Days had gone by since the ogres' attack, and no more whispers were heard from the Dark Forest. It was as if the forest itself had shut down since that day, because not a single creature even stirred.
The King of Wesdon had granted approval to spare some knights and even two mages for the guarding of the Dark Forest so Xerxes sent a fire message to Adrian to share the good news with their King.
The troop he led arrived at the camp of the Easlan nights in just two day. They settled in as soon as they arrived, and received their orders from the Master General. Xerxes took this opportunity to obtain more information about the attack.
"Master General, tell me about the day of the ogres' attacks. Somehow, they made it out of the forest, but from what I'm noticing of this camp, they did not come through this area. How could they get out if not through here? Did the wards fail?"
The Master General motioned for Xerxes to follow him and they stepped into the planning tent where a map of the Dark Forest had been laid out on a table.
"Your Grace, the wards have not come down since they were first erected by our mages, but during a security check of the perimeter, a team of soldiers found something odd in a cave on one of the mountains just outside the ward, here," and he pointed to a mountain peak on the map before them.
"Upon investigating, they found that someone had created a portal inside the mountain cave which connected to another portal deep in the Dark Forest, outside the ogres' village. The way that the portal was designed prevents detection from the ward and we suspect this is what the ogres used to avoid our soldiers. We took it down immediately after making this discovery, but we have been unable to find how it originated. Outside of our forces, we haven't seen a single person in the area, not even merchants."
"This poses a great threat to security, Master General. Taking it down stops them from using that particular portal again, but how can we be certain that another one won't be opened? Ogres do not possess this kind of magic so that must also mean that there is another enemy out in the forest that we have not discovered."
"What makes you think there's another enemy inside the forest? The portal was discovered outside." The master general did not want to question the Marquis' theory, but the Marquis had been promoted so quickly without having fought in any battles, that he had not yet proven his right to be Battle Master to the lower ranks, and this seemed like a gross assumption on the Marquis' part.
"An enemy on the outside would not have chosen the ogres for this attack. The Dark Forest is a vast area with ferocious creatures. No one outside of our forces knows the location of the ogres' village so anyone outside would have to create the second portal through trial and error, hoping that maybe they get lucky and open it close enough to the ogres village to accomplish their mission, but then they would run the risk of opening it in an area of other creatures, or a natural trap of the forest, or appearing before one of our soldiers and getting trapped. There are easier ways to plan an attack for someone on the outside."
The Master General realized he had not put that kind of thought into the qualifications that would be needed of the enemy to pull this plan off.
Xerxes could see that the Master General now realized the truth behind his words, and continued, "Our wards were created with the sole purpose of preventing physical passage out of the Dark Forest, since none of the known creatures that dwelled within had any magic. I have brought along two mages of Wesdon with me. Let them review the construction of our ward and have them raise two more, one in front of the current ward specifically for sensing magic within the Dark Forest, and another behind ours to deflect magic attempting to enter the Dark Forest.
"The one on the inside should be able to pinpoint the location of the magic's origins so if the creator is still inside, we'll know where to look. The outside one will prevent the creator from being able to return without going through this entry point. Even if this means we won't be able to find out the face of our enemy, we can at the very least prevent a repeat attack from the ogres."
"Understood, Your Grace. I shall direct them right away."
"I am leaving behind soul paper linked to my magic. Should you find anything that needs to be reported to me right away, or should you find the mastermind behind the attack, write your report on the paper and burn it. I'll receive your report through fire message and make my way back here immediately."
"You won't be staying with us through the investigation?"
"No. I trust that your soldiers are well equipped to handle this mission so you do not need me here, standing over your shoulders. I'll return to Wesdon. Their King has invited me to stay at the castle while his troops assist in guarding the Dark Forest, and I have other matters to which I must attend while I have the opportunity."
"As you command, Your Grace." The Master General bowed to Xerxes and Xerxes retreated from the tent.
Stepping outside, he gave one last look around camp when he sensed a familiar presence. Looking around the camp, he searched for the eyes he felt on him, but could not see anyone and the presence he felt did not belong to just anyone.
He proceeded to his tent and gathered his belongings as he thought, "The Princess seems to have made a strong impression on me if I'm sensing her presence when she's kilometers away from me. She doesn't seem to be the type that would feel comfortable leaving behind her castle for an environment like this." He laughed as he convinced himself that he was just eager to see her again.