539 DXXXIX. The Entrance

She returned the greeting with her hand and a big smile, incredulous of what she was seeing and curious to discover the details.

"What happened? I had resigned myself to the idea of never seeing you again, Reidar! Did you run away? Did you disobey King Einar too? Fuck, you shouldn't have done it!" Dag continued, trying to imagine what had happened.

"Master Egill helped me to escape... together we drew up a diversion and after distracting the Golden Army guards who were tasked with keeping us under control, I managed to escape... I found this horse near Fort Hvit... I believe that the guards who remained there, after seeing his precarious condition, abandoned him to death, but I saved him, feeding him with that little food and water that I managed to bring with me!" the archer replied enthusiastically, stroking the horse's neck, who with a happy verse proved his gratitude.

"Egill... he knew I'd need a hand... he is the wisest man I've ever known... and what about Gridd and Karl? How are they? Did anything happen to them?" Dag asked again, trying to extrapolate as much information as possible.

"They're fine, don't worry about them... by now they will be safe and sound in Okstorm. Gridd wanted to come with me, but I knew you'd rather she didn't follow me..." 

Dag got closer to Reidar's horse and put a hand on his back, looking at him proudly.

"You know me like no one else, my friend... I tell you the truth... I'm glad you're here, even though I'd rather you didn't come at this moment… of war." 

"War?" Reidar asked, who although he had guessed that all those men would soon fight a battle, did not know who was the enemy to defeat.

"Yes, that's right. We and the Claws Of Fenrir will face the Lies Of Loki to regain possession of the city of Klorr. Once this will be done, I will be able to devote myself totally to fulfilling the prophecy that you also know" Dag replied in a low voice, knowing that Reidar would never forget those important details.

"You're true allies now, aren't you? I mean you and the Giants of Ymir... they have accepted you and Freydis into their Clan, I understand… and... wait a second... did you say the Claws Of Fenrir?" Reidar asked in an astonished expression, believing he had not heard well.

"Yes, exactly. I managed to convince their leader, someone called Bloodfang, that fighting between us is of no use if the supremacy of these territories will always be in the hands of the Lies Of Loki, who in addition to having the largest army of Krypstorm, rule over two big cities" Dag continued, explaining in a nutshell what he had learned during those days.

"You're Reidar, right?" Kranus interrupted, advancing slightly toward the archer and entering the conversation.

"Excellent. I remember your face during one of our first meetings. Your skill with the bow is incredible. I've never seen anyone hit a moving target sharply from that distance... moreover, the man you killed was also invisible" Kranus continued, congratulating him.

"Thank you, but it wasn't anything... let's say I've cultivated my passion for the bow since I was a kid. Rather... Dag was telling me about the impending war we're about to fight..." 

"Yes, I think it will happen in a few hours. The man you killed was a Lies Of Loki informant who aimed to give crucial information about our plans to his leaders so that they could prepare for battle. But thanks to you, this won't happen and we can still take advantage of the unknown. Even if we're all wondering it, I'm not going to ask you questions about your bow and the magic arrows you fired... we can't waste any more time, we're behind schedule." 

After those words, without even giving Reidar a chance to respond, Kranus turned the other way and began riding west again.

The soldiers resumed the march and even Atran, after wrapping his wounds with simple bandages, even though he was at the limit of his endurance, climbed on horseback with Kron's help and followed his commander.

"Maybe you should go back to Tungvek, Atran... I don't know how useful your presence will be now that you are under these conditions. I saw you fight against the impostor and in the middle of the war, you would not resist more than a few minutes" Kranus exclaimed again, with his usual coldness, without even thinking that his words could hurt the pride of the General who had escaped death.

"That means I'm going to die fighting for my Clan, Commander. It will be an honor." 

Atran's courageous response charged the spirit of Dag and the other Masters, as well as that of all the soldiers who heard those words, taking their general as a virtuous example of strength and courage.

Continuing to ride and overcoming the corpse deprived of his equipment and left naked in the snow, the Giants Of Ymir's army found itself in front of the southern Randt Mastiff mountains, exactly on the same road that the members of the diplomatic mission had traveled a few days earlier.

Seeing hundreds of men arrive, the warriors stationed at the top of the rock face came out of their hiding places but did not prepare their weapons, continuing to look curiously at all the soldiers who made up the army that would support them in the great war.

"Don't fear the archers to our right... now that they know that we are allies, they will not hurt us" Dag said, knowing that the most inexperienced soldiers who were visiting that place for the first time were watching the corpses pierced by arrows in the snow and the enemy archers armed and attentive.