Forced March

"So what's the plan?" Stoneheart asked.

They were sitting at the edge of the camp, far enough from the others that they could talk in private. Even so, Arran could see the recruits and villagers occasionally shooting nervous looks at him, and he understood that they had seen the aftermath of the massacre.

"We can't fight them," Snowcloud said. "The main force will receive word of what happened soon enough, and when that happens, it won't just be a single raiding party that comes after us." Brow furrowed, she shook her head. "The only way for us to find safety is with your uncle."

Stoneheart's face fell, and he sighed deeply, whatever hopes he had for Snowcloud's plan clearly gone. "He's over a hundred miles north of here, with thousands of enemies in between. There's no way for a group this large to pass unnoticed."

"That's why I'm going alone," Snowcloud said. "By myself, I have a good chance of slipping past them, and I should be able to get there in a day or two."