"Soldiers ready your shields and bows, our enemy is expecting us from afar." Soldiers sheathed their weapons, taking out bows and arrows while walking further into the forest. The scenery was mesmerizing and nearly hypnotic, beautiful with lush grass and bushes all around them along with a few large rocks. The deeper they went the more lively the forest became. A few shrubs bore bright colored fruits, the smell of aged wood and grass surrounded them, filling their nostrils, further enticing the soldiers with its scent.
"Soldiers, keep focused. Our enemy could appear any second now, look up at the trees and their branches. Again, prepare your shields as arrows may fall any second now on us." The soldiers tightened their grips on their shields, raising them slightly higher in anticipation.
Nearly half an hour passed, they were creeping onwards on the path, Cadin repeatedly turned back to his men and to the branches above him, holding his own shield and bow.
The whistles of winds brushing onto bushes and past trees grew louder as they went farther into the forest, the entrance from where they came from now unseen by their eyes.
With each passing minute, the anticipation grew in Cadin, feeling his senses rise higher until it could even feel the wind hitting his armor and each tiny sound becoming audible to his ear, clenching his bow tighter with an arrow resting just above it. Shifting from turning his whole head to simply staring straight to the trees and the path in front of them.
Slowly, after what felt like an hour of endless, Joken spoke in a quieter tone from behind. "My lord, we arrived at the mines area." Joken pointed past the overgrown shrubs and to a dark entrance that lay on the other side.
'If push comes to shove, we need to protect the horses as well, maybe create a formation outside of the caves with the horses standing behind soldiers. The cavalrymen will join with the defense, I can handle any attack that may linger inside.' Cadin formed up a plan, staring blankly at the entrance before snapping out of it and turning back to look at his soldiers.
"Men prepare to move through the bushes, we shall post up near the cave entrance. Horses shall be posted just at the mouth of it with soldiers forming a shield formation in front of them, crescent formation with shields facing up and at the front, anyone left in the back shall ready their bows in case of an attack." After speaking, they ventured through the foliage, loud rustling could be heard, echoing into the forest with more and more soldiers stepping foot to pass them.
On the other side, an empty area awaited them, calvarymen began dismounting their horses, moving them along by the lead to the entrance as soldiers ran to take formation in front of the cave entrance. Cadin and Joken walked by as the wall grew and horses were already placed behind the growing wall.
'The training worked well, they can heed orders and formations pretty well. A little too well, I suppose my guidance helped.' The wall slowly opened to let the two enter inside, before closing shut right after. Men stood behind their shields, raising them to the front and upward with the remaining soldiers crouching behind, holding onto their bows, staring at the trees in front.
"Joken, prepare your sword, we shall begin entering inside. Call a few to join us." Joken grabbed a torch from one of the standing cavalrymen, with a few smashes of some nearby rocks, a flicker of light grew on the wrapped wooden torch before burning brightly.
"Thank you for the torch." Cadin took the torch, with a sword in the other hand he led from the front, escorted from behind.
'I should deal with the threats, the others can protect Joken though if they get past me.'
They ventured into the forest, a single torch light illuminated the surroundings. Stone with a few small streams of water trickling down to the ground and moss growing on a few rocks surrounded them inside the wide space. Each step they took echoed out into the dark cave, seemingly extending farther than expected.
"My lord, we passed a few small deposits of iron, Shall we continue deeper?"
"Yes, Joken. We must navigate this entire area before identifying it as safe. Stay close to the cavalrymen. I'll deal with any threats that may come." After talking, Cadin moved forward in front of the group giving a longer space between him and Joken with the soldiers.
'How long does this place extend?' The group slowly walked downward a slight slope in the cave, moving downwards slower than before. Glints of iron could be seen on the rocks in the walls, becoming more common as they walked down deeper.
A sense of dread and fear hit Cadin, keeping composure as the darkness consumed them from all sides, barely seeing the men behind him as the light's limit became smaller and the cave seemingly growing larger.
The cave's ground slowly returned to a normal angle, the walk continued on with little stop, as they ventured further. Cadin slammed his face into a rock wall, falling down with the torch clattering and rolling on the floor.
Grabbing it, he stood up, hovering the torch's light to the wall in front of him. A flat rock wall stood in front of him, with the sides seemingly farther from one another.
"This cave became larger as we ventured into it. I suppose this is the end of the cave." We have found no threats, not to our knowledge with this expedition. Let us head back and discuss further plans."
While preparing, a loud cry of help echoed out to the forest, hitting their ears, from the soldiers outside.
"They attacked, let's go!" The soldiers sped through the cave, the sound of their loud footsteps and frantic running bouncing around inside the cave.
Racing further to the outside they prepared their shields and bows, hastily readying themselves for the threat assaulting their unit outside.