At the Mouth of Thyrmheimr

The blinding winds and barbed pines of the Darkwoods were knowingly ignored as the group ran for the exit.

Taking off from the forest floor, the hunter leapt from the branches, launching himself far ahead of the rest of the group.

"Three of them ahead of me, and two on my left" instead of landing on the next branch, he took off against the trunk of the next tree and kicked off it…when just as suddenly the tree was struck with enough force to the rock it down to its core, uprooting it and sending it crashing onto the ground into a plume of snow.

Whilst still in the air, Gode could see the attackers from above, where he drew on his bow, with two arrows notched.

Against the fierce winds, the hunter would offset his aim from the targets before letting the arrows loose. The force of which parted the falling snow around him for a moment as the blast shot outwards.

Piercing through the skeletal growth covering their heads, marking the virgin snow with beast blood. Giving the rest of the group a chance to run through the opening he'd created.

Before turning around to cover Ren who was carving away pieces from the trees they passed. By the time the group had all moved past the lifeless Skull bears, Ren passed on a message to Gode, who stood perched on a branch overhead.

"The trees behind me, knock 'em down" with a single swift motion, he tossed his blade into the air giving Gode a chance to grab it before launching himself into the tree line.

While the heft of the steel was unexpected, a firm grip with both hands was enough to hold onto it as he slashed into the weakened trunks with a blinding rush against the approaching horde.

Surprising the mass of beasts running head-on against the collapsing wooden pillars falling in his wake, with a final press sending him out of the way of the massive crash.

Shaking off the snow, Gode tried to get to his feet but with a sharp pain running down his shoulder, he found himself using the massive sword to support his march.

Knowing full well that the rustling mound of Darkwood trees would not hold them for long, he resolved himself to make for the final push through the clearing, with the hounding cries of the beasts growing more visceral.

Finally making it past the scarred Darkwood, Gode approached the startled group that had been catching their breath:

"What are you doing, Run!" he yelled.

When the image of the fierce beasts tearing away at any obstacles, as they tried to catch Gode. The panic instantly set into the knights whose knees gave out at the fearsome sight.

"Hmph!" Ren gave a gruff sigh at their fear, and with a deep scowl, he dragged his companions along. At the same time, Athal stood waiting for the hunter.

Gode obviously frustrated that the young knight was wasting time, was only met by the quaking figure rushing over to him, lending him support with Gode's arm around Athal's shoulder, the pair ran as fast as they could through the deep snow.

As they rush towards the banks of the frozen river, they kept their pace over the icy border. Ren managed to cross to the other side, before tossing the shaken knights onto the snow.

When he turned back to meet the approach of the stumbling pair.

But instead of coming to assist them, the knight simply claimed his sword out of Gode's grasp before raising it into the air.

Almost seeming unaware of the Totenkopf bearing down on him, his focus was absolute.

Letting out a calm and deep breath and with a single slash, he cut a gash straight through the frozen waters.

Shattering their icy footing and sending him along with the pursuers in the cold waters that rushed downstream as the intense currents reached the surface.

Though none of them seemed concerned or at all surprised when the knight pulled himself onto the banks, with nothing left of his blade but the hilt in his hand. His companions rushed over to aid him, as they all watched the beasts get swept up by the river.

"Next time, just follow me," Gode said to the damp knight, holding his tongue despite the annoyance on his face.

Now more willing to heed his advice, they quickly followed the hunter who made his way towards the forest opening nearby. Wandering into the other side forest through a deep clearing near the riverbank.

The knights note that they were now further than ever from where the rest of the group was, but Ren reminded them to focus on surviving at the moment, questioning Gode on how odd the forest seems so different in this part.

"You're right, the forest seems much quieter, even warmer than where we were before" Athal added, noting the flowing streams beside vibrant bouquets of snowdrops growing along the forest floor.

Before he reached down to pick them up, Gode stopped him, holding onto his cloak.

"Hold on!" his eyes scanned the vast trees, coming to a stop when he noticed a set of auburn-coloured feathers gently fluttering on of the branches a fair distance from where the group was.

