Val''s boots sank into the damp forest soil as they made their way back to the fallback point. His sword hung clean at his side, freshly wiped of ghoul ichor, but the stench of the undead clung to his clothing like a stubborn memory.


    "How much farther?" Aric asked, his voice pitched low enough not to carry.


    "Half a mile or so," Val replied, eyes constantly scanning the treeline. The young ranger had performed well during the skirmish, but exhaustion now etched lines across his face. "You holding up alright?"


    "Been better," Aric admitted with a weak smile. "Been worse, too."


    Elara moved silently ahead of them, bow ready, her steps careful and deliberate. She''d taken the worst hit during the fight, and though she''d waved off Val''s concern, he noted the slight stiffness in her movements. The bruising along her right side would be spectacular by morning.


    They crossed a narrow stream, its water running clear over smooth stones. Val paused, listening to the forest. The birds had returned after their encounter with the ghouls. It was a good sign, suggesting no immediate undead presence. Three ghouls so deep in the North Valley was troubling. Ghouls didn''t organize or plan, but something had drawn these particular undead far from where they''d been turned.


    "Watch your left," Elara whispered, her sharp eyes catching movement among the trees.


    Val''s hand dropped to his sword, but he relaxed when a doe and her fawn emerged briefly from the underbrush before darting away. Another good sign. Animals avoided the undead even more keenly than humans did.


    The trees began to thin as they approached the fallback point, a small clearing beside an outcropping of rock that offered both shelter and a defensible position. Val spotted the smoke from a small, carefully banked fire rising above the canopy.


    "About time," Lysa said, her typically stern expression softening slightly at the sight of their battered condition. "The others have been back for over an hour."


    Val nodded toward Elara. "We had to move slower than usual. Found more than tracks."


    Understanding flickered across Lysa''s face. She stepped aside, gesturing toward the clearing. "Jorin will want your report immediately."


    The fallback point bustled with controlled activity as they entered the clearing. The other groups had already established camp. Tents were set up against the rock face, equipment organized, and the small fire carefully maintained to produce minimal smoke. Mira and Jarek tended to the cooking pot, while Lian and Rhea chopped logs into small and manageable pieces.


    Captain Jorin stood near the center of the clearing, deep in conversation with Kaelen. The captain''s weathered face turned toward them as they approached, his keen eyes quickly assessing their condition.


    Val turned to Elara and Aric. "Get something to eat and rest. I''ll make the report."


    They nodded gratefully and moved toward the fire, where Jarek was already ladling stew into wooden bowls. Val approached the captain, straightening his posture despite the bone-deep weariness that had settled into his muscles.


    "Reporting in, sir."


    Jorin nodded. "Walk with me, Val."


    They moved toward the edge of the clearing, where they could speak privately without being too far from the group. Jorin waited until they were out of immediate earshot before speaking.


    "You look like you had an eventful patrol."


    Val recounted their encounter with the ghouls starting with the discovery of the tracks, the decision to follow, the combat, and the burning of the corpses afterward. He described the merchant''s guild insignia they''d found and his concerns about ghouls from Riverbend appearing so far north.


    Jorin listened without interruption, his expression grave. When Val finished, the captain remained silent for a long moment, his eyes surveying the surrounding forest.


    "You''re not the only ones who found signs of the undead," he finally said. "Lysa tracked a ghoul''s trail for nearly two miles before it disappeared at the river. Kaelen found evidence of at least five different undead moving through their search area."


    Val felt his stomach tighten. "That''s unusual. Ghouls don''t typically range this far from the border, and certainly not in these numbers."


    "No, they don''t." Jorin''s voice carried the weight of twenty years of ranger experience. "Something''s drawing them here or driving them from somewhere else."


    "The merchant''s guild insignia concerns me," Val said. "If these were travelers from Riverbend, how did they end up as ghouls in the North Valley? The distance alone..."


    "It suggests they were turned elsewhere and traveled here," Jorin finished the thought. "Or were brought here."


    The implication hung in the air between them. Ghouls didn''t coordinate or transport their kind. Only a necromancer or similarly powerful undead entity could direct ghouls with such purpose.


    "What''s our next move?" Val asked, already suspecting the answer.


    "We push forward at first light," Jorin confirmed. "Follow the trails, find the source of the incursion." He clasped Val''s shoulder briefly. "You made the right call engaging those ghouls. We can''t afford to let them roam freely this deep in the valley."


    Val nodded, though doubt still gnawed at him. "Yes, sir."


    "Get some food and rest. I want us ready to move at dawn."


