Chapter-10 Storm part 2

As he looked around, Lith noticed that one of the wheels on the wagon in front of them had become stuck in a muddy hole. The horses were struggling to pull the wagon free, but it was no use. The mud was too thick, and the wheel refused to budge.

Lith quickly jumped down from his perch on the wagon and ran over to the struggling group. The rain pounded against his face, and he had to shield his eyes from the intense winds. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he shouted over the sound of the storm.

The driver of the wagon looked up at him, his face contorted with frustration. "Go push from the side to get this wheel out of the mud," he shouted back.

Lith, Arin, and Drogan were struggling to push the wagon out of the muddy hole. They were soaked to the bone, and the relentless rain was making it difficult to see or hear anything around them. Lightning was flashing so often that it felt like the day had not yet ended.

Lith took a deep breath and put all his weight into it, pushing against the wagon's side. Arin was doing the same from the other side, while Drogan was trying to lift the wagon from the back. However, their efforts were not enough, and the wagon seemed to be stuck deeper and deeper.

"By the gods, this mud is thicker than molten iron," Arin grumbled, wiping the rainwater off his forehead.

"We need more leverage," Drogan panted. "We could use a branch or something to pry the wagon out of the hole."

Just as Drogan said that, they heard the sound of galloping horses approaching. Niall, the scout, returned from his scouting position, his face and armor covered in mud and rain. "What's the situation here?" he shouted over the rain.

"The wagon's stuck, and we need something to use as leverage," Lith shouted back.

Niall nodded and dismounted from his horse, quickly scanning the surroundings. His eyes landed on a nearby tree branch, which he picked up and brought over to the wagon. "This should do the trick," he said, placing the branch under the wagon's wheel.

"Everyone, on my signal," Drogan shouted, and they all got into position.

They pushed and pulled with all their strength, and for a moment, it seemed like the wagon was about to budge. However, it slipped back into the hole with a squelching sound, sending mud and rainwater splattering all over them.

"By the beard of my ancestors, this is getting ridiculous," Arin grunted.

Lith felt his spirits sinking. The storm was getting worse, and it seemed like they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of getting out anytime soon. However, he knew that they couldn't give up. They had to keep trying, no matter what.

"Let's try one more time," he said, his voice hoarse from shouting.

Drogan nodded, and they got back into position. Niall placed the branch under the wheel once again, and Lith took a deep breath, bracing himself for the effort.

"On three," Drogan counted down, "One, two, three!"

They all pushed and pulled with all their might, and this time, the wagon started to budge. Slowly but surely, it emerged from the mud hole, and they managed to push it onto firmer ground.

They all collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath and shivering from the cold rain. "We did it," Lith said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Thank the gods," Arin muttered, his voice filled with relief.

Niall looked around, scanning the surroundings. "We should keep moving," he said. "The storm's not getting any better, and we don't want to get stuck again."

Lith nodded, getting up from the ground. "Let's go," he said, leading the way towards the next stretch of road.

As they continued their journey through the stormy forest, Lith couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with his companions. They had worked together to overcome a difficult situation, and he knew that they would continue to do so as they faced whatever challenges lay ahead.

Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling scream from the direction of the red light, after few minutes of silence it was followed by the sound of horse galloping back towards them. Lith's heart leapt into his throat as he frantically scanned the fog for any signs of his fellow mercenaries.

After what felt like an eternity, only one figure emerged from the fog, riding hard towards the group. Lith could see the terror etched on his face, and knew that something terrible had happened.