The Hols cavalrymen were grumbling. The sky had begun to pale, and the landscape around them was becoming clear, but they still had found nothing...
Only a few hours earlier, they had loudly cheered their officer's order. Now they resented the young noble leading them. These greedy soldiers had gained none of what they wanted and had wasted an entire night instead.
A full cavalry force of 300 men had spent the whole night searching the woods around this village for such a ridiculous reason... The truly important man with the troops behind them was known for his harsh ways. If he learned that his army's advance guard was wasting time like this...
Everyone looked resentfully at the young noble, who was still searching. He seemed to think his dignity had been insulted and insisted on going on regardless of everything else. Making such a fuss over two insignificant farm women made him look ridiculous to them all.
A group of veterans had begun talking quietly among themselves. They had decided not to obey this fool's orders any longer. The others, too, cast scornful looks at this leader who had appeared out of nowhere.
For some unknown reason, their previous commander had been removed and replaced with this useless man, who knew nothing but money and glory. To quickly gain control of the soldiers, their newly arrived commander had therefore given them permission to loot at will...
It was a common practice among commanders. Letting the soldiers plunder freely was an effective way to raise morale and the simplest way to win their loyalty.
When it went smoothly, of course, there was no problem. The soldiers would think better of him for the money they had stolen. But if anything went wrong, a commander who lacked control of his troops would become the target of everyone's anger.
At least for now, the soldiers saw the young noble as utterly useless and a complete fool. Worse, his absurd stubbornness was close to getting them all into trouble.
Just as the mood grew increasingly tense, a steady beat of hooves suddenly reached their ears. Everyone turned their attention toward it. A riderless warhorse was approaching the herd at an easy, light-footed pace.
Anyone who knew even a little about warfare realized what had happened. Unless there was an emergency, a cavalryman would never abandon his mount...
Especially not such a strong, valuable warhorse. Buying just one could bankrupt a merchant with a modest fortune. It was the most valuable thing they owned. Even if they threw away their helmets and armor in flight, they would never leave their horses behind.
"I knew it!!"
The young noble rose excitedly. He stared at the warhorse as though he were looking at his lover.
"I knew those two women couldn't be ordinary villagers! They must be spies sent by the Empire!! Look! Another of our soldiers has died at their hands!"
He shouted himself almost hoarse. His face flushed red and twisted with excitement. Then he spurred ahead toward the place the horse had come from. The cavalrymen looked at one another for a while. A few dozen who really could not bear to give up began to feel tempted too, and rushed after him in a crowd.
Following the tracks along the way, they reached a broad clearing almost in the blink of an eye. A thick layer of fallen leaves covered it. The ground was very level and looked ideal for a gallop.
Just as the cavalrymen were about to spread out and search, a brief scream rang out. Every eye turned to the slope opposite. A faint white figure was swiftly moving away...
"Ha ha! Get after her! Catch that bitch!"
At the order from their commander in name, the cavalrymen, already impatient from searching all night, let out a cheer. Without hesitation, they drove their warhorses toward the far side. Shrill shouts and savage roars filled the air...
At last, these men looking for amusement had found the excitement they wanted. Their bloodlust and cruelty stirred, and they raced to be the first to catch the two women who had hidden from them all night.
"Aah!!!"
A terrified scream suddenly rang out. But it was not a woman's voice. It was a man's deep, rough cry.
Before everyone's eyes, the veteran at the front drove his horse in a leap onto the level clearing. The instant its front hooves touched down, they sank deep into the ground. A mass of black mud splashed up. In a blink, it had covered all four hooves and reached the soldier's boots.
The cavalrymen, their blood still racing, had no time to react to the sudden sight. Carried forward by their horses' speed, they plunged in one after another, sending mud flying everywhere.
The panicked cries of men and horses filled the clearing as it revealed its true nature... It was a foul-smelling bog, seemingly bottomless, and it was rapidly swallowing the heavy soldiers and their horses.
Leaves from the trees had settled over the bog layer upon layer, hiding what lay beneath. This bog was the very reason such an unusually flat stretch of ground existed in the forest...
Everyone struggled in panic. These soldiers were battle-hardened veterans, but none had ever fallen into such a dreadful bog. As they and their horses thrashed desperately, their limbs stirred the thick mud thinner and softer, making them sink faster and faster...
A veteran with despair on his face reached desperately toward the bank. Fear kept his legs kicking, but his body sank slowly and irresistibly, inch by inch.
All around him, cries for help rose in a confused din, then slowly fell silent one by one. At last the mud swallowed the top of his head, submerging his gleaming iron helmet.
Not a trace of triumph remained on the bloodthirsty young noble's face. His warhorse struggled desperately, trying to keep its head above the bog.
But it was hopeless. The horse's huge body was sinking at a visible rate. The noble's feet were already buried in the mud, and the filthy, rotten sludge was creeping toward his waist. He clawed wildly around him, trying to find something that would hold him up.
But what could give him any support in that thin, soft mud? He could only drag desperately at nearby soldiers who had not yet gone under, stepping on their shoulders and armor. The men tore at one another in the bog, each trying to use the others' bodies to escape.
But that only made them sink faster... As the last cavalryman's head vanished completely beneath the mud, the bog slowly grew quiet again...
Author's note: I've been working hard on my drawing these past couple of days. Once I've mastered my amazing skills, I'll try to add illustrations of the characters... Of course, they'll definitely look awful. (°ー°〃)
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