Morning finally comes and although I don't feel as rested as usual, it should be enough. It got a bit stuffy during the night too, with Sammy and I sleeping so close together. By the way, where is she? I get up and stretch a bit, noticing that the spot where the campfire used to be had already been restored to its original state. After my stretching, I go outside. Much to my surprise, everyone - including Sammy - was already waiting, their packed things in tow for today's task.
I stand in front of them and wait a moment to get everyone's attention. "Listen," I begin my speech, "before we start our journey, we will make a little detour to the lake and drink to our hearts' content. Who knows how long it will be before we find another source of drinking water? After that, I will briefly explain the formation in which we will march."
"My lord, with all due respect, I have ordered the kobolds to make waterskins from the materials of the animals we have hunted. Even if we don't find a reliable water source right away, we should be able to make do with that." Sammy's words hit me with full force. I had completely ignored such problems, since she and I don't need much water to get through the day. "Excellent. Now let's not waste any more time and go and fill these containers."
Minutes later, the kobolds are filling each waterskin. A closer look reveals the rather basic quality of the workmanship. However, they hold the water without leaking. Even pulling or squeezing the container does not affect the tightness. Shortly afterwards I explain the formation. I decided on five kobolds in the front, Sammy and I in the middle and the other five in the back.
Since I last checked, the range of weapons has increased. Spears have been upgraded from a sharpened stick to, well, still a stick, but the tip has been replaced by a hewn stone. In addition, wooden shields - mostly made of woven branches and reinforced with bark - now adorn some of the kobolds' arms. Seeing this gives me hope for the future, but we need better equipment later on.
I tell the goblins to climb one of the bigger trees and look for the mountain. That way we can be sure we are going in the right direction. A few minutes later we are on our way again, heading towards our destination in the aforementioned formation.
As the day progressed, we covered quite a lot of distance. At least that's what I think, as the forest is quite dense and blocks any direct view of the mountain. During our journey - although it is mostly forest - we came across a handful of small groves where we found different kinds of flowers. Unsure at first, the journal told us that these flowers are used in the making of potions, so I ordered the kobolds to pick them and store them for later use.
In the late afternoon we come to a small river where we will set up camp for the night. But first we walk a little upstream to find a suitable spot. It's a shame we don't have any tents to protect us from the elements, but let's just hope it doesn't start to rain during the night. It's strange that neither Sammy nor I had thought of making some. The goal of getting to the mountain was pretty much set from the start.
[White wolf’s POV]
I look up at the sky as the sun slowly sets, for today is the day I will finally find and kill those murderers. I'm following this scent that leads me to those who killed my brothers and sisters. I have not forgotten what they did to us. I didn't follow you last time because I was grieving for the loss of my brothers. But I dare you to underestimate me, for I have also used the past few days to grow stronger. It may be one against many, but I will fight with everything I have to kill you.
The scent is getting stronger, I must be close. My instincts tell me to approach slowly, but the memory of what happened fills me with such hatred that I run full speed towards the source of the scent. I dash through the thicket of some bushes, ready to fight...
...but all I find are a few small creatures, which now flee at my presence. This rage-inducing odour is everywhere in this place, so I do a thorough search. There are plenty of clues, like claw marks on some trees, bone remains from what I think was their food, and inside a hollowed-out tree there is a smell - no, a disgusting amount of pheromones from a female in heat, inside. I can faintly make out something else, but my nose needs a breath of fresh air. A second check outside reveals a fresh scent in a different direction from where I came, so I decide to follow it as it's my best option. I should hurry to catch up with them.
[Thanatos’ POV]
I am woken by a light tap on my shoulder. I turn round and it's Sammy saying, "Good morning, Milord. I hope you slept well despite the lack of our usual comforts." I am silent for a moment. "Good morning, Sammy. This is the price we have to pay for my lack of foresight," I reply, ending with a long yawn. As I stand up, I see the whole group slowly waking up.
The night is coming to an end as we all begin to prepare for today's march. The first rays of sunlight are blocked by the treetops, making it difficult to move through the forest. This is going to be another long day, but every step we take brings us closer to our goal. Our pace is steady and we are making good progress. Too bad we were suddenly interrupted at the back. At the same time as I'm getting ready, I turn around and am shocked to see my greatest fear.
"I've finally found you." These words, accompanied by a growl, echo through the otherwise quiet forest. It's the white wolf, and he looks at us very angrily. There is no time for the surprised kobolds to realise what is about to happen, as he charges at us at full speed, and I know that this is going to be a difficult fight to the death.
