Three days later:
The snow was deeper on the northern side of the forest.
The warriors had been searching for hours, following the route the Blackfens had taken weeks earlier. They had found little beyond old tracks, broken branches and patches of disturbed snow.
Xanden had divided the men into smaller groups before they entered the forest. Each group had been given a section to investigate, with instructions to report anything unusual.
They were not to engage anyone without informing him first. So far, none of them had found anything.
One of the warriors stopped beside a cluster of trees.
"Wait."
The two men behind him turned.
He crouched, brushing some snow away from the ground. There was something beneath it. A piece of wood.
He cleared more snow, revealing a long, rough plank partially buried beneath the white surface.
"Come here."
The others approached.
"Do you recognise this?" one asked.
