The group did not stay for long and left to continue their work. When everyone was helping build the enclosure it went extremely smoothly and by the time the afternoon exploration hunt came by the enclosure was finally finished.
This time their prey was going to be the bears. They would take care of them first and when they were done dealing with the bears, the basin would finally belong to them, and they could expand as they see fit.
The group was divided into the same two teams again and they set off to fight. Caspian, Eldric and the 30 civilians were the only ones left at the House. The knights would go and hunt while the civilians would take over their chores for the time being and look after the fields and farms. They would tend to the livestock and complete the daily chores while the knights were gone.
It took a full 7 hours. The sun had already said its goodbyes and the moon was smiling high above. Only then could a group of figures be seen walking out of the shadows from the forest and approach the House. Eldric and the civilians were still up, and they waited for the knight's return. The group was stronger than they left, some of them could be seen to have stronger auras than before. The amount of bears they brought back was not high, but the bear group's numbers were not high to begin with. Eldric had made the decision to kill every bear above mid stage- for safety reasons.
Galen and Solen soon found Eldric after they instructed the knights to leave the bears in the enclosure. "We were able to kill the bear after a long time, its armor was quite extraordinary. Our weapons could only make some superficial wounds and it took extremely long before we could even injure it and give it a fatal wound. The others had a better time at dealing with the bears. The bears were quickly dealt with due to our advantage of numbers and strength. They captured about 10 early-stage and 6 mid-stage Stoneback Black Bears." Galen swiftly reported.
"Excellent. I also felt a few stronger auras. How many advanced?" Eldric asked. Eldric already knew the amount that had advanced and to what levels. The only reason he knew was because the system tells him, and their group is still small enough for him to notice and take notes. The reason he asked Galen was because he wanted them to get into the habit of reporting to him their knights' advancements and so on, for when their group had hundreds of knights it would be easy for them to tell him. He probably would not be able to take note about how many advanced, so this was just a suggestion meant to be used in the future.
"We have a total of 4 that advanced. Since we did not kill too many bears or deer's the last few days it's to be expected that only a few would level up. We had 3 of the early-stage knights advance to mid and 1 mid advanced to late stage. So, our current strength is roughly about:"
2 Squires
4 Peak Man-at-arms
8 Late Man-at-arms
17 Middle Man-at-arms
4 Early Man-at-arms
"Then this calls for a celebration! Our brothers grow stronger and from this day on we finally have our own territory. We should commemorate this day!" Eldric said in a happy tone.
In the heart of the small forest, nestled beneath the canopy of towering evergreens and magnificent oaks, a campfire flickered in the embrace of a wintry night. The moon, full and radiant, cast a silvery glow upon the snow-covered ground, illuminating the surrounding trees with an ethereal light.
As the cold wind rustled through the branches, causing the snow to gently fall, House of Snow huddled around the crackling fire. They sat upon logs and makeshift seats, their faces aglow with the warm hues of the dancing flames.
The air was crisp and carried the scent of pine, mingling with the smoky aroma of the fire. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the occasional hoot of an owl in the distance.
The campfire's glow illuminated their faces, casting enchanting shadows upon the surrounding trees. Sparkling snowflakes fell softly, landing on their hair and clothing, adding a touch of magic to the scene. With the night came a beautiful song, the group began to sing a melody that echoed through the night:
Oh, hear our voices, brave and true,
As we sing of battles fought and valor grew,
Through the winter's cold, our spirits rise,
In this knightly world, beneath the starlit skies.
So let the flames dance, in this winter's eve,
As we honor the code, that knights believe,
In this campfire's glow, we find solace and might,
In this medieval world, a beacon of light.
In a cast-iron pot hanging over the fire, a warm stew simmered, filling the air with the tantalizing aroma of hearty vegetables and savory spices. The House of Snow eagerly anticipated their meal, their stomachs growling in anticipation.
And as the night wore on, the small forest became a sanctuary of warmth and laughter, the campfire serving as a beacon of light and comfort in the wintry darkness.