Camilla flicked aside the clumsy spear thrust of the last beastman with a sharp quartering parry and then riposted hard into the things chest, sending it down to the loamy earth in a gurgle of blood. One of the beast men was still whimpering on the ground for a moment before the abrupt thrust of Cydric's sword silenced the wounded mutant. Silence fell over the forest for a moment and Camilla dared for a half second to hope that they might slip away none the worse for wear. Then, in the far distance a howling like that of a great hound began, another shriek rose up to meet it yet further away. The news was spreading among the beast men.
[b]
"Ranald's father of liars, just a little luck for once,"[/b] Camillia groaned. Turning to Cydric her shoulders slumped momentarily before she notice a break in the foliage. Jogging up to it she found what appeared to be an ancient path, maybe only a game trail that led up the slow rise away from the creek bed. She turned and arched any eyebrow.

[b]"Any better ideas?"[/b] she asked. Cydric had none, so the fled up the path as fast as the dense foliage would allow. Branches grabbed at them as the moved and great roots grew over the path, as though the Drakwald was attempting to obliterate it slowly but surely. The ground continued to rise beneath them and the trees became less massive and less dense until the broke through into the first real sunlight she had seen since leaving Middenheim. Ahead of them along the wooded path a small hill reared its way above the treetops. Upon its crest stood the ruins of a small tower, long since tumbled to ruin but still squatting like a mushroom on the sparsely wooded hill.

[b]"Better than nothing," [/b]Camilla said as she climbed behind her friend, casting an eye back into the denser brush behind them, searching for pursuit and finding none. 

[b]"Who would have built something like that all the way out here?"[/b]

[@POOHEAD189]