The mercenary started walking toward them in slow steps. Arthur could hear the quiet noise of the man's feet on the thin ice. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his friends and nodded quietly.
Then, he stood up and lifted his arms. "Don't attack! I'm not an enemy!" He yelled.
The man was taken aback as he quickly took a fighting stance. However, when he noticed that the stranger that suddenly appeared was a young kid, he frowned visibly. He inspected Arthur with his eyes before he said. "What the hell are you doing here? State your name!"
He didn't drop his guard at all the entire time. It was clear that he didn't understand how a little kid reached these parts of the region on his own, especially with his worn-out attire and the stains of blood on his body.
"My name is Arthur. I am lost and I want to head to the nearest city. Can you please help?"