Back entrance

Wolves, fierce and hungry, feasted upon the remains of a fallen human. His gaze was drawn to this most normal scenery, a testament to the ruthless nature of the wild. The instinct to flee, to distance himself from this brutal reality, surged within him.

"Come, Mother," Garnt urged softly, his voice tinged with concern. "We must leave. This place holds danger beyond measure, and we cannot afford to stay."

Gundo, her tear-filled eyes fixated on the chilling spectacle, hesitated. She had already lost so much, and the fear that gripped her was palpable. Yet, as Garnt's words reached her ears, a spark of realization ignited in her mind.

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and turned her gaze towards Garnt. "You're right," she whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. "I can't put you in danger after all this, let's go back,"

Garnt started to regret his decision to visit Gundo's sister, but then he had a sudden realization that confused him a lot.

"Eva, why is the cave closed with a giant rock if no one is inside the cave? It clearly looks like someone placed that rock. Do you think someone is inside it?"

[Possible. We can't say for sure, but even if there is someone inside it what are you going to do? You can't possibly be thinking about fighting all these wolves. It will be a death wish.]

With a deep breath, Garnt turned his gaze towards Gundo, determination burning in his eyes. "Mother, there's a possibility that your sister may still be within that cave. If the wolves did not cover the entrance, then there's a chance she managed to do so before… whatever happened before we arrived here."

Suddenly some hope came to Gundo's eyes, but Garnt didn't stop there. "Look at that corpse, even though it is disfigured it looks nothing like a woman, The bulky hands and the lower half of the body look like it belong to a man, but the question is how are we going to remove that rock and enter the cave,"

Garnt idea was to wait until the wolves left the cave, but he knew it was dangerous since there was a possibility of them staying in this place for at least another week or two.

Gundo suddenly interrupted Garnt's thoughts, her voice quivering with emotion. "Garnt, you're right. There is another way into the cave, a back entrance that only I know about. I've kept it a secret from everyone, fearing that others might find it and enter the cave without my permission."

Gundo took a deep breath, her eyes cast downwards briefly before meeting Garnt's gaze again. "It's a dangerous path," she confessed, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of remorse. "The back entrance is concealed for a reason. It's treacherous and leads through narrow tunnels. I never wanted anyone to stumble upon it, but right now that is our only choice."

Without further hesitation, Gundo suddenly turned and started running, her feet carrying her swiftly through the forest undergrowth. Garnt was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly followed her lead, his determination pushing him forward. The two of them moved through the dense woods with a sense of purpose, driven by the urgency of their mission.

After a few minutes of running, Gundo jumped to a stop in front of what seemed like an impenetrable wall of weeds and vines. Her chest heaved as she gestured towards the obstruction. "Here it is, Garnt. The entrance is hidden beneath all this vegetation."

Garnt wasted no time. He retrieved his bone dagger and approached the wall of plants, his muscles tensed with determination. With deft and deliberate motions, he began cutting through the vines and weeds, one by one, revealing a gradually widening gap. As the foliage fell away, the outline of a sizable hole became visible.

Gundo didn't stay idle, as she took her own bone dagger and started to cut the plants and help her son.

Gundo's voice was filled with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. "This is it, Garnt. This is the other entrance. We'll need to clear away more of the debris before we can enter, but we're close."

Working together, Garnt and Gundo continued to cut through the overgrowth, their efforts fueled by a shared goal. With every passing moment, the hole grew larger, revealing a dark and mysterious opening into the earth. The air seemed to hold its breath as they worked, their determination unwavering.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the vines and weeds were cleared away. Before them appeared a gaping hole in the ground, leading into the depths of the cave. Gundo's eyes shone with a mixture of relief and determination. "We did it, Garnt. We found the back entrance. Now, let's see if my sister is still within these caves."

With a nod of agreement, Garnt gripped his bone dagger tightly and took a deep breath. The two of them shared a brief but meaningful look, acknowledging the risks and challenges ahead. Side by side, they stepped into the darkness, ready to face whatever awaited them in the depths of the cave.

"This is dark! Be careful when you walk, there might be holes in the cave," Gundo said while carefully looking at the roof only to see dark red eyes staring at them.

Startled by the intimidating eyes, she was about to jump and protect her son but Garnt quickly hugged her from behind and asked her not to move. All the red eyes started to move, and the motion revealed the silhouettes of leathery wings, their rhythmic patterns punctuated by the soft rustle of air.

"They are not dangerous, let's keep going," Garnt had heard about bats that typically pose no threat to humans, but Eva cautioned him against provoking them. Despite their usually harmless nature, Eva emphasized that these bats could still cause harm to humans.

Following Eva's advice and staying away from risky areas, Garnt and Gundo successfully got inside the cave. Now, they had to locate the person they were looking for. They knew it wouldn't be simple, but they were determined to do their best. This was a crucial mission for them as it would determine if they could save someone's life or not.