Ivar tied the hare he had just killed together with the three others hanging at his side before rising to his feet and began making his way back toward the campsite they had occupied for the past two nights.
It had already been two days since he and his companions had begun scouring the Haunted Forest in search of Jorund, yet they had found no trace of him or his followers. Even so, Ivar was not discouraged. They had only just begun their search and had not even covered half of the vast Haunted Forest yet. There was still plenty of ground left to explore.
Besides, he was in no particular hurry. With the wooden walls around his settlement finally completed, he no longer had to constantly worry about the safety of his people while he was away. That allowed him to devote far more time to searching for Jorund without the nagging concern that something might happen back home in his absence.
As he ducked beneath a low-hanging branch and continued through the forest, he found his thoughts drifting to Ylva's suggestion about naming their clan. He had given it considerable thought over the past several days but still could not settle on a name that felt right. Eventually, he let out a quiet breath and decided to leave the matter to time. Whatever name people would eventually come to know them by, so be it.
It was amusing to think that he had left his first clan only to build one of his own. Yet he supposed that was simply how life worked. No one truly knew where the road ahead would lead. Circumstances changed, plans shifted, and all one could do was adapt and keep moving forward.
As he drew closer to their camp, he deliberately made enough noise for his companions to notice his approach. It had become a habit among his trusted companions over the years. By announcing their presence before entering camp, they avoided startling one another and reduced the risk of someone reacting rashly in the middle of the wilderness.
And it did not take long for them to notice him.
"Yer back!" Ulf called out the moment he spotted him.
"Aye." Ivar nodded as he approached, unfastening the hares hanging from his belt.
The moment Haldor noticed them, his face lit up.
"And with dinner too!" he exclaimed. "Thank the Old Gods. I'm sick o' eatin' nothin' but jerky. I really miss Freya's cookin' back home."
Without saying a word, Maera walked over and accepted the hares from Ivar before carrying them to one side of the camp. There, she immediately began skinning them in preparation for the evening meal.
With his hands finally free, Ivar ignored Haldor's complaint and settled down beside them. He had chosen only Ulf, Haldor, Maera, and Torren to accompany him in this scouting. A larger group would only make them easier to spot while moving through the forest, and there was little need for more warriors when their current objective was simply to search rather than fight.
Speaking of Torren, Ivar glanced around the camp before asking, "Where's Torren?"
"On lookout," Haldor replied, already accustomed to Ivar occasionally ignoring him. "He should be back soon. I'll take over once he returns."
Ivar finally acknowledged him with a nod. "Mmm."
Ulf tossed another piece of firewood onto the flames before breaking the brief silence. "Are ye sure about cooperatin' with the crows, Ivar?"
Ivar shifted his gaze toward him and gave a faint smirk. "Aye. We stand t' gain far more by workin' with them against Jorund and Sylas than by fightin' them alone. It's a win-win fer both sides."
Before leaving the settlement, Ivar had informed those closest to him about his conversation with the Lord Commander and his decision to cooperate with the Night's Watch. That included Freya, Ylva, Ulf, Haldor, Torren, Hilde and the others he trusted most.
The discussion had turned into a lengthy debate, though he had eventually managed to persuade them. It helped that Ulf and most of his companions did not truly hate the crows. Like most free folk, they had simply grown up hearing that the Night's Watch could never be trusted. Convincing Freya and Ylva had proven far more difficult, but after a long discussion, they had reluctantly accepted his reasoning as well.
Ivar could have kept the matter to himself. In fact, it would have been the safer choice. But sooner or later, his companions would inevitably discover that he was dealing with the crows. Rather than risk them believing he had betrayed his own people, he had chosen to tell them everything from the very beginning and make them accomplices in his plan.
Ulf frowned thoughtfully as he stared into the dancing flames.
"What if they betray us?" he asked. "Ma an' Pa always said the crows couldn't be trusted. Though... they never really told me why."
"That's a problem left behind by the older generations," Ivar replied, his own gaze fixed on the fire. "I'd rather judge 'em by what they do than by stories I've only heard."
He glanced sideways at Ulf. "Besides, we've already met one o' them, and I didn't have any problems with him. Did ye?"
Ulf slowly shook his head. "Nay."
He fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"I suppose we'll just have t' see how this ends." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Ye haven't let us down yet, so I'll trust ye again."
Ivar chuckled. "O' course ye should."
