Traveling by night, Lee and his companions were afforded only a scant few, very brief rests. Even those fleeting respites were allowed only in order to prevent the group’s total collapse from exhaustion. Lee and the others covered a considerable distance of ground during the forced march, under the steady pressure and guidance of the woodsman Gunther.
The unobstructed two moons far above cast a moderate amount of light down among the surrounding trees. At the least, the illumination was enough to walk by without undue fear of stumbling into some unseen obstacle.
Though his legs felt as if they were fashioned of solid bricks, and his knees and lower back cried out continuously, Lee trudged onward with grim resolve. He glanced often towards Gunther, though he had to concentrate more and more in his increasing fatigue to avoid tripping on the uneven surface of the woodland floor.
The dour woodsman had been fairly silent and withdrawn all throughout the journey. A cloud of tension and dark thoughts had seemed to envelop the woodsman shortly after they had gotten underway.
There were no efforts on the part of Lee or any of the others to try and interject into the man’s brooding aura. Lee was more than content to wait patiently until Gunther opted to let them into his private and mysterious world. The woodsman was not the sort of individual to be coerced, and Lee knew that any attempt to do so would be feeble and likely provoking.
For the most part, the four otherworlders had capably handled the exacting pace that they had all been subjected to. Even Erin had been without outward complaint. Gratefully, she seemed reticent about doing anything to offend Gunther. Though Lee felt strongly that she eventually needed some harsh admonishment, he did not want to witness what an irritated response by the stern, grieving woodsman might be like. The man looked to be capable of loosing a hurricane of wrath.
Mercifully, Gunther finally decided to call an extended halt for the rest of the night as they reached the base of a large hill.
The Jaghuns appeared out of the darkness again, soon after Gunther sounded a short series of deep, barking calls. The Jaghuns stayed only briefly, before Gunther dispersed them, sending the creatures trotting off into the shadows of the night.
Lee watched the beasts pad away with nary a sound, their forms swiftly enveloped in the ebon depths of the trees. He knew that they would remain in the vicinity, and was eminently thankful for the presence of such formidable guardians.
Gunther then turned his attentions to the four other humans, and curtly instructed them all to take advantage of the hiatus by taking a nap. The weather was holding clear, and there was no immediate necessity for finding or fashioning any form of shelter.
In moments, Lee and the others had each found a place upon the hard earth. All were soon slumbering under the watchful eyes of the woodsman, as well as those of his inhuman companions.
Dawn gradually spread its burgeoning glow and settled down over the forest, though not before Gunther had already roused his tired wards. In the cool dampness of the pre-dawn, the somber woodsman consumed some pieces of hard bread and dried meat with Lee, Lynn, and Ryan. A perplexed look crossed Gunther’s face when the morning’s rations were divvied up, as Erin rejected the meat and took only the bread.
Gunther tensed, as if about to make some sort of remark, but then just shook his head and ate his own meager fare in silence.
Lee quickly saw that Gunther’s severe mood from the previous evening had changed very little. The woodsman only spoke to them when he needed to give information or issue a directive.
The group was soon on its way again, just as the first piercing rays of sunlight heralded the newborn day, driving the shadows back about the thick tree growth and lower brush. Gunther had informed them just prior to their outset that they were only about half a day’s march out from his homestead.
They had not traveled all that far when the group came to a sudden halt, as the faint sounds of a horn reached their ears. Gunther froze in mid-step. When the horn blast was repeated again, Gunther made a whistling sound.
Seemingly out of nowhere, one of the Jaghuns reappeared amongst the party. It trotted immediately up to Gunther, its tail wagging vigorously. Gunther calmly looked down at the creature, staring into its eyes.
“Bring Saxan,” he said firmly.
The creature lurched into motion, and raced off through the woods. Its speeding form was gone from sight in seconds.
Gunther turned back to the others.
Lee did not know what to make of the strange interaction. In the interim, he had gripped the hilt of the sword that he was carrying very tightly. It was the right reflex for one holding to a natural caution, though he sensed no alarm in Gunther.
“The tone of that horn is nothing to fear. It is the warriors of Saxany that sound those horns. They are fighting the ones that assailed you yesterday,” Gunther explained. “I know them well enough that my trust is well-placed in them. That unique horn note is their signal for me. Perhaps they have come to warn us of danger. My Jaghun will bring their messenger to us. We do not have to wait for them here. We can find a more suitable place to rest, and to await them.”
Without further delay, Gunther started off across the forest floor once again. Lee and the others exchanged several glances, a number of questions coming to Lee’s own mind. The curiosities remained unspoken as the four hurried to catch back up with Gunther, and resume the trek.