    Val returned to the campfire, where Jarek handed him a bowl of thick stew and a chunk of hard bread. He settled on a fallen log beside Elara, who was already halfway through her meal. Aric sat cross-legged on the ground nearby, his bowl cradled in his hands as if its warmth could chase away the chill of their encounter.


    "How bad?" Elara asked quietly.


    "Bad enough," Val replied after swallowing a mouthful of stew. "All three squads found signs of undead activity. We''re pushing forward tomorrow to investigate."


    Mira, who had been quietly tending the fire, looked up with interest. "We heard you three had an exciting afternoon."


    "That''s one word for it," Val said dryly.


    Jarek grinned, his youthful enthusiasm undimmed despite the grim news. "Three ghouls! And Aric on his first proper patrol, too. How''d he hold up?"


    Aric''s cheeks flushed slightly at becoming the center of attention. "I didn''t embarrass myself too badly."


    "He did well," Val confirmed, noting the young ranger''s discomfort. "Kept his head when it mattered."


    "First time facing the undead?" Rhea asked, joining their circle. The combat specialist''s scarred hands cradled her own bowl of stew.


    Aric nodded. "First time facing ghouls. Saw some skeletal remains during my army training, but those were... different."


    "Skeletons are practically toys compared to fresh ghouls," Kaelen rumbled as he approached the fire. The gray-bearded warrior lowered his massive frame onto a log with surprising grace. "Ghouls still have most of their muscle mass. Makes them stronger, faster."


    "And they smell worse," Lian added quietly, his usual reticence giving way to the camaraderie of the campfire.


    "True," Kaelen chuckled. "Though nothing stinks quite like a ghast."


    The conversation flowed around the campfire, rangers swapping stories of encounters with various undead, some harrowing, some darkly humorous. Val listened more than he spoke, watching as Aric gradually relaxed, drawn into the informal education being offered by the veteran rangers. This was an essential part of a ranger''s training that couldn''t be taught in the barracks. Learning to process the fear and tension after an encounter, finding the balance between vigilance and paralyzing dread.


    When he''d finished his meal, Val rose and gathered his bowl and spoon. "I''m turning in. Wake me for my watch."


    Lysa, who had been quietly observing from the edge of the firelight, nodded. "Third watch, four hours after midnight."


    Val nodded his thanks and made his way to the small tent he''d share with Aric. Inside, he carefully removed his armor, examining the scratches left by the ghoul''s claws. The leather had prevented any serious damage to his flesh, but he''d need to repair it when they returned to Oakspire. He pulled a small jar of healing salve from his pack and applied it to the shallow cuts on his chest and arms, wincing at the sting.


    His bedroll offered little comfort against the hard ground, but fatigue quickly overwhelmed discomfort. As sleep claimed him, images of the day''s encounter flickered through his mind; the unnatural speed of the ghouls, the look of fear in Elara''s eyes when she''d been pinned, the mechanical way the creatures had torn into the deer carcass. Behind these immediate memories lurked older ones: the screams of villagers, the smell of burning buildings, a child''s severed arm lying in the street...


    Val woke with a start, hand reaching for his sword before registering Mira''s familiar silhouette at the tent entrance.


    "Your watch," she murmured.


    He nodded, gathering his wits. "Any activity?"


    "All quiet. Lian thought he heard something large moving to the east about an hour ago, but nothing came of it."


    Val pulled on his boots and buckled on his sword belt, still shaking off the fragments of his dreams. Outside, the night air carried a crisp autumn chill, the stars visible in patches through the forest canopy. He made his way to the large boulder that served as their watch position, offering a clear view of the clearing and the approaches beyond.


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    Mira waited until he was settled before returning to her tent. Val scanned the perimeter systematically, his eyes adjusted to the darkness after years of night patrols. The fire had burned down to glowing embers, providing just enough light to make out the shapes of the tents without destroying his night vision.


    The forest breathed around him, alive with subtle sounds. The soft hooting of an owl, the rustle of small nocturnal creatures in the undergrowth, the whisper of wind through the leaves. Val tuned them out, listening instead for the unusual silence that preceded undead, the deliberate snap of a twig under a heavy foot, the rasp of dead lungs drawing breath they didn''t need.


    As the hours of his watch passed, Val''s thoughts returned to the day''s encounter. Had he made the right decision to engage the ghouls rather than retreat? The tactical arguments were sound in his mind, three freshly turned ghouls were manageable, and eliminating them prevented future threats to patrols or civilians. But honesty forced him to acknowledge that his hatred of the undead had influenced his judgment. He''d put Elara and Aric at risk to satisfy his need to destroy the vile things.