He reached over and gave Ulf a firm pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll be careful. The moment I think the crows are tryin' t' use us as bait or betray us, we'll cut ties with 'em immediately."
"Right." Ulf nodded, looking noticeably more at ease.
"I trust ye too, Ivar," Haldor suddenly chimed in with a grin. "That's why I didn't say anythin' against yer decision. I'll follow ye no matter what."
Ivar looked at him and immediately felt a familiar headache coming on. Unfortunately, there had been no way he could keep Haldor from learning about the arrangement with the Night's Watch if he didn't want the man to feel left out. The man had also been present when Ivar gathered his closest companions, and forcing him to leave would only have made him more suspicious. In the end, Ivar had simply made him swear not to breathe a word of it to anyone else.
He could only hope the blabbermouth had finally learned his lesson.
Looking straight at Haldor, Ivar said, "Right. Just remember yer promise."
"Aye." Haldor nodded enthusiastically before making a show of zipping his lips shut. "Me mouth's sealed."
The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that.
Not long afterward, Maera finished preparing the hares and began cooking, filling the camp with the rich aroma of roasted meat. Torren returned from his watch just in time for supper, and the five of them ate together around the fire while discussing the day's search.
Once the meal was over, Haldor rose to take his turn on watch while the others settled into their bedrolls. Before long, the camp grew quiet once more, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep.
The following morning, the five of them rose before dawn. After eating a simple breakfast of the leftovers from the previous night's meal, they buried the remains of their campfire beneath fresh snow and scattered the ashes, leaving as little trace of their presence as possible. Once they had packed their belongings and erased every sign that anyone had camped there, they resumed their search through the Haunted Forest.
They followed faint game trails, crossed half-frozen streams, and climbed rocky ridges that offered commanding views over the endless sea of trees stretching in every direction. Whenever Ivar spotted smoke rising above the canopy or noticed freshly cut branches, he immediately led the group toward the signs of habitation.
Whenever they discovered hunters moving through the forest, they quietly shadowed them for hours, sometimes from dawn until dusk, patiently observing where they returned once the day's hunt was over. More often than not, the hunters led them to small clans that had somehow escaped both Jorund's and Sylas's expansion.
After confirming that the hunters had no connection to Jorund, Ivar quietly marked the location of their settlement on the beastskin map he carried before leading his companions away to continue their search elsewhere.
Over the past several days, the crude map he had been drawing on treated beastskin with charcoal had gradually begun to take shape. Every river, stream, rocky hill, and hunting trail they crossed was carefully added whenever they made camp for the night. He also marked the locations of every clan they discovered, slowly building what was likely the most detailed map of this part of the Haunted Forest in existence.
Though still far from complete, it was already proving invaluable. Each passing day made navigating the vast wilderness easier and reduced the chances of them unknowingly retracing their own steps.
The map would also prove useful in other ways. If he ever decided to strengthen his relationship with the crows, he could always trade copies of it for livestock, food, or other supplies. Information held value, and few things were more valuable than a detailed map of the lands beyond the Wall. Just thinking about the many uses of the map made Ivar all the more eager to continue searching for Jorund, even though they had yet to find a single trace of him after several days.
—-------
Ivar lay motionless atop a rocky outcrop overlooking a broad valley. Beside him, Ulf, Haldor, Maera, and Torren remained equally still, their bodies concealed among thick patches of brush and weathered stone.
Far below them, nearly thirty hunters moved quietly through the forest. Unlike the smaller hunting parties they had followed over the past several days, this one was unusually large. Their haul was equally impressive. Several men carried the carcass of a massive bull elk slung from a long wooden pole, while another group hauled a freshly killed aurochs. Others carried hares, birds, and various smaller game over their shoulders.
For a brief moment, Ivar found himself feeling a little envious of their bountiful hunt. From the corner of his eye, he even noticed Haldor quietly staring at the game with undisguised longing, looking as though he might start drooling at any moment.
Shaking the distracting thought from his mind, Ivar returned his full attention to the hunters. They had spotted the group several hours earlier and had been shadowing them ever since. Judging by the amount of game they carried, the hunters had clearly finished for the day and it would not be long before they returned to their settlement.
And so, the five of them waited patiently, following from a safe distance while taking care not to reveal their presence.
As the sun reached its highest point before beginning its slow descent toward the western horizon, the hunters finally began slowing their pace.
