Stars like diamond dust glittered against the velvet black of night.

Shadows detached themselves from the darkness, moving with a preternatural grace between wooden cabins. Silent as the grave, they left no trace of their passage.

They were moving. And they were being watched.

They had been seen.

"What's all this commotion about?!" A knight at the vanguard wheeled his mount around. His plate armor was so heavy it seemed a wonder his brown charger could bear the weight. The armored knight approached the three men, raising his visor to study them with stern eyes.

"Well? Making such a racket just now, and now so silent?" He matched their pace, his mount's hooves falling in rhythm with theirs. "And you, Simon. Barely an hour since your reassignment to this squad, yet here you are, making friends so quickly?"

"Ah... it's not what you think, Captain... urp!" Simon let out an exaggerated hiccup, one hand scratching his nape while the other batted futilely at the mosquitoes swarming above his head.

"We're approaching the Weimar Forest's edge," the captain's tone carried grave warning. "Though we march under cover of night, the Cynthians have likely marked our presence." He seemed to muse aloud, "No doubt news of Cirvi's fall has reached Cynthia's walls. They'll be ready for us."

The trio fell silent, heads bowed in synchronized acknowledgment as they pressed forward. They recognized the captain's words for what they were - a thinly veiled rebuke. "What's our next move?" Taylor broke the silence first, eager for real strategic insight - the kind that their resident commentator could never provide.

The captain paused before responding. "I cannot say with certainty. Since the siege of Crivi, the Duke has remained tight-lipped. Whether he deems the time not right to reveal his strategy, or whether he yet lacks one - this I do not know." His meaningful gaze settled on Taylor. "But one truth stands clear: since its founding, Cynthia has never fallen to foreign arms." His words seemed invested with an otherworldly power, compelling their attention.

"We face a nation forged of steel. Before us lies a challenge unprecedented in our chronicles."

"What we face is a pack of wolves, bloodthirsty and merciless. Before us stands a trial of life and death."

A deep voice emerged from the cabin shadows, its tone steady yet unyielding.

"You dishonor wolves with that comparison, The Shadowgreen Knight," a younger voice countered. "Wolves possess nobility and honor. Unlike these southern curs, with their depravity and treachery."

"Enough with the wolves, lad," a third voice joined in, tinged with levity. "I've spotted their forces. Their vanguard approaches the forest's edge and will soon reach the Dobby's southern bank. Pity it's not the flooding season - that would've given them a proper welcome."

"I catch their scent," the younger voice dropped to a whisper. "But the Dobby barely reaches a man's chest. No hope of it sweeping them away."

"If my assessment holds true, their vanguard will ford the Dobby tonight," the deep voice reasserted control. "They'll dispatch cavalry scouts, and our task is to ensure none return to report."

"Once they clear Weimar's woods, it's six miles to the Dobby's southern bank. From there to Cynthia's gates - a straight march of two hundred and fifty miles. They'll have to push through Lonnar, Seda, and Wafro before they glimpse our walls," the playful voice calculated.

"Despite our vast outlands, I fear whether we can contain their force near the Dobby," worried the younger voice.

"They won't rush blindly forward," came the playful voice's assurance. "Our ballistae stand ready, and the archers grow restless without targets. Moreover, the cloaks bestowed upon us by the 'Elves of the Trees' will serve us well in this fight."

"Whatever comes, this is our sworn duty," the deep voice concluded. "We've pledged our lives to the Queen, to delay the enemy's advance. In return, she's vowed to care for our families should we fall. Whether I live or die, I shall not yield."

The younger voice held its peace, while the playful one mused:

"Indeed. Life or death - was there ever truly a choice?"