Chapter 31 - A Battered Camp

It was early in the afternoon, when Captain Thorne's group emerged from the dense woods in good spirits, only to be greeted by a grim scene.

A camp that had once housed nearly fifty men now revealed the scars of a fierce battle fought, and survived. Thorne had left behind a sizable force – six hunters, First Lieutenant Bic, and most of the troops. Now, as he beheld the remnants of the camp, it was evident that barely half that remained.

As they emerged from the woods, a sentinel on watch, his thigh tightly bandaged, caught sight of their approach. Weariness etched across his face transformed into a glimmer of recognition and hope. His hoarse voice cut through the somber air, calling out to the captain. The camp stirred with life as the returning men marched toward the beleaguered site.

First Lieutenant Bic saluted as he met Captain Thorne at the edge of the camp. His face was haggard, with dark circles under his eyes conveying both relief and sorrow, "Sir."

Thorne wasted no time on pleasantries with a direct inquiry. "First Lieutenant Bic. What attacked you?"

"Saberwolves sir. Giant ones," Bic responded with a grim matter-of-factness. "The night you left." His account unraveled the tale of a nightmarish assault. Over a dozen of the creatures had blitzed the camp, catching them off guard, with most of the men still getting out of their bedrolls. The ensuing struggle had cost them dearly, with twenty men falling beneath the surprise ambush. Bic continued, recounting a subsequent final attack, repelled but not without further losses.

"We managed to drive them off by slaying six of the beasts, but it cost twenty three good men. They haven't returned since, but everyone has been on edge sir. We buried the fallen and disposed of the creatures, their cores stored in your wagon, sir," Bic reported, a mix of weariness and determination in his voice. "It's great to have you back, sir. I- I was preparing to turn back to Dragon's Gate if you hadn't returned by the morrow."

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Good thing we returned before that then. The captain then pondered at the timing of the attacks though. Six nights ago...the night the dragon claimed the turtle from a pack of saberwolves. Was it some sort of revenge? He shook his head with a grimace, who can understand the mind of a beast. Or a dragon, as he caught sight of the dragon hopping into its wagon.

"What of the horses? Did we lose any?" Thorne suddenly inquired, a flicker of concern crossing his features.

"No, sir. One's a little banged up, but we managed to protect them all."

"Good! Very good." A wave of relief washed over the captain, thank the gods! He knew that catching up the the caravan without the horses would have been impossible.

The captain raised his voice for the camp to hear, "Considering what you all faced, you all did well in surviving. Especially for maintaining position for our return." He then dismissed the officer, "At ease First Lieutenant, you can rest easy for tonight."

What a mess this week has been. He seriously considered Bic's option, should we return to Dragon's Gate and wait for another caravan to tag along with? He shook his head, nope, Thorne swiftly dismissed the idea. The next scheduled caravan to Ollu that I know of won't leave Sky City for another two months. Not an valid option. We'll just have to catch up to the one we had. Three weeks to catch up? Four? No matter. We'll do that. Tomorrow, he decided, they would leave this haunted place behind, with the fervent hope that the dragon would not bring further complications.

Thorne, his mind a tempest of thoughts, strode through the grounds, informing the weary but relieved occupants of their imminent departure. They would reclaim lost ground, starting anew in the morning.

The next morning, Captain Thorne rallied his diminished forces with an unyielding determination.

The injured were given spaces in the wagons, while everyone else prepared to march, carrying what they could to lighten the wagons.

Each day blurred into the next as the men and horses were pushed hard by the resolute captain. Luckily for him, his worries over the dragon didn't occur. Nor his worries over the horses going lame.

Then the days turned into weeks. The captain then had to worry about the quickly diminishing food supplies. If it gets real bad, we'll have to start eating some of the horses...

But then, after three arduous weeks of relentless pursuit, the convoy caught sight of the Dessur caravan. It was a welcome sight for everyone. A sign that they could finally slow their pace without the captain breathing down their necks.

Their convoy rolled up to the Dessur caravan just as it was coming to a stop for the night.