Ivar's eyes narrowed. They must be getting close.
Without another word, he scanned the surrounding terrain until he spotted another rocky hill overlooking another valley farther ahead.
"There," he whispered.
Immediately, he led his companions toward it while the hunters continued on their way, completely unaware that they were being watched.
The climb was short but steep. When Ivar finally reached the summit and looked beyond it, he instinctively held his breath. A vast settlement stretched before him.
Hundreds of hide tents and wooden huts sprawled across the valley floor, packed so closely together that they almost seemed to merge into one another. Smoke from countless cooking fires drifted lazily into the afternoon sky, while people moved between the rows of dwellings like ants. Pens filled with livestock dotted the outskirts of the settlement, and groups of armed warriors could be seen patrolling between its many paths.
The settlement continued far beyond what he could clearly make out. Part of it disappeared behind another rocky rise at the far end of the valley, but judging by the number of tents already visible, Ivar had little doubt that even more lay hidden beyond it.
A few moments later, Ulf, Haldor, Maera, and Torren reached the summit as well. The moment they laid eyes upon the sprawling settlement below, every one of them froze.
"...Gods..." Ulf muttered under his breath.
Haldor's eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop from their sockets. He drew in a sharp breath, only to choke on it as he stared at the sea of tents stretching across the valley.
Beside him, Maera instinctively straightened her posture as she felt her legs beginning to weaken from the sheer scale of the settlement before her. Torren tried his best to maintain a calm expression, unwilling to appear shaken before the others, but the slight trembling of his hands betrayed him.
Ivar was the first to recover. The realization that they were standing fully exposed on the ridgeline immediately sent a chill down his spine.
"Duck!" he hissed. "We don't want anyone down there seein' us. If they do, we're dead."
His companions reacted at once. Everyone quickly dropped below the ridgeline, with Haldor throwing himself flat onto the ground so abruptly that he let out a grunt as he landed.
Only after waiting a few moments did Ivar slowly crawl back toward the edge of the ridge, keeping his body pressed tightly against the ground. Carefully, he peered over the rocks once more. This time, he was far calmer.
His eyes immediately found the hunting party they had been following. He watched as the hunters passed through the outskirts of the settlement before gradually disappearing among the countless tents and huts. Only after confirming where they had gone did he shift his attention elsewhere.
His gaze swept methodically across the settlement and began counting the number of tents, huts, livestock pens and cooking fires. Anything that would help him calculate the settlement's approximate population.
A moment later, Ulf crawled up beside him. After staring at the sprawling settlement for several seconds, he quietly said, "I think we've finally found Jorund's settlement. There's no one here could gather this many people under one banner except him or Sylas. An' Sylas's settlement lies in the opposite direction."
Ivar frowned slightly as his counting was interrupted. Even so, he answered without taking his eyes off the valley. "Aye. I think so too."
He paused briefly before continuing. "But we still need t' confirm it before we leave. We'll stay here and observe until we're certain this really is Jorund's settlement."
With that, he returned to counting the tents below.
"Hmm." Ulf had no objections. He settled comfortably beside Ivar and continued studying the enormous settlement in silence.
Not long afterward, Torren quietly crawled over to join them. Maera followed soon after, while Haldor, muttering complaints under his breath about climbing the ridge, slowly dragged himself across the rocky ground until he reached the others.
Together, the five of them lay silently atop the ridge, hidden among the rocks and brush as they watched the largest free folk settlement any of them had ever seen.
It took Ivar quite some time to finish estimating the settlement's size. Even then, he knew his count could only be approximate. From what he could see, there were at least five thousand people living below, perhaps even more.
The number far exceeded his expectations. Since his reincarnation, he had grown accustomed to clans numbering only a hundred or perhaps two hundred people at most. Heck, even after gathering strugglers from across the Haunted Forest, his own settlement had only just surpassed two hundred souls.
Yet the settlement before him was on an entirely different scale. Five thousand people. Perhaps more. He could only click his tongue at that thought.
After taking a slow breath and deciding he had seen enough for the day, Ivar turned to his companions, who were still silently staring at the sprawling settlement below. "Let's find somewhere t' spend the night."
He then looked toward Maera. "No cookin' or lightin' fires tonight. I don't want anyone down there noticin' us. If we're discovered, I don't fancy our chances against thousands o' warriors."
