This was the closest Warwick had ever been to the North Forest’s boundaries in some time, and the calm of the day just seemed to be the calm before a storm, which was an expression the man had heard from a traveller once and found it a very apt description for what he felt now. Gryffyth disappeared into the brush to hunt, taking his wolf with him, which gave Warwick an opening to water Starla. Placing two calloused fingers in his mouth, Warwick let loose a shrill whistle to get the bison’s attention.  

The bison, which had been contentedly grazing in the sun lifted her lumbering head and regarded her master with curious brown eyes before obeying the summon and walking towards the assembled group, and the stench of the direwolf. She entered the grove hesitantly, noticed the wolf wasn’t waiting, and approached Warwick, who grasped her reins and led her to the pond where she gratefully drank the cool, refreshing water. Her master knelt beside her, cupping water in his own hands and rinsing his face. With a reassuring hand running down Starla’s snout, Warwick rejoined the rest of the group, sitting cross-legged in the grass, letting the sun warm him. From what he understood, it could be quite some time before seeing it again after entering the forest proper.

The group was an odd assortment, unlike any he had associated with before. It was almost amusing the one he could relate to most was Gryff, one of the elves. Warwick had never thought of himself, or his people, as being on the fringe of human society, but the past week had been a rather eye-opening experience as he had encountered what felt like every kind of human, some elves, and dwarves all in the same places, leading exquisitely busy lives with wants completely alien to what the plainsman could have ever wanted. He had also never known people could get so fat, but there were some waddlers that seemed to only be able to move on their own accord through some unknown magic he was unaware of. Food came by easily in cities, yet there were always beggars. There was some strange social dynamic that made little sense, and even after but a couple of days, Warwick was already yearning for his much more simple life on the homestead. Fending off wolves and other predators was a lot more inviting in comparison to trying to figure out the labyrinthine corridors of things like haggling or trying to have a vendor admit to where his wares came from. 

“So, I guess this is it, then. If anyone is having second thoughts about their part in this, this would probably be the last chance any of us get to go home without risking our lives.” Warwick said to the others, looking at each face in turn. “My people always avoided the woods, there was something always uncomfortable about it, like it was waiting to consume all who entered it. I never in all my years expected to be crossing the boundary, let alone with a group of others who are brave enough to face the unknown. I wanted to thank you, even though my cause isn’t yours. I’d hate to try to find my way through these woods without help. Worst thing is, I’m not even sure what to start looking for.” He said to the group at large.