Time passed and a group from the village of Melody moved along the arid valley, at times everyone had to fight with wild coyotes, and sometimes deal with snakes that bred here like rabbits.
On one of these nights, the group stopped for a halt. Already trained in repetitions, everyone quickly set up tents, Mark and Seno did not stand aside. After a week of hiking, even they were able to figure out how to do it by seeing hundreds of repetitions of other beastmen.
The night was quiet, and nothing foreshadowed trouble. Everyone was mostly in small groups whispering and chuckling from time to time. The atmosphere was calm.
The light of the moons illuminated the valley, and the imaginary calm began to fade away.
bird
bird
bird
There was the sound of a sack dropping, normally it would have escaped the ears of the beastmen, but now everyone's fur stood on end from it. The first beastman that ran up to the sound also fell dead. And it did not go unheard by others.
Since the last beastman was able to let out the last scream even with his throat clenched.
– Assault all rise to arms. Milana screamed.
At that moment, a battle began that, while the still sleepy beastmen were attacked, people in robes with concealing hoods. They violently attacked everyone without leaving behind even a particle after their death. Everyone who was close to death clutched the crystal that was hung around their necks, turning into a cycle of flame that scattered the ashes everywhere.
Such a battle impressed everyone with its savagery even more. Ten minutes later the fight came to an end. All were covered in blood, and with wounds of varying degrees. The children were closest to the carriage that carried the most valuable items, hid in it. While the fight was going on. They are not accustomed from time to time to go through training trips into the forest, therefore they quickly realized that danger is everywhere, and you can only escape by hiding in a carriage.
Mark and Seno stood next to the carriage, not letting anyone in on Milana's orders. Because of this, they received the least damage. Just a couple of scratches from claws, and a few clogged wounds from blunt weapon attacks.
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According to estimates, eight people died from the attack, despite the fact that the attackers were more than three. It could be called, though bitter, but a victory.
- I ask you to collect everything at the carriage, Milana's loud voice thundered. Everyone who received medical assistance moved to the carriage in the center of the tented temporary settlement.
– I know that it was hard for you, and I understand the severity of your loss. For this reason, if someone is not ready to go further, I am ready to provide you with a cart with two horses so that you can return to the village of Melodiya.
No one even moved on this option, which caused a warm and rather rare smile on Milana's face, which Mark had seen only once. When this she-wolf played with children in a shelter.
"Okay, looks like we don't have any weaklings. Jafit was no more than five days' walk away. I don't know who, but there are forces that oppose us in the darkness and today we were able to see their face, and we DID IT!!!
- Wow, wow, wow!!! A wolf's loud cry of the animal wolves was heard in the form of Milana's support.
– So we have two options, the first one is to accelerate by weakening the defenses by reaching Jafit within three days. The second is to slow down, on the contrary, becoming more prepared for any attack. I want to know your opinion, because your life from any of these options may be in jeopardy.
Those who wish to choose the first option form a group on the left, and those who choose the second option do the same on the right.
Opinion was divided, most of them chose the option of a quicker arrival in Jafit. Only a small fraction decided to slow down, but Mark appeared with Hay in addition.
- Forgive those who decided to slow down, but you can see that most of them chose to accelerate. To this, Milana bowed her head, her wolf ears slightly drooping.
- Break before dawn. Mark, Seno, and I will be on the night watch tonight. For this reason, everyone sleep, this is an order. Disperse.
After the decision was made, everyone began to go to the place of the tents, someone turned the bodies over with tears in their eyes, taking away the body to bury it, preventing the wild beast from eating the body
- Mark, Hay. I saw that you were in favor of slowing down, may I hear your opinion.
- Everything is simple here, the attackers did not really look like thieves, rather like intelligence, as if they were testing the ground. I have such an opinion. Mark said rubbing the bridge of his nose from stress.
Yes, I agree with Mark. The attackers didn't want to win. Rather, their goal was to bring chaos and discord to our group, for this reason, they are not the last.
- I absolutely agree with you, and I also understand this. But it will be difficult to retreat with such a number. For this reason, we can only move forward. I ask you only to protect the carriage with the children, which you did earlier. They are our future, without children our village has only one end. For this reason, children are our greatest treasure. If we can get them to the capital, we can avoid a lot of the worst options.