He could easily escape if they were surrounded but he didn't want his companions to die so he had to be careful.
"Aye," Maera replied with a nod.
Without another word, the five of them slowly backed away from the ridge, taking great care not to expose themselves against the skyline. Only after they had put a considerable distance between themselves and the settlement did they finally rise to their feet.
"So..." Haldor muttered, glancing over his shoulder toward the valley. "Where're we sleepin' at night? Down below or up here in the mountains?"
Ivar looked around at the surrounding terrain. The mountain they had climbed was steep, its rocky slopes dotted with ancient pines and thick patches of undergrowth. Countless cracks and narrow ravines split the mountainside, providing no shortage of places where a small group could hide.
"We'll stay somewhere on this mountain," he replied. "It'll let us keep watch over the settlement without havin' t' waste time climbin' back up every mornin'."
No one objected to that. They immediately began searching the mountainside, moving carefully from one rocky ledge to another while avoiding leaving obvious tracks. Every crevice, overhang, and sheltered hollow was inspected, though none proved suitable. Some were too exposed, others too small, while several showed fresh signs of bears, wolves or shadowcats having claimed them.
Nearly an hour passed before Torren suddenly called out in a hushed voice. "I found somethin'."
The others quickly made their way over. Hidden behind a cluster of wind-twisted pines stood a narrow opening in the mountainside. At first glance, it appeared little more than a dark crack between two large boulders. Only upon drawing closer did they realize it widened into a natural cave.
Ivar immediately drew his sword. "Stay here."
Without waiting for a reply, he slipped inside. The cave stretched farther than he had expected, bending gently to the right before opening into a chamber large enough for all five of them to sleep comfortably. The air smelled of damp stone and old earth.
As he advanced deeper into the cave, he noticed several bones scattered across the floor. He crouched to inspect them and accidentally stepped on one. The bone immediately crumbled beneath his boot, confirming that it had been lying there for many years.
Even so, he remained cautious. Although the cave was cloaked in darkness, it posed little difficulty for him. As his cultivation steadily advanced, so too had his eyesight. He could now see a little more than a meter ahead even without any light.
Moving silently, he carefully inspected every corner of the cave, relying on both his enhanced vision and heightened senses. Only after thoroughly searching the entire cavern did he finally relax. There was no one inside. Nor were there any signs that wild animals had been using the cave as a den recently.
Satisfied, Ivar returned to the entrance.
"We'll make this our camp," he said. "Torren, Maera, gather branches an' bushes. Cover the entrance well enough that anyone passin' by won't give it a second glance."
"Aye."
The two immediately headed down the mountainside, where bushes and low-hanging branches were more plentiful.
Meanwhile, Ulf and Haldor followed Ivar into the cave to begin clearing out the old bones, loose stones, and other debris scattered across the floor.
By the time Torren and Maera returned, the inside of the cave had already been cleaned. Working together, the five of them carefully arranged the branches and bushes around the entrance until it blended naturally with the surrounding mountainside. Unless someone happened to walk almost directly in front of it, the cave was unlikely to attract a second glance.
Satisfied with their work, they settled inside to rest for the remainder of the day. Rather than leaving the cave unattended, they took turns standing watch outside while keeping an eye on the settlement below. Whenever it was his turn, Ivar spent as much time observing the settlement as he did watching the surrounding forest.
More than once, he considered slipping into the settlement under the cover of darkness. In the end, however, he dismissed the idea. He still knew too little about the place. Before risking such a dangerous venture, he wanted to understand its daily routines, identify the movements of its warriors, and determine the safest routes in and out. Patience had kept him alive this long, and he saw no reason to abandon it now.
Whenever he was not on watch, he worked on the crude beastskin map he had been carrying with him since he started the search. Using charcoal, he carefully added every hill, stream, hunting trail, and rocky ridge surrounding the settlement. Slowly but surely, the map continued to grow more detailed.
By now, it covered nearly the entire Haunted Forest. Only the lands closest to the Wall and the far eastern reaches near the sea remained largely unexplored. Even their current location lay only on the eastern side of the Haunted Forest rather than at its true eastern edge. Ivar knew there was still far more land beyond where they now stood.
Thinking back on it, Alfyn's guess had proven surprisingly accurate. Sylas had established his settlement in the southwest. Jorund had settled in the east.
