It's futile to look above, but it's worth something to try to wait for the creature that rules the vast sky descend to the earth. But the birds will meet their demise for the first time. Night ends. Every misfit knows within themselves that even they must live. They were woken up and eat. A few curses from a mouth is nearly not enough to woke drunkenly slept men. But buckets of cold river-water is more than enough to do the job. Eleven of the men gasped for air to breathe, coughed, and spat out cold water that filled their mouth, nostrils, and eyes. "You bastard!! Until when you're going to sleep, huh?!!" said the already woken up men while pouring water on their faces. And their replies is the sound of coughing, and those men have woken up, with still not saying anything. They just woke up like that and get ready for the road. Looking at them, Garred sneered. They are the bunch of misfits he picked up, along with his grim-looking fate, or faces, should they die today, he can accept that. Surely every one of them is shits. But when it's time for misdeeds, they are unmatched. Killing, plundering, lying, they excelled so much at it. After today they're free of their promise. Free of what they swore to Garred when he picked them off the road. Last night, they already divided the loot. Everything they got, divided evenly. They're cowards. They're just like him. For Wally, and what happened last night he must keep them from others. Wally is a stranger to the world where powers clashed, where the weak trampled. He's not one of them. But still, the only one he had left. Wally is a good archer, but he only managed to fool the lots by forcing himself smiling, grinning like mad every time they go plundering. Garred found him still sleeping like a log. "Wally. Wake up." Looking at Wally, he poked him with a wooden stick. Wally groaned and seemed confused. He asked, "What?" "Time to go," Garred replied, as cold as steel. He throws him his bottle, which then Wally drank until the last drop. It was refreshing, just like what he said last night, a cure for your hangover by tomorrow. Both joined the lots for breaking fast. They cut a tree and made it sitting place and firewoods. Oaks, ash tree, and birch. The rest of the men just sat upon the blades of grass, eating from their pot while throwing the leaves, twigs and barks to feed the flame. "Say. What will you do after this?" A question threw by Wally as he put slices of meat inside the pot, and stirred it.

Garred sneered. "After what?" "This," Wally said, with the same tone, and voice. Of course, he means this rabble, Garred thought. "Leaving far," he answered. "We just do this once, and there is no need for a second time. " "All I wanted is them to return. I don't know if I can keep going, Garred. Not like this." "Perhaps we hoped for the same thing, but you know it'll never happen. I could open a tavern. Everything is possible. Winter is coming, Wally. There's a good life in the capital. You know what I mean---" Together, they said, "--gold in everyone's purse and whores walking bow-legged." "You said you missed your wife and daughter. But still, you raped the farmer's girl." "Supposedly we shouldn't do this, Garred." "And here you are, with your hands drenched with blood. You raped, you burn, you kill." "Yes." "You have my promise. This ends now. No more." He stretched out his hand. He pulled Wally up. So did the others. But what you expected from this lots, they just left everything; the fire and else. No one is bothered to clean the pot. Why should they do that? Just say, they urgently need to go. Far from that place. But their hope was instantly snuffed out. The men in guard duty came back. "Oi! We've got company! We've got company!" the scout frantically runs through the forest. His sound is loud. Too loud, Garred thought. If Wally can hear a shout from almost half a league, so do this company. Even from the distance, the sound of hooves could be heard--marching slowly. The scout saw the banners, golden yellow sigil on white. The flower-crowned dragon. Just from the numbers, if it's the usual long patrol, they are no match for the kingdom's knights. But they saw only twenty-ish. "Knights! They're here!" the man said. "A few horsemen. Twenty footmen." "We've got the numbers." "Time to show what we're made of, boys!" "Let's fuck their corpses bloody!" So the men readied themselves. Fuck me, thought Garred. Most of the men readied the weapons and took arms and already run to meet their death. By so, almost half of the men stood and left. Castle forged steel and horses are what they after from them. A foolish thought. Obviously, they don't a damn thing about the North. If the rest don't listen to him now, all is for nought. "You lots! Hide your weapons!! You'll kill yourselves!" he shouted. "Don't be a fool! We're fighting!!! They come to kill us all anyway!" "You don't know what those fecking knights could do to us? They will trample us! Even wearing armour won't save your lives! I say we let them taste our steel, Garred." "And that's why you have to listen to me, you miserable bastards! You wanted to live?! Throw your weapons down, and hid in the forests until things went down. I told you that is a trap. Northern knights never do a patrol never with numbers less than fifty!" Truly, he could act like he doesn't care for these lots. But what scared him is when they talk. Cowards know how to inflict pain, but they talk the loudest, spew it like a parrot, chirp like a canary. They will talk when faced with pain. It's better to save these few, he thought again. They better be loyal to him and thanked him for this. "The man said twenty! Nothing follows behind!" "Go fuck yourself, Garred! You drove us hard! We're not your slaves! We're free, remember?" said the men while stepping back. Garred hates this. And it took no time for him to slid his dagger in front of his neck, and the others to draw their weapons at him, and Wally, to draw his arrows, and aim the three that surround him. "You wanted to die so bad then? I can give you one way trip to hell faster than you blink your eyes right now. Do as I say, or I will kill you right here, right now before you can pray or shit your pants." It took no time for them to lower their weapons, and left them both. It was a massacre. Without anything said, Wally and Garred put whatever they can in the leather sack and tried to leave that place as soon as possible. Money is a must, water too, and food. They leave everything else, hid them in the bushes, where the knights won't take a look, and horses can't pass through. While Garred can leave the sword, Wally can bring his bow and arrows, pretending to be a hunter. They rushed themselves. Everything isn't important now. If they're dead, there would be no more chances.

This ends now.

But suddenly the wind blows. It blows strong that the trees are creaking. Both couldn't help to look at the sky. Garred and Wally saw it. It was there, watching them and passed. Both of them felt true fear. And it was divine will that let them go from it. The gods aren't done with them yet.