The next day's journey was difficult...

The next day, armed troops under the command of the Baron of Ashcross crossed the border separating the civilized lands of the human Kingdom of Orlania from the vast, wild forests of the east, inhabited by vile, savage orc tribes.

Militia units (one of which you are a part of) continue to advance...

It seems the Baron is using these units as a sort of "reconnaissance"...

The path through the dense forest became more difficult...

A grueling march...

Hour after hour...

Sometimes there aren't even small, winding paths in your direction - forcing you to push through thorny bushes and thickets of tall grass, often tripping over the long, twisted roots of large trees. You and your fellow militia members aren't exactly skilled forest pathfinders, so your clumsy movements often provoke loud reactions from the forest fauna (either a flock of small birds will fly out of the bushes with a cheerful chirp, or a hare will run headlong past your feet).

Sometimes such carelessness has unpleasant consequences: your cheek still hurts from the sergeant's slap this morning.

"Idiot! What the hell are you making so much noise for?! Can't you move more quietly?!" - this angry, muscular man, with a large, nasty wart on his forehead, was clearly unhappy that you and Lenny were too visible as you moved through the forest.

However, Lenny had been beaten much more severely by the sergeant than you. His goofy, grinning, freckled face was a patchwork of bruises.

With each hour of travel, the forest grew darker...

Finally, your squad stopped for another rest...

You and your companions were feeling tired from the hours-long march through the rugged wooded terrain.

Lenny collapsed exhausted on the grass, throwing away his wooden shield (which nearly hit you in the shin).

You, too, would like to rest now, but...

"What the hell are you, two bastards, slacking off for?!" - sergeant's loud voice echoes in your head, and it's so irritating you almost feel a migraine.

Unfortunately, while the rest of the militia squad was busy setting up a resting place, the sergeant tasked you and Lenny with finding a water source and carrying it in wooden buckets to the temporary campsite. You sigh and recall what you saw recently while walking through the forest.

It seems you recently heard the quiet murmur of a small stream somewhere nearby...

"Follow me..." - you grumble to the trembling red-haired guy, who is clearly afraid the sergeant will beat him up again.

Without waiting for his answer, you grab a wooden bucket and walk through the dense bushes.

Lenny grabs his bucket and runs after you...

You've always had a rather reserved (perhaps even sullen) personality – so you would have preferred to refrain from chatter and simply follow the sergeant's orders.

Alas, your companion had other plans...

While you and your companion are walking toward this place, Lenny won't stop talking nonsense...

"My grandmother told me that the town of Ashcross was so named because hundreds of years ago there was a hill on this site where ancient heroes burned three terrible witches who had cruelly tormented all the inhabitants of the area... They say that on the night of a full moon, an attentive traveler passing by the palisade of this town will hear a quiet woman's sobbing, which has no visible source! Grandmother said that these are echoes of terrible events of the past – witches disguised themselves as defenseless, suffering women and lured gullible travelers into a deadly trap!" - it seems Lenny can't contain his talkativeness even after experiencing the "effect of the sergeant's fists".

"Fuck... Just shut up... Ashcross was built at the intersection of two winding roads... These were important trade routes through this forested region... Like everywhere in forested areas, the city's expansion required the felling of many trees... Some were used for construction, while others were burned to improve the soil's fertility... I have no desire to listen to your grandmother's fairytales!" - you mutter irritably, trying to interrupt your companion's stream of "eloquence".

However, he still doesn't let up and continues his idle talk.

You endure this minute after minute...

Finally, just when you're considering doing the same to this idiot as the sergeant did, you hear the sound of running water nearby.

A forest brook!

You run, pushing aside the bushes.

Indeed: before your eyes lies a winding brook, its water rushing into a small pond surrounded by bushes and trees.

"Enough chatter! "Let's fill the buckets with water and take them back to camp!" - you say to your companion.

So, you both begin filling the buckets with water...

Soon you finish. You both turn back toward the militia camp.

Carrying these buckets full of water is heavy...

You feel your body breaking out in sweat...

Lenny follows you, groaning and complaining. This only irritates you even more.

Almost halfway to camp, you hear something strange...

You stop, and your companion almost pushes you in the back.

"Derek? Did something happen?" - you hear his puzzled question.

You gesture for him to shut up and carefully turn right...

You put the heavy bucket on the ground, then you approach a tall oak tree, whose branches spread out for many meters. You push aside the bushes adjacent to the oak tree, rustling in the breeze.

A small winding forest path opens before your eyes...

And along this path, orcs are running!

Desperately trying to remain unnoticed, you manage to count a little less than a dozen of these monsters...

Fangs, muscular green-skinned bodies clad in some kind of barbarian clothing, terrifying weapons in their hands...

"Let's get to camp! Hurry!" - you whisper to your companion.

"What about the buckets?" - he asks stupidly.

You kick the bucket of water out of his hands.

"Hurry up and run, dumbass!" - you whisper angrily in his ear.

The next second, you start running as fast as you can. You don't turn around...

Judging by the sounds, Lenny is still running after you...