As the troop traveled on, Miral found herself swearing as they were reaching the dead wood. It was getting late, and that meant that there were going to be all sorts of beasts roaming these woods. But they had to go through. If they tried to go around this trip would take almost a year. She looked to the traveling companions, trying to decide on a plan. She walked her horse back to the side of the carriage and, using her pike, burned a symbol onto both sides of the carriage, careful not to catch the whole thing on fire. It was a simple protection rune, but she hoped it would be enough to keep the beasts of the carriage, [color=firebrick]"If you know any methods of defense or offense that involves projectiles, it is going to be key at this moment,"[/color] she said to the occupants of the carriage, looking around it to the woods. Nothing was stirring yet, but things here were said to have a conniving, malicious nature and would probably wait until they were deep in the throng of the trees, [color=firebrick]"Ryford, stay to the path. Even if something tries to lead you off it, do not waiver,"[/color] she said firmly. Her cousin nodded, guiding the horses to the opening of the path into the trees, [color=firebrick]"You,"[/color] she pointed to Fietra, [colr=firebrick]"Get to the back and stay behind it, don't let anything get up on the carriage in any way you can.[/color] she moved her own horse to the front, her pike lightening up in flames. She was hoping she could cut down whatever came their way but there was always the distinct possibility they would overwhelm them or simply overpower them. She had no idea what they might encounter.

For a moment, it seemed calm and quiet, as if her panic was for nothing, but then a garbled growling surrounded them in the woods and a somewhat foul, almost toxic order filled the air as deformed beasts strangely similar to dogs or wolves came crawling out of the trees. Their fur was long gone, their skin black with strange reddish-orange welts on their skin, oozing with bloody pus. Their eyes were solid black in color as drool dripped from their slackened maws. Their drool was the same color of the welts and seemed to burn and kill whatever ground it touched. Their walk was disjointed as if their limbs weren't really being held together.
[color=forestgreen]"Don't let them touch you,"[/color] Ryford said, increasing the carriages speed to try and get to the bridge, the stone mass yawning out in front of them, [color=forestgreen]"Their saliva will burn and eat at the flesh and if they get their blood on you, you'll be infected and no one has survived that thus far,"[/color] he said firmly. As they reached the bridge, there was a shuddering in the ground that made the horses jerk back. He swore aloud, trying to get them to move forward, but something had spooked them.
Miral got to the side of the carriage and started blasting at the dogs, that seemed only vaguely aware of when they were hit, even though the fire was eating away at their rotten flesh and killing them. Their purpose was set as they closed in on the carriage, [color=firebrick]"Damn!"[/color]