A faint smile crossed Ivar's face. He could not help but wonder where Alfyn was now. The two of them had set out at roughly the same time, each determined to discover Jorund's settlement before the other. They had even wagered on it before parting ways. Now that Ivar had won, he fully intended to collect his prize. Preferably in the form of weapons.
Four nights passed in much the same manner.
By then, Ivar had learned a great deal about the settlement below. He knew roughly when the hunting parties departed, when the warriors changed their patrols, and when the camp was at its quietest.
There was, however, one thing he still could not confirm. The largest tent in the center of the settlement. Countless warriors entered and left it throughout the day, yet the person who truly commanded the settlement never once revealed himself. At least, not while Ivar was watching.
That alone convinced him to stop waiting. Tonight, he would find the answer himself. As if the Old Gods themselves favored his decision, thick clouds rolled across the night sky, hiding the moon and plunging the land into darkness that you couldn't see where you were walking if you didn't have fire with you. Perfect for concealment.
After making up his mind, Ivar gathered his companions.
"Be ready t' move camp if anythin' goes wrong," he instructed quietly. "If the people below suddenly wake up an' start searchin' the mountain, leave this place immediately."
He then unfolded his beastskin map and pointed to a mark he had made earlier. "We'll rendezvous here. If everythin' goes wrong, I'll meet ye there."
The four studied the marked location in silence. Even after seeing the rendezvous point, however, none of them looked convinced that Ivar should go alone.
"Why don't I come with ye?" Ulf offered. "I can watch yer back."
"Me too," Haldor quickly added.
Torren and Maera nodded in agreement, each insisting they should accompany him.
Ivar shook his head before any of them could continue. "Nay."
His tone left no room for argument. "I can escape alone if things go wrong."
His gaze swept across each of them before he continued. "But I can't promise the same if I've got others t' worry about. I've already made me decision, an' it's final."
The four exchanged reluctant glances before finally falling silent.
Seeing that none of them intended to argue further, Ivar gave a satisfied nod.
He checked the sword hanging at his waist, adjusted the dagger hidden beneath his furs, and tightened the small pouch secured to his belt. After making certain he carried only what he truly needed, he took one final look at his companions.
Then, without another word, he slipped quietly from the cave and disappeared into the darkness, making his way toward the sprawling settlement below.
Over the past four days, Ivar had carefully observed the settlement and memorized its layout. He had already planned the route he intended to take, so he did not hesitate for even a moment as he descended the mountain.
The settlement itself lacked any walls or defensive barriers. Instead, its sheer size and the mountains at its sides served as its greatest protection. Taking advantage of the darkness, Ivar slipped between the outermost tents without difficulty before slowing his pace.
From that moment on, he no longer moved like an intruder. Instead, he walked through the settlement calmly, as though he belonged there.
Several warriors passed him along the way, but none paid him more than a passing glance. Ivar even greeted a few of them with a simple nod before continuing on his way. His bright red hair, which would have made him stand out immediately, remained hidden beneath the hood of his heavy fur cloak, allowing him to blend in with the countless free folk moving about the settlement.
The closer he drew to the center, the more vigilant he became. Eventually, the largest tent came into view. Even at night, it stood out from every other structure around it. Several warriors lingered nearby, some standing watch while others chatted quietly beside dying campfires.
Ivar naturally slowed his pace. Without drawing attention to himself this time, he casually walked past the tent nearby before disappearing between two nearby huts. Only then did he begin circling the area from the shadows.
Unlike the outskirts of the settlement, the warriors assigned to this part of the camp were far more likely to recognize one another. A single unfamiliar face wandering around repeatedly would immediately attract suspicion.
Keeping to the darkness, Ivar completed a slow circuit around the enormous tent. As he observed the guards, he quietly studied their routines, noting who remained alert, who wandered from their posts, and which directions their attention naturally drifted toward.
Before long, he found what he was looking for on the eastern side of the massive tent. Unlike the other entrances, only two guards watched this side. One remained seated beside a dying fire while the other occasionally paced a short distance before turning back. Every so often, the two became absorbed in quiet conversation, leaving the far side of the tent unwatched for a few precious heartbeats.
Ivar remained hidden in the shadows and waited patiently. Although several opportunities presented themselves, he ignored every one of them. Slipping past the two guards would not be enough if another pair farther away happened to glance in his direction at the wrong moment. He intended to enter the tent only when he was certain no one would notice him. So he waited.
