The day after the torrent of Wolf Riders from the north disappeared over the horizon, treading thru residual snow and mud, the gates of Blackwood Fortress opened quietly once again in the silence before dawn.
A much smaller team set out silently, like a stream merging into the forest.
Their destination was the vast and profound Blackwood Forest to the east of the fortress.
Unlike the aggressive, metallic-scented exploration team led by Hask, this group was more like a band of hunters returning to the mountains and forests.
They wore no standardized armor; instead, they were dressed in fitted garments sewn from various animal hides, perfectly suited for traversing the woods.
Their composition was quite "diverse"; in addition to thirty soldiers from the Forest Tracker Legion, there were a dozen or so volunteers—Fox-folk and Deer-folk with an innate affinity for the woodlands.
The leader of the team was an old Deer-folk hunter named Kate.
He was not as imposing as Goff, nor as arrogant as Hask.
His face was etched with wrinkles carved by the elements, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.
His back was slightly hunched, a professional ailment from lurking in the woods for half a lifetime.
He was a man of few words, and every word he spoke was as precise and steady as the arrows he loosed.
Before they departed, Colin came to see him off personally. There was no grand ceremony, just a quiet farewell by that inconspicuous side gate.
"Kate, this mission is more complex and potentially more dangerous than Hask's," Colin said in a low voice. "Hask faces known enemies and visible mineral deposits. You, however, will be facing the completely unknown."
"I understand, Leader." Kate stroked his war bow, the body polished to a shine by his palm. "The forest never lies; it only kills those who do not respect it."
"I need you to venture deep into the heart of the forest, cross the 'Blackwater Swamp' that we have never stepped foot in before, and see what is hidden behind that primeval jungle." Colin spread out a rough animal-hide map, pointing to a large blank area to the west.
"Find any isolated demi-human settlements that might exist. Find them, observe them, and record them. Do not make contact lightly, and certainly do not engage in conflict. Remember, we are explorers, not conquerors."
"Also, keep an eye out for anything of value. Not just minerals, but perhaps special plants or animals we don't recognize. The forest is a treasure trove, and I need you to draw me a treasure map."
Kate listened intently and nodded heavily.
"Rest assured, Leader, we know what to do. We are going to find friends, not trouble."
He turned around, facing the hundred and twenty or so team members with their varied expressions, and said only one sentence.
"Into the forest."
And just like that, this small forest exploration team quietly merged into the Blackwood Forest in the morning light.
The first three days of the journey went smoothly. They traveled along the safe routes already explored by the Forest Tracker Legion; for these old woodsmen, this area was as familiar as their own backyard.
The atmosphere in the team was relatively relaxed.
A young Fox-folk named Fenrir was the most active member of the team. His sense of smell was extremely keen, and he could always be the first to find where wild fruits grew or where there was spring water suitable for drinking. He would often dart to the front of the team like a gust of wind, then run back triumphantly to show off his discoveries to Kate.
"Uncle Kate, there's wild honey about a mile ahead! I can smell it—it's cloyingly sweet!"
"Uncle Kate, there are a few big rabbits having a meeting in that gully to the left. Should we have them for dinner?"
Kate usually just nodded, only occasionally admonishing him: "Don't run too far. The beasts in the forest are experts at dealing with people like you who don't watch where they're going."
"Beasts?" Fenrir tilted his head in confusion. "With so many of us, why would we fear beasts?" Kate explained calmly.
Another core member of the team was a Deer-folk girl named Ira. She wasn't as lively as Fenrir and always walked silently on the flank of the team. But her long legs allowed her to move across complex terrain as if it were flat ground, and her eyes could spot many details that even Kate would overlook.
"A lone wolf passed thru here half an hour ago," she would say softly, pointing to an imperceptible paw print on a fallen leaf.
"That river cannot be crossed directly. The rocks upstream are the wrong color; the water might be poisonous," she would warn everyone while observing the cliff wall in the distance.
An experienced, steady-as-a-mountain Deer-folk hunter.
A keen-nosed, energetic Fox-folk scout.
An observant, cautious Deer-folk scout.
Coupled with other equally experienced team members, this small team could be considered the perfect configuration for forest exploration.
On the fourth day, they arrived at thepitch black as if hiding countless unknown dangers.
It seemed the unknown dangers had only just begun.