Chapter 5: Encounter in the Strait

Just two miles away, yet they advanced slowly among the trees. Darkness fell swiftly in the North, and the cloudless sky soon turned into a dark purple, with stars and the moon beginning to appear. Although the light was but a fraction of that from the sun, the snow reflected enough light to maintain acceptable visibility.

"We're close," Will whispered to Aeg, his tone slightly nervous.

"Be careful, and if you see anything, run," Aeg breathed deeply. Unlike Will's fear of the unknown in the darkness, Aeg felt a tingling excitement for what he was about to face: the imminent confrontation with his human nemesis. His body and mind were gearing up for what lay ahead.

A wolf's howl echoed from deep within the forest.

Will halted his horse beside an old, knotted tree. Aeg did the same; the cold wind whispered through the trees, and Aeg felt the temperature dropping. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him or if it was an omen of the Others' presence.

If the story followed its course, they would be surrounded by the enemy at this moment.

"Something's not right here," Gary muttered.

"Really?" The young knight looked at him disdainfully.

"Don't you feel it?" Gary challenged. "Listen to the sounds in the darkness."

"The wind, the rustling of leaves, and the howling of wolves. Gary, what frightens you so much?" Royce elegantly dismounted, tied his horse to a low branch away from the other three, and drew his sword. "If you're afraid, stay here and look after our horses. Aeg and Will, come with me to see about these dead."

Gary frowned but ultimately accepted in silence, fetching his tools. "I'll light a fire."

"Old man, there's a limit to being foolish. Do you want to attract enemies toward us if they're in the forest?" Royce sparked a flame with a flint stone. "Some creatures fear fire," Gary said, igniting a piece of cloth.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were among them."

...

Aeg frowned upon hearing the conversation between the two men, wondering if the Others could detect them if they spoke lower and simply vanished with their new recruits. But he lacked the power or authority to make them quiet, so he restrained himself and tightened his grip on his dragonglass dagger, discreetly hidden in his sleeve.

Gary glared angrily at the young knight for a moment but ultimately complied with the order. Royce nodded satisfactorily and looked at Aeg and Will. "Let's go."

Will proceeded cautiously, leading Aeg through the dense forest and up a gentle, snow-covered slope. His movements were careful and silent, trying not to make a sound... but the knight behind him did not share the same caution. He moved with firm, noisy steps, crashing into branches and cursing when his cloak caught on branches or his sword got stuck in the ground.

Every sound Royce made caused Aeg's heart to race. Damn this fool, Aeg thought. He didn't allow them to speak when it was safe to do so, and now that they needed silence, he does the exact opposite! In his mind, he imagined how he could order him loudly to shut up with his sword, but he realized that would only make more noise and, given his skill level, could go wrong.

He would have to play this as it comes.

And that's exactly what he did. In barely a hundred meters, Aeg felt as if a year had passed, but finally, he and Will reached the top of the snow-covered hill.

With nerves on edge, Aeg heard Will's sharp gasp beside him.

Before them stretched a moonlit clearing, where the fire of a camp still burned weakly, sending spirals of white smoke into the sky. Snow-covered rocks, the semi-frozen stream, there was nothing out of the ordinary... except for the absence of the wildlings Will had mentioned.

"Gods protect us," Royce exclaimed as he jumped over a branch obstructing his view, joining the two soldiers. "Will, do you see anything?"

Will watched the deserted camp closely, his chest rising and falling with every shaky breath. Aeg, on his part, tightened his grip on his dagger hidden in his sleeve, while his eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of the Others... and just at that moment, the unexpected occurred.