Two eyes were looking down to the ground with sharp eyes from the top of the tree. The thick leaves hid his silhouette in the darkness, leaving nothing but pitch black. His silent breath gently exhaled mist in the morning cold as he waited for his enemies to arrive in his domain.
Then he saw the faint outlines in the outer forest trees, knowing they would come here soon but before that, they would suffer through his traps.
" I hope this can slow them down. Otherwise, it is useless to wait here."
Erik didn't hide his worry about the scout whom he had seen before killing one of them. He was sure that scout would bring more trouble to him but there was nothing he could do in that situation because he was being protected by his people and he didn't look weak.
Vør bit his lips when he saw the forest entrance because he could tell this place was a paradise for hunters who hid themselves in the darkness. Moreover, the trees could easily mask the traps which were hidden under the snow and the thick smell of the trees also disguised the poisons.
" Be mindful of your steps and don't touch things. We are in someone's home."
He took out his stick from his back, carefully drawing lines on the ground while heading inside the forest. The thick snow covered most of the traps on the ground and it was neither hard nor soft which was ideal for the hunters.
To see such well-concealed traps was as hard as finding a needle in a haystack and it was time-consuming which was the last thing in their hands.
" We don't have much choice but to go straight into the forest with simple tricks. I don't think we will go out unscathed."
Vør didn't deny that he would make a mistake and he acknowledged beforehand which made Bjorn ponder for a moment. He wasn't willing to sacrifice his men but he was also sure that Magnus left some defense in the village.
" Let's not think much. How can one hunter can catch us? We are the elite warriors and we have the best scout. We don't have much to lose anyway. It is either us or them."
Yandal opened his mouth, spitting some facts to the confused warriors. The warriors hardened their expressions, knowing there was no way to go home since they went through the most difficult journey.
" Then we will take the risk. Let's move forward."
Bjorn didn't hesitate to agree with him, gesturing Vør to move. The time was running out and so did his patience. The squad carefully threaded in the snow, feeling the soft cushion of the snow as a death cushion. There was no saying that something would pop out and bite them off and that didn't take long as one of their warriors felt sharp pain in the sole of his feet.
There was a sharp spike that was embedded into his legs, digging into his flesh.
" This!"
Vør immediately pulled out the spike, shaking off the blood with a pale face. His pupils shrunk when he saw the spike, knowing it was tampered with something that was likely to be poison.
The worst thing was it was an unknown poison which meant this man would likely turn into a corpse before noon even if the poison was slow. He didn't have the antidote on him and there was almost no chance that Erik would give it to them.
" Leader, don't mind me. I will follow you until my death, so don't mind this little wound. I am a proud warrior."
The poisoned warrior laughed with a calm face, hiding the fact that he was afraid of death. No one would willing to die in a foreign land where they wouldn't be able to see their loved ones in death.
" Don't worry, I will do my best to save you. You still have a newborn after all."
Bjorn patted his shoulder with a smile, walking behind Vør who was constantly digging the ground. The trails left behind their prints looked like a long snake in the brimming light of the snow. This would be a short yet memorable journey.