The night wore on, and the settlement gradually grew quieter. The conversations around the nearby campfires became fewer, while more and more of the warriors retired to their tents. Nearly an hour passed before the opportunity he had been waiting for finally arrived.
The two guards, lulled by the quiet night and the warmth of the dying fire, gradually grew drowsy. Their conversation faded away, replaced by long silences. Before long, both men had lowered their heads, drifting into a light sleep while leaning against their spears.
Even then, Ivar did not move. He waited several more minutes, making certain neither of them stirred. Only after satisfying himself that they had truly fallen asleep did he make his move.
His body shot forward like a shadow, crossing the open ground in only a few silent strides. His footsteps were so light and silent that neither guard so much as shifted in their sleep as he passed by.
Within moments, he reached the massive tent and pressed himself tightly against its hide walls, disappearing into the deep shadows cast by the structure. He remained perfectly still, listening to every sound around him. When no one called out or raised an alarm, he allowed himself to relax ever so slightly, a faint cloud of mist escaping his lips into the cold night air.
He then focused his attention on the sounds coming from inside the tent. Muffled voices, soft laughter and moans were what filled his ears. From what he could hear, there were several women inside, but only one man.
Slowly, Ivar reached beneath his furs and withdrew his dagger. With painstaking care, he used its tip to cut a tiny slit through the thick hide of the tent, just large enough to look through without drawing attention.
Peering inside, he saw several scantily clad women surrounding a broad-shouldered man, their attention focused entirely on him. Unfortunately, he could not make out the man's face. One of the women blocked his view by sitting on the man's face and grinding her ass on the man's face, forcing Ivar to remain where he was and wait. Minutes passed and before long, his patience was finally rewarded when the man shifted slightly, revealing his face for only a brief moment to take a breather.
That was all Ivar needed as his eyes narrowed and immediately recognized the man. There was no mistaking that face. Jorund.
The very man who had forced him to run for his life years ago and had nearly killed the companions who stood beside him today.
For a fleeting instant, the urge to storm inside and kill him flashed through his mind. But he quickly forced the thought aside. He needed the man alive for longer and it would not reward him or his clan if he killed Jorund now.
Taking a slow, steady breath, Ivar prepared to withdraw, but just as he was about to move, the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. He immediately turned his head and saw a warrior standing only several paces away, staring directly at him. Their eyes met, and in that instant, Ivar knew his cover had been blown.
The warrior's expression hardened as he shouted, "Who are ye? What are ye doin' there?"
The shout shattered the night's silence. Behind the man, the two guards who had dozed off jerked awake in alarm, while muffled voices began rising from the surrounding tents as others stirred from their sleep.
Knowing he had only moments before the entire settlement converged on his position, Ivar acted without hesitation. With a flick of his wrist, the dagger he had been holding shot through the air like a streak of darkness.
"Ugh!"
The blade struck the warrior high in the chest, knocking him backward. Although the wound was not immediately fatal, it was enough to stagger him and rob him of the breath needed to raise another shout.
Ivar wasted no time. He lunged toward the two guards just as they struggled to their feet. Before either could raise a weapon or cry out, his fists crashed into them with explosive force, sending both men collapsing back to the ground unconscious. From the corner of his eye, he saw several nearby warriors already rushing toward the commotion, leaving him no choice but to retreat immediately.
As he sprinted between the tents, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Tell Jorund, Sylas sends his regards!"
His voice echoed throughout the settlement, adding even more confusion to the growing chaos. Warriors poured from their tents while shouting questions and grabbing their weapons, and confused voices rang out in every direction as men rushed toward the center of the settlement. Taking full advantage of the disorder he had created, Ivar weaved between rows of tents, cutting down anyone who attempted to block his path while constantly changing direction to make pursuit far more difficult.
By the time he reached the outskirts of the settlement, angry shouts were already closing in behind him. A faint smirk briefly crossed his face, but it vanished the instant an arrow whistled past his head. Instinctively, he ducked beneath it without breaking stride before surging forward once more, disappearing into the darkness beyond the settlement.
Within minutes, he had opened a considerable gap between himself and his pursuers, leaving behind nothing but furious shouts echoing through the night as the sprawling settlement descended into turmoil.
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A/N: Please don't forget to rate and review the story after reading. And if you want to read ahead. You know where to look.