“Halt!” Baron Helm yelled, raising his clenched fist and signing the others to stop. He then turned around and warned, “We are leaving the boundaries of the town now. Be alert and keep your wits about you.”

After confirming that everyone behind him had heeded his warning, he turned to the scout captain and said, “Take the lead, captain.”

“Aye. Follow me, my lord,” The captain replied and took the lead. Baron Helm and the rest of the rescue team followed.

The route to the coal mine, until about the halfway point, was broad and largely cleared of the trees from the forest. It was both faster and safer to travel through the cleared route rather than to trek through the wild forest.

“Be careful of where you step, my lord. The recent rains have ruined the ground beneath our feet by softening the mud, turning it all to sludge and filth,” the scout captain kindly reminded the Baron.

Baron Helm nodded his head at his warning and took care to watch where he stepped. He first carefully illuminated the area before him using the lantern in his hand, noted where the scouts before him had already stepped, and then carefully followed their steps. It was a difficult task considering that it was currently night time and that the trickling rain continued to discomfort them.

“At least it isn’t pourin’. Can ya imagine making this trip if it was pourin’ like this mornin’?”

“Shut y’er mouth ya fool. Do ya want to jinx us all?” Someone from the back rebuked the earlier man’s comment. “Ya gotta be thanking the heavens for cooperatin’ with us and lessenin’ its fury.”

“Aye.” Rightly said.” “That so.” A cluster of replies agreeing to this sentiment followed. With everyone being alert and careful, the journey proceeded without any complication albeit with some difficulty.

Almost an hour later, the party finally arrived at the spot where the massive tree had fallen. The scout captain, who was leading the party, stopped and raised a clenched hand signifying the others behind him to also stop.

“We have arrived, my lord,” he announced. With his towering physique, Baron Helm could easily see in front of him. Noticing the massive dark wall blocking their path, he nodded his head in confirmation.

“Foreman Bradley,” he called to the person responsible for the next part of their journey.

“Aye-aye, milord,” came the reply, and a middle-aged woman. Vivian Bradley, foreman of the woodcutters and a member of the rescue party arrived before the Baron. She then confirmed the massive fallen tree in the path and immediately gave out her orders without any prompt from the Baron.

“Take out the posts and tools from the carts and get to work, ya lazy cows!” She hollered and joined the woodcutters in retrieving the equipment.

Apart from the raincoats and some smaller equipment that the members of the rescue party carried on their selves, they also brought along two handcarts that contained a variety of larger items. These items included wooden posts that could be temporarily affixed on the ground and used either as support or as lamp posts, two-man saws that required two workers to operate, a few wooden boards that could be used as gurneys, axes, saws, and finally, half-a-dozen sealed vats. Amongst all the items within the two handcarts, these vats were undoubtedly the most mysterious passengers.

With every single woodcutter within the rescue party being an experienced logger, the work to clear the hindrance before them smoothly proceeded.

First, the workers affixed the wooden posts around the fallen tree and hung lanterns on their tops to better illuminate the dark area. Then, they lightly carved on the massive tree, drawing lines and dividing them into different portions before assigning each portion to a member. The largest portion of course required the use of the two-man saw. However, there was still a way to go before they could use it. Clearing the smaller branches and more troublesome sections came first.

As the Baron, the scouts, and a dozen other members of the rescue party watched, the twenty-five or so woodcutters began their work. It was expected to take an hour, or maybe even two, for the tree to be cleared from their path.

Staring at the dark, cloudy sky, Baron Helm thought to himself. ‘Hopefully, the weather continues to remain the same. Matters would become troublesome if it were to suddenly begin pouring.’

It was unknown how the situation with the miners was proceeding. The sooner the rescue party got to them, the lesser would be the variables threatening their survival.

“Please stay put and wait for us to arrive,” Baron Helm quietly wished.

---

At the entrance of the coal mine.

Day 7. Night. (Second night after the wolf attack.)

“Die, vile beast!” Along with his roar, Lloyd swung the shovel in his hand downwards and smashed it against a wolf’s head.

The carnivorous beast, caught in surprise, was unable to react in time and helplessly succumbed to the attack. With a dying whimper, it dropped to the ground, dead as dead can be.

“Take that!” Thump! Delivering another blow to the head, just to make sure that the beast was truly dead and wasn’t simply playing dead, Lloyd recovered his shovel and stepped back. His racing heart thumped against his heaving chest while sweat poured from his body. A mixture of excitement, satisfaction, and exhaustion covered his hazel-colored eyes.

Seeing that the fallen wolf had stopped all signs of movement, Lloyd, for the third and final time, confirmed the death of the beast. Flicking the shovel to get rid of the blood and brain matter stuck to its tip, he then turned around and gazed at his partner.

“Are you okay?” His voice dripped with worry. Carrying the shovel in his hand, he quickly arrived near his partner who sat against a wooden beam with three large claw marks slashing across his abdomen.

“Cough, cough, I’ll… live,” the man wearily replied. His hands clutched at his wound, stopping his blood from pouring out. “Are those cur–cough, cough– beasts… dead?”

“Yes, yes. Now, please, quit talking,” Lloyd hurriedly replied and tore the hem of his shirt. He then rolled that piece of cloth into a rag and hurriedly used it to stave off the other man’s bleeding. “Here. Use this to stop yer bleeding. I’ve already rung the bell. Help should be arriving soon.”

“That’s… good,” the man replied, his head slowly drooping in the process.

“Oi, oi! Don’t die on me!” Lloyd slapped the other man’s cheeks. “Stay awake! That boy Heinrich can save ya, only if ya stay awake!”

“We’re here! What’s wrong!?” Just then, a group of four miners armed with various mining implements arrived at the scene. Their eyes briefly scanned Lloyd and his injured partner, before landing on the wolf corpse lying at the center of the scene.

“Good heavens! Another attack? This is the fourth one in the past hour!” One of the newly arrived gasped with shock.

“Oi! Quit yer gawking at the dead beast! We’ve got a dying man here!” Lloyd roared with frustration. His roar quickly awakened the newly arrived from their stupor, prompting them to help out.

Two of them hurriedly carried the injured man back into the mines, while one of the others said to Lloyd. “Ye’ve done a fine job today. Head back inside and get some shut-eye. We’ll take it from here.”

Tiredly nodding his head, Lloyd turned around and returned inside the mines. Exhaustion poured in leaving behind a sore body and an aching mind. Trudging onward with much difficulty, he arrived at the rest area, found an empty corner to occupy, and quickly fell asleep.

Having spent nearly an entire day fending off multiple wolf attacks, he was tired beyond reason.

–--

At the temporarily assigned meeting room inside the coal mine.

Day 7. Night.

“We cannot stay put and foolishly wait for help to arrive. We need to fight back!” An older miner banged the wooden post next to him and cried out in anger.