As Lyerin led the way, his steps unwavering, the soldiers behind him began to slow.
Nervous glances darted between them, and beads of sweat trickled down their brows, betraying their tension.
They exchanged hushed whispers, voices trembling with an edge of fear, though they did their best to maintain a respectful tone.
"Chief Lyerin," one of them murmured, trying to keep his voice steady but failing miserably. "Are you sure… we should be going this way?"
Another soldier nodded, his eyes wide as he glanced around the eerie, shadow-laden trees. "Yes, maybe... maybe we could reconsider? We should be… careful in these parts."
The dense forest around them was cloaked in an unsettling silence. The towering trees loomed high, their branches weaving into twisted, shadowy forms that seemed to shift in the dim light.
A faint fog hugged the forest floor, swirling and curling around their ankles like ghostly fingers.
