The wind howled across the Orcish Lands, dry and sharp, carrying with it the scent of blood, sweat, and ash. The group led by Captain Wilfrid moved cautiously northward, staying close to what little vegetation the land offered...shrubs, patches of tall grass, a line of stunted trees struggling near a cracked creek bed. Each hooffall was measured, each breath controlled. Silence reigned between the riders, born not just of discipline but of the growing sense that something was terribly wrong.
They had covered half a day's distance since the last skirmish. The rescued survivors...Baldred and his three companions...rode slowly but steadily. They'd passed the worst of the injuries. Now came the slow dread of what lay ahead.
Wilfrid raised a hand and brought the column to a halt atop a low rise near the remains of an old hut, long abandoned and collapsed. His eyes scanned the horizon, narrowing.
There. Dust. Movement.