394 CCCXCIV. The Breach (1/2)
”We will head to the breach in the ground as a single group, but once we get to the edge and find a way to get into it, Gridd, Karl and I will proceed before everyone else, to clear the way in case of danger and allow you all to descend into about three groups, which will be under the command of Master Sander, Master Kjell, Freydis and Reidar. Remember that if something goes wrong and the enemies attack us by surprise, we will have to fight with our teeth and our lives will be at risk again, even if their powers with this Sun will surely be halved. One last thing... as some of you pointed out to me yesterday, our food resources are scarce, so our goal is also to find food and water, hoping that there is something edible for us.”
The warriors said nothing and continued to look at Dag with a firm expression and straight shoulders, without fear of facing those terrible enemies for the second time.
Not feeling the need to recap the details of the dangerous bite of the wolves, Dag gestured with his arm and the warriors untied the lines, following him and the other Masters out of the stone house of the now-destroyed village, which had sheltered them during those cold nights, allowing them to heal their wounds.
At a sustained pace, marching in the front row with Gridd and Kjell and followed by all the others, Dag led his men to the breach in the ground.
Just as he walked, he noticed Thalos joining him, looking him in the eye.
”I guess you want to go down with us, don't you?” he asked the wolf, who continued to look at him, giving him an affirmative answer.
After less than ten minutes of walking, the large hole in the ground was perfectly visible, being characterized by strong chromatic contrast with the surrounding snow, which along its perimeter had remained intact, far from the destructive attack of Dag.
Gridd raised her hand, ordering all the soldiers to stop: as set out in the plan, Egill and Kjell positioned themselves in front of the troops, ready to give the signal at Dag's orders, who together with Thalos approached further at the edge of the hole.
As Gridd and Karl walked slowly toward him, Dag laid his foot on the last boulder that separated him and his men from a cliff hundreds of meters deep.
Despite his exceptional visual abilities, the interior of the cave, as expected, was characterized by impenetrable darkness, which extended to its bottom.
He studied the perimeter of the top of that cave, always paying attention to every sound coming from below, ready to dodge any surprise attack.
The cavity was wider at the top and narrowly at the bottom, with grooves etched into the rock across the wall, which seemed to be engraved by the claws of the fierce Claws Of Fenrir warriors, who somehow managed to reach those incredible heights.
”That way, be careful” he said, beginning to walk preceded by Thalos and followed by Karl and Gridd, who closed the line.