Everyone wondered why the knight commander's right cheek was redder than the left when he appeared, but instead of getting mad, Alterain himself was amused. The mark was clearly the doing of a hand, and there was only one person who could slap him that hard.
He gave Yves a teasing look, but the latter just glared at him.
They packed up the camp and set out once more, the forest looming around them. As they rode, Yves couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them from the shadows. The monsters were still out there, lurking just beyond their sight.
And as the group pressed deeper into the woods, Yves couldn't help but think of Reinhart. He had left his son behind to join this dangerous expedition, and now the weight of that decision hung heavily on his shoulders.
Yves and the group ventured deeper into the forest as the sun rose higher in the sky.