Note: This update is to show my gratitude for the upvotes, we've reached 100 votes and it's amazing. Thank you guys... love you and please enjoy this chapter. Chapter thirteen. The group rode the morning away together, stopping and slowing occasionally to rest their mounts. They took one such pause at the top of a high grassy knoll as they got closer to the mountains path, dismounting under a small patch of trees, leaving their horses under the shade to cool off and feed, while they also fill their stomachs to preserve energy for the upcoming tension that awaits them. A few steps away lies a sparkling river meandering through the valley in front of them. "We'll water the horses and then we continue." Sooyeon said pulling her own steed towards the river so he could have his fill. The rest mirrored her action immediately. They returned to their journey soon enough, until the princess suddenly halted as they reached a crossroad not far from where they took their last rest, her remaining traveling companions did the same and she turned to face them. "The map shows that this is the path to the blood mountains," she began looking at every each one of them. "I must warn you, there are dangers lurking in this forest, if you choose to go on with this journey you may never return to your families and loved ones, so I'm asking you one more time, are you ready to go on with me?" The guards looked at one another as if communicating with their eyes before the leader answered. "We are ready your highness. " Sooyeon nodded, "I'm giving you one final chance to turn back to your families right now, this is my mission, an obligation towards my wife, it has nothing to do with the nation, so are you certain about your decisions?" She asked again strictly. "The general has been a great hero, she'd served the nation well, saved it numerous times, I will be glad and honored to be part of the team that saved her life. Your highness, I will go to the end of the world with you. I stand with you." The leader of the guards returned firmly. "And you?" She asked the rest of the guards. "You can turn back if you want, this is not an easy task, neither is it your fight." She reminded. "We will go with you, your highness." They returned determined. "Very well then, we shall continue with our journey, stay together and keep your eyes open for any potential danger, do not eat anything from the trees, and do not drink the waters not brought by us. Understood?" "Yes your highness." The answered simultaneously. "Good, I hope we get to return home in one piece." She said and turned her mount to face the trail. They broke the edge of the forest, and pushed off into the fog and into the unknown. It was eerily quiet. There were no insects buzzing, bird calls, or any sounds that might indicate that there were other living things in the gloomy fog. They could not clearly see where they were going, but there was a thin path and they followed it because it seemed reasonable to assume that the path will led them to where ever they were heading, surely they got to start somewhere. But deep down Sooyeon also feared that the thin path might bring them sooner to the middle of the wandering lands, that was the only part that frightens her among all the dangers Taeyeon's grandfather had listed, how can she forget what they came here for? The thought was dreading, but they kept on, they have come too far to fear anything now or have a negative thought for that matter. They stopped as night began to fall, unsure of whether they should continue their journey in the darkness. On one hand, the lack of sunlight made very little difference to visibility, but on the other hand, perhaps it was just the animal instinct not to venture blindly into darkness that made all of them hesitate, or it could be that they were held back by a more primal sense of self-preservation, a feeling that there was something lurking in the darkness ahead. "I suggest we set up a camp here to spend the night, since we can't really find our way in the darkness. Tomorrow we shall continue with our quest." The princess said dismounting her horse, she walked towards the carriage of supplies. "What do we have here?" She asked the rider. "Food, water, bedrolls, other useful tools and weapons, the Empress had them packed." He explained. "Great." She said taking the bundle of bedrolls and handing one to each person. "I will take first watch." She adds. "No your highness, you take a rest, I will guard." The leader of the guards quickly stood. "It's alright, I want to study the forest a little bit." She smiled. "I will keep watch with the princess, you should all rest, you need it." Soojung said as she joined her niece. The guards seemed to be exhausted from their journey as they fell asleep as soon their shoulders touched the bedrolls, some of them had even began to snore immediately. Shaking her head in awe, aunt Soojung turned to face her niece. "You should rest too Sooyeon-ah, you look like a ghost." She said in a jovial tone but that didn't hide her concern. The sudden and distinct sound of a branch breaking to her side caught her off guard and Sooyeon's head turned quickly. She placed a finger on her lips gesturing for her aunt to stay quiet, craning her neck, she squinted against the darkness. "I think I heard something. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid." She whispered. Her aunt listened then nod. "It's a howl." Soojung whispered back. "What could it be? Wolves?" "Or wild dogs, huge ones, look." Soojung points at the creatures as they emerged from the dark foliage. "I can't see a single thing." Sooyeon argued. "Look closely, their eyes." Soojung pointed. As if on cue, another howl broke the air and chilled Sooyeon to the bone, she took a few steps back. "I see them, what do we do?" She asked drawing her sword swiftly. "Judging from their eyes, they must be twice the size of the usual wolves. Wild dogs are vicious, and intelligent. There are only two ways to avoid fighting them - either put water between you and them, or possess the bones or skins of one of them, It confuses them." Soojung's neck cracked as she swiveled it wildly, using her leg she poked at the leader of the guards's side hard, he was up abruptly, already drawing his sword. "Wake the rest up now." She instructed. "Wha...what's happening?" He asked still feeling sleepy. "There is a huge pack of wild dogs starring right back at us, now if you don't hurry, you are going to end up dead or eaten by them." The guard was on his feet the minute she said that. He quietly woke every each of the remaining guards and they stood in circle with their weapons drawn. "Can they climb the trees?" One of them asked. Aunt Soojung shot him a withering glare not that it matters since it's in the dark but she couldn't help herself. "Yes, let's trap ourselves indefinitely in the treetops." She said and snorted. Sooyeon cocked her head, and a faraway expression appeared in her eyes for a moment, the one that said she'd thought of something. "Let's try to kill one of them, we can use the skin and bones to confuse them as you said." She introduced. "Yes but killing one of these beasts will be hard, they hunt together." Soojung said. "Does it mean that we can if we can get one of them to separate from the rest?" The leader asked. "Surely, we can but how? They hardly separate from each other." She pointed. "Distraction, we should distract them, let's spread out, one of us should be able to take down any stranded dog, right?" He said meekly. "We divide into two groups, I will stay behind to kill one them at least." The princess suggested. "No Sooyeon you go, I will get the dog myself, besides I'm quite familiar with what these beasts are capable of alone, let alone in a pack this large." The first beast broke the clearing just as Soojung said the l