The day grew colder as the leader continued to pace around. Now not solely out of anxiety but also to stay warm in the continuously growing colder days.
"Eugh...Someone...Eurgh." The female voice says trying to suppress her groans, the struggling voice calling out. Salex immediately enters and approaches the scout with brown hair.
"Shhh, Kea. You shouldn't strain yourself." He says as he grabs a chair and pulls it next to the bed. Seating himself next to the now awake scout. "I should get Fraed. He can see if anything is wrong." Salex says trying to stand up again, swaying his head continuously. The wounded scout named Kea manages to reach his hand. The grip which he can easily escape holds him back.
"Listen... Just listen." The woman says her face drenched in sweat, as much as her palms. "The other are... Dead... An individual tore us apart, his blade torturous..." The woman looks upward, her eyes dilating as she lets go. Laying flat on the makeshift bed or rather a collection of cloth-like material piled upon a slight elevation human made of mud. "It was like a punisher... Run... We have to... Oth" Kea falls silent as her eyes close.
"Fraed!" Salex yells as he storms out of the tent. "Fraed! Come here! Fraed!" Others join in the screaming trying to find the experienced soldier.
"He went to get some herbs eastward. Saw some that could perhaps help in Kea's recovery." One of the other soldier replies. Not yelling just speaking loudly enough to get heard.
"Grab your stuff! We're moving!" Salex commands, the others still not moving. "We are you waiting for! Move!" He yells again, now they do move. Some picking up stuff and then dropping it on the ground, unsure if they should truly take everything or just necessities.
"What's going on?" A figure approaches Salex, Krystan a man in his early thirties with a short well taken-care of beard. Some consider him the true leader of the camp.
Seeing Krystan approach Salex, the deserters halt whatever they're doing.
Salex holds Krystan by the scruff of his clothes, his face right in front of the man before him.
"What's going on? Judgement is upon us. For your little stunt!" Salex shakes the scruff he holds as Krystan reaches around with his arm, pulling Salex into a nearby tent.
"Everyone out!" He yells to the three deserters that were simply lying on the ground, kicking dirt toward them whilst still having his arm over Salex. With the three deserters gone, Krystan lets Salex go and faces him directly again. From one of the few satchels he carries, he pulls out a flask and gives it to the panicking leader. Salex grabs the flask and chugs as if his life depended on it. The half full flask, bottoming out in just a few seconds.
"Now, let's be calm and collected. What's going on?" Krystan asks, quickly glancing backward before he looks his leader straight into the eyes.
"Asariels's wrath is upon us. Kea told me... She told us to run! That torturers are coming for our flesh." Salex whispers the last part, skittishly looking around.
"The girl sees a lot of things. We shouldn't just break camp for such a reason. We have it good here, lots of wildlife, freedom, and even our necks attached."
"What does it matter! They're after us! The goddess is after us! She's sending her punishers for our crimes. For what we did to that village!" Salex tries to say more but gets interrupted by Krystan's hand that has forcefully planted itself on his mouth. The man in his young thirties is of a wider build, his strong hand pushing Salex's cheeks inward.
"What we did was necessary. What were we going to do? MMH? We had no food, no supplies and a bunch of coward stabbing each other for the pettiest of reasons. We needed to live. They refused us, remember?" Salex nods slowly in response, his eyes looking toward the ground. Krystan lets go his hand still hanging in grabbing range. "Tell them that we're staying. That it was simply a test to see if they were ready to depart at a moment's notice."
Salex walks out of the tent, his gaze still firmly planted on the ground until he reaches out of the tent. His authoritative voice telling everyone to stop moving and to put everything back. Groans of complaints and discomfort are primarily uttered in response. However, the deserters still follow orders.
Krystan also walks out of the tent and moves to the south of the camp. To 5 deserters playing Armies and Might, one of the many methods of the soldier to gamble away their coin to each other.
"Cole, Erid and Yisla. Come with me." He commands three of the 5 to follow. The three disgruntled pick up their coin and follow Krystan. "Woof." Even the hound accompanying Cole seems displeased with the command.
They move to the outskirt, Krsytan sitting himself down on the remaining stump of a tree.
"Have you all heard the command?" Krystan asks.
"It was hard not to." Yisla replies whilst she's inspecting her two daggers. Erid and Cole are also keeping themselves busy, one is patting his dog whilst the other's eyes are tracking a flock of birds.
"Apparently Kea made an unnerving report, one that didn't help Salex's.... Uneasiness. I need you three to figure out what's going."
"What was the report?" The short man with the beard that resembles a rotten bush asks, still petting the dog that followed him.
"Something about judgement being passed upon us. Probably some flock of local militia trying to hunt us down." Krystan responds.
"A flock of crows keeps circling the camp." Erid mutters as he still watches the sky. The black feathered birds simply flying without making any unclearly sounds.
"You want us to go and do what exactly?" Yisla asks as she skips toward Krystan. Hitting the daggers softly against each other as she comes closer.
"Then kill them." Krystan commands as he stands up and walks back to the camp. Leaving behind the three individuals with one clear order.