Earlier that day...
The Eryndor guards, led by Cedric, had been following the trail left behind by the carriage, and after hours of tracking the wheel marks across the roads, they finally came to a stop at the edge of a vast stretch of woodland. One of the guards crouched to examine the disturbed earth before lifting his gaze to Cedric. "We traced the carriage's path, and it ended here" he reported.
Cedric's eyes swept over the towering trees before him as his expression grew thoughtful. "Then we begin our search here," he said firmly. "If the carriage stopped at this point, they are likely somewhere within these woods."
At once the guards bowed their heads before dividing themselves into groups, each taking a different path so that every corner of the dense forest would be searched.
The thick trees swallowed them one after another, and before long the only sounds left were rustling leaves beneath hurried footsteps and the distant calls of men searching in different directions.
