By dawn the next day, the sun dispelled the night and illuminated the earth, with sunlight sprinkling over the canopy, awakening the birds in the forest. They chirped and hopped onto the branches to sing joyfully, chasing each other in the void, calling companions, making a ruckus. In the thicket at the forest edge, a team lay in silent ambush, so still that not even the birds on the branches noticed them. Everyone remained silent, waiting for something.
The edge of the forest bordered a winding road, which led to an open plain. In the distance, a village and a small river could be vaguely seen. Several large trees grew in the open plain, seemingly out of place, yet adding some charm and vivacity to the otherwise silent plain.
