We left the day after the feast.

Herding the children like a drove of Longhorns on the Texas Plains, we set out on foot towards the south.

Due to them all being children, the trip was a slow affair, as they needed a lot more break periods than when Sari and I had been traveling with each other, but the good thing was, most of them were able to walk on top of the snow and ice already, so we weren't slowed down further by having to actually trudge through snow like normal human beings.

Of course, for some of the little ones that hadn't learned yet from just looking at their parents, me and Sari had to carry them, as they hung onto our arms and necks like parasitic vines.

We continued on like this, whilst also teaching the younger children how to walk on snow during our break periods, as, after all, they had just been resting on our bodies the whole time, so they should do some work too, right?

Anyways, the trip took a few months, in which, every two days, I would have to leave all the children I was carrying to Sari for a little while, so that I could go hunt just to feed the endless stomaches of the little ones.

And, being the little children they were, every time I set off from the group, they would always cheer me on, and it became a sort of tradition by now.

Also, the first few times that I had done this, Sari had actually been worried that I wouldn't be able to find the group again, warming my heart, but after hundreds of safe returns, she grew to trust me even more, which was nice.

By now, we had crossed the ice and tundra, and were back in the snowy forest biome.

Looking in the distance, we could see the Garrison of the North looming impenetrably on the border.

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Climbing up a mountain to scout out the wall, I then came up with a viable plan.

"It'll be best if we cross at dawn or dusk right?" Asked Sari, who had climbed this mountain with me, leaving some of the older kids to look over the younger ones.

"At dusk, we will got at dusk as the soldiers will still be wary at dawn."

You see, they probably only expected activity during the night, as that was when most demonic beasts were active, and because people could hide in the darkness.

So, we could exploit this by crossing the wall at dawn or dusk, when the light wasn't too bright as to give away our position, and the soldiers weren't extremely wary yet.

Hashing out the details of out plan for a few more minutes, as we needed some back-up plans too, we climbed back down the mountain and regrouped with the children.

Finally taking out my rations, I gave a little bit to each children, completely using it all up, as I knew that cooking was definitely not an option being this close to the Garrison.

After we all finished eating, we just waited until dusk.

As the last rays of the sun were peeking over the mountains, we initiated our plan.

The children all followed Saria in 5 lines trailing behind her, whilst I set off from the group and headed towards another part of the garrison.

Having already used the magnification boost on one of my eyes, I watched their progression whilst getting ready for my part in case something happened.

You see, I was given the job of being the distraction in case somebody was about to notice Sari's group.

But, surprisingly, I didn't have to initiate my part as they were able to get over the wall without any of the soldiers noticing them.

This was done by Sari just climbing up and down the wall with children on her back as she did multiple trips across the wall until all the children were on the other side.

After seeing that they had all safely made it, I started my preparations to cross the wall too.

Using the same method as when I had first crossed it, I started running up the side.

Reaching the top, I dropped down, but then, I felt it, a sense of danger from the intuition that I had forged when I was first baptized through the hells of gunfire.

But, I couldn't react fast enough, as a chain tied around me, dropping me to the floor.

"I got the last right, have you captured the others yet?"

Hearing this, I knew that we had been had. They had probably let the others pass just to make me drop my guard, and the children were probably all being rounded up right now.

Imagining them being surrounded by soldiers holding rifles, cocked and pointed at them, my face couldn't help but contort in anger.

"Clack! Clack! Clack!"

Hearing the sounds of a person's sharp footsteps resonating on the stone floor of the garrison, I grimaced, as I prepared myself for a fight, already figuring out a way to work myself out of these chains.

But then, as I was rolled face up, and saw the person's face, I couldn't help but form a beaming smile on my face, as I knew that I could solve this problem without any bloodshed, and as a bonus, I could even forge a tie with one of the members of the hero's party, the last one that I had been missing!

"How's it going? Big Sis Karina?"