[This chapter is from Bjorn's (Brynjar's father) perspective]
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes sir, I have arranged six capable men to fight the bandits, but don't you think it's too few?"
"Bandits are nothing equal to these man, they are thiefs they don't have real battle experiance, and considering that there's still beasts around we cannot risk taking warriors away from the village."
Something isn't right, beasts are all over the forest they are risking their lives walking around here. Maybe it"s another Gorm's scheme to weaken me he was aiming at my land for years.
"Everyone follow me were going into the forest keep your guards up."
First we must go to the place where the hunters were attacked from there we should find their trail.
While walking trought the woods it was silent as if not a single life was in the whole forest, while nearing the spot, the feeling of danger, and all my senses started acting up as if I was about to die.
"Everyone hide, somethings coming."
Everyone scattered and hid, and out of nowhere a huge beast appeared something like out of a legend, white skin, fur, eyes that make you go into despair, sharp claws and teeth, four strong legs, but most of all two huge horns. That is the forest gaurdian, something my mother and father used to tell me before sleep.
This beast probably noticed us already a fight would be unavoidable, I gripped my axe and was ready to jump out, when shouts started coming from opposite direction, deep in the forest.
The beast noticed and walked away, anyways our objective is to rescue our people. We continued to walk into the direction of the shouts just to arrive at a scene filled with corpses and beasts, none of them were the hunters.
"Everyone, let's wipe them out quickly."
A battle broke out between man and beast, my men quickly attacked suffering minor injuries, I cut sevral down with my axe, the rest of the beasts scattered, if we don't act quickly we will be in trouble.
Some of these men are young, a pity, but even so, ten of them were so easily slayed.
"Sir, we have found the hunters they seem to be in a bad condition!"
"Lets take them back to the village."
Someone gripped my leg.
"P-please d-don't let u-us die."
If I leave them they'll die, taking them in might hurt my people, I can't just let these kind of people wander around in my village.
I looked at him, and walked away, my responsibily is my people and their well well-being.
The hunter's seem to be terribly wounded, they probably didn't go down without a fight, hah, of course they wouldn't!
"You'll be alright stay strong."
I tried to encourage him to hang on.
"Were nearby the village, just a little longer!"
Seems we made it and didn't run into any beasts nor the guardian, but such an exsistance, witnessing it with my eyes, it must mean luck or gods are on my side.
Finally were here I'll be able to see my dear Brynjar.
"Take the wounded to the healer."
Seems today my job is done.