114 Report

Light once again appeared over the horizon, beating back the darkness of the night. Pure white snow reflected the burgeoning sunlight, sparkling like an endless field of precious gems. Small animal tracks crisscrossed in the deep snow, running underneath leafless bushes and through brambles thick with thorns. An eerie silence pervaded the area, any sound made by the inhabitants of the forest was muffled by the thick blanket of late winter snow.

The snort of a horse broke the early morning silence, sending the timid field mice back down into their burrows. Pushing through snow that nearly came up to its belly, the horse was urged on by the man riding atop it. No trail ran through this section of forest, they were blazing their own path, an urgent report in hand. The man had been traveling for a full day, with no rest, for either him or his steed. The deep snow had impeded his travels, but not nearly as much as the monsters.