"We're being watched…how strange," he thought as a bird took off from the branch, flying deeper into the forest with the fluttering of its wings more silent than the flowing stream.

"It's fine for now," he said as he continued to lead the group, his gaze firmly trained ahead of him as he recalled the path of the bird.

They would come to find a lush groove that was surrounded by a wall of Darkwoods embraced by several layers of frost, shielding it against the storm bearing down over the forest.

From the streams they came across upon entering this part of the forest appeared to be sourced, flowing outwards to meet the river. With how peaceful the scenery looked, the weary group chose to make camp, at least until they got their strength back and as they move.

"The longer we stay in Elemainn, the stranger this place appears. I just hope the Captain made it out okay" Athal wondered aloud as he gathered dried branches and sticks where she could find them.

With the First Sword in earshot of his curiosity, he asked the returning knight how much they actually knew about the Stormlands.

"I only know that it exists and that it's dangerous, that's why we went to Mannheim using the Rhine"

"Yes, but there's more to this place than that if you'd believe the tales" Ren answered, looking at the hunter who was finishing the last of the knots holding the tarps in place.

"I know precious little of much beyond the Summerlands," said Gode.

"Quite surprising, considering how you knew that we're in Skull bear territory"

"The terrain may vary but the beasts will always act according to their nature. Learning their nature is the only way that I've managed to survive this long"

"Sir Ren, you must know a lot about this place, could you tell us?"Athal's face lit up with curiosity as he asked, surprising the First Sword with an adorable expression.

Ren recounts the stories behind the dangers of the Stormlands, described as a mouth to the realm of Jotunheim. Being a place where the denizens of both realms once would have met and interacted but was now long since left abandoned.

"It is not abandoned, your kind are simply not welcome anymore." a strange wispy voice was heard, coming from a distance into the thicker treeline beyond the camp.

With little hesitation, the knights were standing back to back while searching for where the voice came from.

Watching Ren raise a finger, to warn them of making any noise.

"You're not welcome, leave. Now!" The voice urged them, this time, their words were followed by a sudden gust of a chilling breeze.

"We can't, at least not the way we came. We just need to pass through" Ren answered the mysterious voice, putting himself between the group and where he believed it came from.

"Your kind always remains close to the river. So why have you entered my forest? If you still wish to leave, do so immediately before…"

"We cannot. You know as much as we do how dangerous this place is…isn't that why you led us here" Gode spoke up, garnering strange looks from the group with what he said.

"..."

"We have no intention of staying, we're only passing through"

"One doesn't just wander into Thrymheim, which is why I must remain cautious, for you clearly intended to make your way here" the same auburn bird flew over them before coming to perch nearby.

Revealing how large the beast actually was up close, its form though similar to the falcons of the Stormlands, its size easily dwarfed Athal who put several places between themselves and where the beast remained.

"Did you just say Thrymheim?" Ren let out with widened eyes, seeming less surprised by the bird than its words.

"Sir Ren?" The group tried to reach out to the occupied knight. While Gode alone walked up to the beast.

"I have warned you to leave, why are you approaching me?" The voice was more intense when standing so close but Gode simply continued with a look as though he was trying to puzzle over something.

"You called this your forest...which means this is your home, isn't it?" Gode asked.

"Huh? It is, which is why you must leave" the beast answered.

"But why not stop us the moment you saw us? You must have seen us cross the river."

They both held their gaze firmly on the other, while the hunter waited for a response.

"I…thought you…that you were my…"

"Sir Gode! Sir Gode! This is really really bad..." Athal called to him in a desperate voice.

Bringing his attention back to the group. Who were all pale with sunken gazes.

"Sir Gode…Thrymheim. Do you know what that means…" Athal's dread growing evermore as he watched the hunter's unbothered expression.

"I don't know how we ended up in Jotunheim, but whatever chance we thought we had of getting back to the Captain, we can all kiss that goodbye" one of the knights cried out, having finally broke from every new development the group had experienced up until that point.

"Jotun-heim? h-have I..." The hunter's eyes squinted as his jaw clenched. All as he tried to figure out why that word felt so foreign.