The early morning sun was having a hard time breaking through the canopy of the thick forest, which was a maze of tall trees and tangled vegetation. Zara kept the party moving at a steady pace while keeping an eye out for any indication of a chase. Although the Vanguard had suffered a serious setback in the battle at the river, they were also directly targeted.
With just hand gestures and sporadic murmurs for communication, the group travelled in silence. Every movement was exact, every stride deliberate. They were getting ready for something more significant than merely surviving.
They arrived at a clearing before midday, where a slender path wound its way up into the hills. Anya stopped and looked at a hand-drawn map with several sites of interest highlighted on it.
"The eastern outpost is accessible via this trail," she stated. Although it's a smaller base, their communication network depends on it. We'll make it impossible for them to organise reinforcements in this area if we can
