4

chapter 4: The Dark Brotherhood

When I woke up the next morning, Cirler was gone.

"Where did he go?" I asked Brathor.

"He went out to scout out the area. He told me he would return with reinforcements. We won't know if they're successful until he comes back." Brathor replied, looking worried.

"Can we leave now? We need to get to the camp as soon as possible. I want to know what happened." I demanded. Brathur looked at me in surprise.

"Yes, I agree. Let's pack up quickly. I don't know how long Cirler will be." He said, grabbing his bag and beginning to gather supplies. I nodded and hurried to help. Soon enough we were finished packing and were ready to go. We set off through the woods, following the path that Cirler had taken. After a few hours we finally reached the edge of the forest. It was a large clearing, surrounded by trees. In the center was a small hill that was covered with a thick layer of snow. Cirler was standing atop the hill, surveying the area.

"Did you find anything?" I asked anxiously.

"Not yet." Cirler said quietly. "But I'm sure I will eventually. Once I find the basecamp, we can move forward. But right now we need to be careful. We're going to be outnumbered."

"How many of them are there?" Brathor asked.

Cirler sighed and shook his head.

"We don't know. But they will be more than we can handle. I don't want to put you in danger. I want you to wait here. While I scout out the area, you can prepare yourselves for battle. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The enemy is probably watching us right now, keeping an eye on our movements. If they spot us, you'll know. Be ready to flee. But if they don't, then we need to be as prepared as possible."

"Okay, I understand." Brathor said. "What is your plan, Cirlier?"

"I am going to sneak in close to the basecamp unseen. Then we will be able to capture the leader without the risk of losing any lives. We just need to keep him alive for now. Once we do, we'll take him back with us and bring him before the council. At that point we can decide whether or not to kill him."

"Alright, sounds good. Just be careful."