As soon as the western contingent had arrived, Gideon immediately instructed his combined army to prepare for a thorough search in and around the forest. They didn't leave a single space untouched, and he made sure to keep everyone at a respectable distance to avoid getting ambushed.
"Make sure to look for hidden caves!" Gideon ordered.
They went about their search for hours. Dawn would soon come, and Gideon was getting frustrated.
"Commander, we spotted a hidden cave…" one of their best trackers reported.
In that instant, Gideon and Freya went in the direction they'd been pointed at. They quickly arrived, and already, things were looking hopeful.
"There's a spell protecting the cave," Gideon murmured with a creased forehead. It didn't look like a cave at first glance since it was covered with plants and bushes, but the presence of a spell meant that somebody was present within it.
