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The forbidden forest was covered with snow. The trees were gray and bare, with not even a whistle from the wind. There was nothing but the crunching of horse hooves as the recruits rode into the Faerie lands. Even the bushes and shrubs were naked. Not a single hint of vegetation was seen the entire ride through. And all that could be seen were trees and endless white. No deer, no wolves. Not even a bird was found nested in the trees. It was as if even the animals knew of the evil that lived among those trees.
Harley's breath puffed in front of her as she exhaled. At the head of the recruits was Major Nox. He offered to oversee their trial and ensure that the prisoner would not be harmed, while Commander Gerald stayed behind and awaited their return. And Harley was grateful for it. She wasn't planning on winning by cheating, but she was glad to know Nox was there to help her should she need it.
Finally, his horse stopped. The recruits followed as he spun his horse around to look over them. "From here on, your hunt begins. Remember to bring them back alive," he said. The troops did not hesitate to go their separate ways. Dustin and Harley eyed each other as they parted, keeping in mind their bet that even the Major did not know about. Harley didn't bother telling him in case he became offended that she was aiming to get a Faerie tonic. And she would rather not deal with his bad side.
As she went on her way, the first thing she started looking for were footprints. But that wasn't all she had to keep an eye out for. The forest was home to the sinister Faeries. Normally the Kingdom would never send their soldier into the forbidden forest where they could be captured and tortured by said Faeries, so she knew this prisoner must be very valuable. She wondered if they belonged to an enemy Kingdom, one of the ones that King Silas was always going to war against. If that was the case, whatever information they had was very desirable. They could not afford to lose the prisoner.
Harley also knew better than to expect it to be a simple mission. No one broke out of prison with ease. They needed help. Which meant they likely weren't alone. She expected a small group to be with them. Armed, and dangerous. Splitting up wasn't exactly smart of the recruits. That showed her that most of them expected it to be an easy catch. However, Harley wasn't alone like the rest of them were. Major Nox was never too far from her, and neither of them planned on playing nice with their enemies. And if she managed to capture the whole group instead of just the one prisoner, her reward may be even greater.
The scent of smoke stopped her in her tracks. Instantly she thought it was the prisoner and their group, having stopped to make a camp just to survive the unusual cold of the forest. It drew her closer towards it, and at a safe distance she dismounted her horse and armed herself with her musket. She further and further, staying close by the trees and shrubs for cover while she crouched. Each step she took with care, making the snow crunch as quietly as possible. But as the camp came into view, she saw two war horses with their riders kneeling down by a small fire. And their fur cloaks were red.
