- I just want to make it. Just in time.
Despite running quickly through the forest, they arrived just before the end of the ignominious attack and only had time to see the naked girl's naked figure running into the forest and receiving a "fire arrow" in the back. Fortunately, the girl soon got up and continued her run.
Stopping the squad, Alexander prevented them from going outside the forest and being discovered. Instead, he pointed to several soldiers who were running away from the camp towards the forest, clearly intending to pursue the enemy. There were commands to stop, but the excitement of the chase was playing against common sense.
- Take the prisoners and go back. Just wait for them to enter the forest.
Unfortunately, only two of the five pursuers were foolish enough to run into the forest.
- What is this? Who can explain it to me?
The knight was beyond furious. Having received orders from his grace, the Count of Ruhr, to move out here yesterday, he never expected to be attacked on the first night. And by naked men. Well, goblins! They were used to them. But humans? Naked?
- We don't know, my lord. They look human. Fast, strong, some had personal magic. Extremely tenacious, wounds fatal to humans, they were not killed," the half-elf stood before the seated knight, "All those we got, I ordered them chopped into small pieces and burned. Mr. Magus approved of my decision.
- How many did we kill?
- Five. And all the others were injured.
- Our losses?
The knight asked the most uncomfortable question of any officer. Discipline in his half-hundred had always been low, and such a bad campaign had brought it even lower. Only four soldiers had been lost during the battle itself, which could be considered a good result, but the morons who rushed in pursuit of the fleeing men made the night's victory not the most satisfying.
- Six, my lord. Four during the battle and two more rushed into the woods in pursuit and never returned. As soon as dawn broke, I ordered a search. No sign of them. Though there were many different footprints on the edge of the forest, both from shoes and bare feet.
The colonel preferred not to report that there were other footprints. Someone had obviously disguised them, but it was possible to follow them if one wanted to. But he didn't want to go into the forest and risk his neck to find out who these strange attackers were. There were many things in those forests, and they were called the Cursed Forests for a reason.
- So there were other people there, normal people? - The knight stood up.
- There were, my lord. There was even one among the attackers. And he was armed with a sword.
- Were they Elurians?
- I dare say, my lord, that doesn't sound like Elurians.
- No, it doesn't. And a dozen scouts went missing around here the other day... How many attackers were there?
- We counted 22 creatures, my lord.
- We must send a message to the earl. Secure the camp, fifty men. And for the sake of the All_Holy_One, restore order to the party. I won't cover your deeds for long, we're going into battle soon!
The officer only bowed his head, showing that he understood.
***
- Be patient. And concentrate on healing yourself, - Olga stroked the girl's head.
The one who had received the "fire arrow" in her back was lying on her stomach and suffering. The spell had burned a pretty solid hole in her, almost completely destroying her lungs and damaging her spine.
How the girl had managed to get up and run to the forest was a mystery. Though if Alexander's squad hadn't met her there, she would have been in a bad way. That dash to the forest had taken almost all her strength and she had fallen almost dead into the arms of Maria and Olga.
The boys, meanwhile, were capturing her pursuers. Then they covered their tracks and stopped to let the wounded come to their senses. Sergey and Oleg stayed where they were, to make sure that no one was following them.
The carcass of a hare fell into Olga's lap. From above arose the figure of Alexander. Without saying a word he just looked at the wounds and stepped back. The woman, having cut the animal, began to squeeze the blood directly onto the burned back, which did not want to regenerate normally. The blood was instantly absorbed and the progress of tissue regeneration increased significantly.
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