Trouble Ahead (2)

After that, there was a lengthy pause, during which his words began to sink in. Everyone in the group exchanged a collective glance, and an unspoken understanding was communicated.

The isolated location and the low probability that the individuals in question were either travelers or villagers all pointed toward the same unsettling conclusion.

"Most likely Frantian soldiers," Garrett stated, his words leaving a chill in the air, much like the gusts of wind sweeping across the frozen river in the vicinity.

The subsequent hush was thick with tense anticipation, and the only sounds that broke it were the ones made by the surrounding vegetation to the howls of the wind. They looked at each other in the firelight, their expressions ranging from shock to resolve as the reality of their situation became abundantly clear. Their eyes met.