Nielmar stops counting the coins in the bag upon hearing this and a solemn look spreads across his face. For the Alpha's daughter to have to leave in such a hurry…something was definitely wrong.

"Shit… if only things would have been different…" He thinks where would be now if he had deserted and escaped to one of the more peaceful neighboring towns, now with a bag full of coins the idea seemed more feasible than ever. However, the fact that Lyaria, being the Alpha's daughter, had received the punishment of exile simply because of the collateral damage of her actions unnerved him.

What would happen if they caught a deserter? Would they even look for him in other towns? The answer is clear to him. Yes, they would definitely look for him.

“Nielmar, you will escort them to the mountains.” The old man approaches and orders him.

“What!?” This completely breaks his train of thought.

"Or do you prefer to be on the front lines out there?"

"Okay, as ordered." Nielmar has no choice but to obey. He could be a simple doctor, but the old man enjoyed a lot of power within the town and even in others. Although when thinking about it for a few seconds, Nilemar comes up with an idea that makes his eyes shine as his fingers exert more pressure on the bag full of coins.

"Which way should we leave the town?" Ezer asks as places the heavy backpack on his back, sighing at the thought that he would have to carry it for the entire trip, but he knew that this would not last long, with each day his rations would be depleted to the point that he would miss a little of the weight that he felt now.

“Through the main entrance, everyone should be heading to the castle for shelter. Ah! Ezer! I forgot something...” Lyaria stops him before he goes out the door. " It's a thank you gift for helping me even though…it didn't go as expected." She hands Ezer the sword she received from Torin.

“It's heavy, but easy to move.” Upon receiving it, Ezer immediately draws it and tries to wield it despite the limited space in the room. He instantly notices the differences with his old sword that was now useless, both the quality and the design were completely different.

“Weight is necessary if you want to fight beasts. It is a middle ground between a greatsword and a hand sword.” Lyaria gives a light explanation using the information she received from Torin .

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"Thank you Lyaria. Though now I feel like I owe you more for this gift.”

"We should go, we don't have much time." Nielmar hurries out of the house.

“Grandpa… I have so many things to thank and apologize for… I don't know where to start…” Lyaria can feel a lump in her throat that prevents her from expressing herself.

“My girl, we have nothing to say to each other at this point. Take care and come back one more time, it's the best gift you could give me.” The old man holds Lyaria's soft hands against his scarred, wrinkled skin.

“When I return… I will bring hope to all our people…”

“I see, you decided to follow your father's plan. But do not forget that there are many ways to reach the same goal.”

"Yes…" Lyaria answers vaguely in surprise. She was finally able to muster the courage to fulfill his father's expectations and shoulder the future of thousands of people, despite not agreeing on what she had to do to achieve it, only for his grandfather to shatter all his resolve with a few simple words.

—Don't do anything to regret it, if you can look back without remorse it means you're on the right track. Bye my Girl.”

An icy wind hits Lyaria's cheek reminding her what to do, she is released from her grandfather's embrace feeling the warmth of a kiss on her forehead. Stepping through the doorway and never looking back, Lyaria walks away from her home.

“Goodbye old man, thank you for saving my life and everything else.” Ezer is the last to say goodbye having given Lyaria room to do so first.

“Protect her.”

“I will do it.”

---------------------------

Although the wind and snow had stopped, the same did not happen with the cold that penetrated the skin no matter how many coats one wore. But this didn't bother Yheer and the more than a thousand men behind him who lived in these lands for as long as they can remember.

“What is their number?” Yheer asks the two men in front of him who until a moment ago were wolves.

“Sir, between 4,000 and 5,000”

"That's too imprecise." He frowns knowing the importance of accurate information.

"I beg your pardon, we couldn't get details without being found out. There are different species in the horde, but they all form their own groups.”

“I see…good job.”

“Sir!” The soldier hesitates for a moment, which captures the attention of his superior.

“What? Do you have something to add?”

“Yes, it was only for a moment and my partner didn't see it, but… I thought I saw a kind of white bear.”

“Only one? Are you completely sure?”

"I…" At that moment the soldier wished he hadn't mentioned it since now he had no choice.

“Yes or no!?” Yheer begins to lose patience and raises his tone.

“Yes! It was definitely a white bear moving between the groups, I can't help but notice because it looked... different.”

"Okay, you can go.”

"Yes, sir." In his mind the soldier promises never to open his mouth again unless he is totally sure of what he is saying, after all, if his information was incorrect, the lashes would be the last of his problems.

"Do you think it's a trap?" A woman approaches Yheer showing the lines of her body even over her leather armor.