulder and began to walk back to the building. He looked sad, but not in the way he had the night before. This time, Prolur was scared of what he saw in the man’s eyes.
“And may Destiana guide your way, sire,” he called out to the lord as he walked away.
He sat upon his mount and made sure that his pack was secure for one of the soldiers had packed for him. He felt for his sword—it hung hidden on the horse's left side. Captain Roe, who was at the front of the line of horses, raised his arm and motioned for the men to follow him.
As the soldiers rode out of the square and towards the Eccliat Mountains, big and menacing to the north, Sir Tarrel sighed and dried a tear that had fallen from his right eye. He waited until the last of the soldiers had disappeared, and his heart filled with a sharp dread. He knocked on the frame of the door in what seemed like despair and returned to his room.
Once again, Prolur rode through the winding streets of Cambas, and this time, they headed for the northern gates of the city. He touched the bricks of the walls as he passed through the gates—walls that had kept the Haugarian Army at bay for so long until a jealous boy had decided to take it upon himself to end the siege. How long would they have remained on the outside among the dirt and decaying bodies of their friends? How long before the king would have given up? Would he have given up? How many lives had been spared the day Tarrel decided to take it upon himself to end it? Hundreds maybe even thousands. Prolur cast an eye behind him as he rode away from the great city lying there like a behemoth filled with life and excitement. Cambas might well be the one city in Saurania that would stand forever.
The rain held up for most of the day, apart from an hour in the middle of the day when Captain Roe found it best that they all took a rest. They found a spot beside the road where they could shelter under trees while others sat under their horses or among the supplies in the wagons. As soon as the downpour had turned into a drizzle, Roe ordered food to be made, and they feasted on chicken and fresh bread with cheese.
As they began their preparations to continue the journey, Captain Roe called four men to him who he appointed as scouts—two to ride ahead and two to bring up the rear. He ordered them all to arm themselves and put on their chain mail and skullcaps. Then he lined them up for inspection to make sure they wore their swords at the ready and their spears were secured and shields unscathed. He passed in front of them in silence, looked at them from head to toe, then locked eyes with them and gave them a nod and a smile. This was an ancient Haugarian ritual that, according to history books, had begun with King Teito de Haugar when he created his first army. Prolur himself had done the same thing a thousand times before every battle. They mounted their horses and patiently waited for the two scouts to return.
Prolur stared off into the horizon as Captain Roe rode up to him. “How far from the woods are we?” he asked.
“A couple of miles, I guess,” Roe replied. They both strained their eyes to see movement in the distance. “I would like to give you a weapon, Father,” Roe continued after a while. “For you to be safe.”
Prolur turned to him and gave him a wink. “To be quite honest, I do believe that I am covered.” He patted the fabric on the side of the horse that hid the sword. Captain Roe leaned over and touched the fabric. He felt around a bit until he realized what lay beneath the tattered rags. He looked at Prolur in astonishment; he smiled and slowly pulled the top of the fabric back to reveal the hilt of a sword. Roe immediately recognized the handcraft of the Haugarian masters, the gift of the heroes. “Maybe you will have one of your own one day, Captain.”
“I hope so,” Roe answered.
At that moment, the scouts returned and held the horses in front of Roe and Prolur.
“Taclan, Molem, anything to report?” Roe asked.
“Clear passage to the woods, sir,” Taclan replied.
“The road is completely open, and there are open fields on either side of it so it would be impossible to hide anywhere,” Molem added.
Roe looked around and raised his arm, then let it fall. The troops began to move forward, and Roe turned back to the two scouts. “Wait here for Samy and Rok and then have them catch up to us. You can then take their place as our backup.”
The soldiers saluted and sounded off with a, “Yes, sir!”
“We will meet up again once we have cleared the woods,” Roe said and spurred his horse on as Prolur did the same.
The wind increased as they came closer to the woods. The two scouts, Samy and Rok, caught up with them, and Roe sent them ahead to keep an eye on the road.
Like before, Roe rode around among his troops, keeping an eye on weaponry, horses, and armor. Morale was on the rise, although the weather seemed to be getting worse. Even though the clouds were dark, the sun peeked through from time to time, which made the soldiers happy enough that a couple of them burst out into song. More of them followed the lead, and soon even Roe had joined and Prolur hummed the tune as well.
The singing diminished when the first riders could see the Coronian Woods, looming like a dark fortress in the distance. Prolur thought that the woods almost looked like a huge monster waiting for them. Maybe it was Sir Tarrel’s words that had affected him, or maybe he had felt the same way without knowing what he now knew.
The two scouts were waiting by the first trees at the edge of the woods. Captain Roe rode up to the front of the party and exchanged a few words with the two soldiers. The troops pulled in their horses a couple of feet from Roe who, after a moment, turned towards his troops and spoke.
“Men, we do not know what may face us among these trees. It may be nothing more than wild animals, or it may be brigands who might give us reason to remember our training. I want you all to carry your spears at the ready so that if we are ambushed the advantages of our enemies are at the least diminished.”
There was a rustling as the soldiers pulled their spears from the scabbards and held them either comfortably in their hands or resting on their saddles. Prolur uncovered the hilt of his sword just in case.
“Father?” Roe said and leaned towards Prolur. “Ride behind me for safety. I know that you are a skilled soldier, but we are more prepared.”
Prolur nodded and looked at the nervous men on their horses behind him as Roe continued: “At this moment, I would like to ask of you, Father, to say a prayer for us as we enter.”
Prolur turned his horse around and faced the soldiers who bowed their heads.
“Haugar, highest lord over land and sea,” he began. “All other gods bow to you as do we. Protect us from whatever lies ahead and guide our weapons to strike true.” He lowered his voice to a quiet whisper and raised his hands over his head in the silent blessing. The soldiers kissed their swords and spears, and some placed their lips on medallions hanging around necks or objects bestowed on them by loved ones. Prolur turned back to Roe when he was done, and the captain once again addressed his men.
“Friends, our scouts tell me that there is a trail through the woods. The trail is quite narrow but might widen further in. We will therefore ride in pairs. Remember to be very cautious.”