    The crescent moon tracked its path across the star-strewn sky, casting shifting shadows through the trees. Val maintained his vigilance, pushing aside his self-recrimination to focus on the present moment. Doubt was a luxury for the safety of walls and daylight, not for the wilderness at night.


    When the eastern horizon began to lighten with the first hints of dawn, Val roused the camp. The captain emerged from his tent looking alert and rested.


    "Anything?" he asked, voice pitched low.


    "Nothing unusual," Val reported. "Forest seems calm."


    Jorin nodded. "I want to move out as soon as there''s enough light to travel safely."


    The camp came alive with quiet efficiency. Tents were struck and packed, breakfast prepared and consumed, equipment checked and secured. By the time the sun crested the distant mountains, the company had erased nearly all signs of their presence from the clearing, leaving only the cold ashes of their carefully managed fire.


    Captain Jorin gathered them for a brief briefing before departure.


    "We''re heading northeast, following the concentration of tracks," he explained, unfolding a detailed map of the North Valley. "Our objective is to locate the source of the undead incursion and assess its scale. We are not—" he emphasized the word with a stern look around the circle, "—engaging in combat unless absolutely necessary. This is a reconnaissance mission. If we encounter significant undead activity, we report back to Oakspire for reinforcements."


    He pointed to several locations on the map. "Lysa will take point, Val next, Kaelen will bring up the rear. Questions?"


    There were none. The rangers of Ranger Company Two had worked together long enough to understand their roles without elaborate explanation. Lysa, Val and Kaelen were squad leaders. Each had two regular members under them in the companies organization. This was the standard for the Oakspire Rangers. Val had Elara and Aric in his squad.


    They moved out in their assigned formation, Lysa''s squad taking the lead. The forest changed character as they traveled further north and east. The mixed hardwoods giving way to towering pines and ancient firs that had stood for centuries. The ground rose gradually as they approached the foothills of the mountain range that formed the natural barrier between Yelden Valley and the Deadlands beyond.


    Val kept alert at the rear of the formation, watching for signs of pursuit or flanking movements. The forest remained peaceful around them, birds singing and small game occasionally crossing their path. They forded several small streams, their clear water gurgling over moss-covered rocks. In one shallow ravine, they discovered tracks of a large predator, a mountain lion, Lian determined after careful examination.


    "Big male," the wildlife expert noted, measuring the print with his spread fingers. "Hunting through here regularly. Good sign."


    "Why good?" Aric asked.


    "Predators are sensitive to the undead," Val explained. "They avoid areas where the natural order is disturbed. A resident mountain lion means this area is mostly clear."


    They continued their journey, the terrain becoming increasingly rugged. In the early afternoon, they crossed a ridge that offered a panoramic view of the North Valley stretching behind them, a vast expanse of green broken occasionally by the silver ribbon of a river or the darker green of a pine forest. In the far distance, barely visible through the autumn haze, stood the mighty Oakspire, its colossal form rising above the surrounding city like a sentinel.


    Their peaceful progress was interrupted mid afternoon when Jorin signaled for an immediate halt. The rangers froze in place, weapons ready, as a massive shape emerged from a thicket ahead, an enormous brown bear, its shoulder standing taller than a man. The beast rose onto its hind legs, sniffing the air, then let out a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very trees around them.


    "Hold," Jorin commanded softly, though no ranger needed the instruction. They remained motionless, weapons lowered, presenting no threat.


    The bear dropped back to all fours, roared once more to assert its dominance, then turned and lumbered away, apparently satisfied that its territory had been properly acknowledged.


    "Magnificent," Lian whispered after the beast had disappeared from view.


    "Terrifying, you mean," Jarek muttered, though he''d held his position as steadily as any of them.


    They continued their journey with heightened awareness, the bear''s appearance a reminder of the natural dangers that coexisted with the supernatural threats they hunted. By late afternoon, the terrain had steepened significantly as they approached one of the mountain passes that would eventually lead to the border with the Deadlands.


    During a brief rest stop, Val overheard Aric questioning Kaelen about their destination.


    "What exactly are the Deadlands like? They don''t tell us much during training." the young ranger asked, his voice carefully controlled but unable to completely hide his apprehension.


    Kaelen took a long drink from his waterskin before answering. "Imagine everything that makes a forest feel alive, the birdsong, the rustle of small creatures, the sense of growth and renewal then strip it all away. The Deadlands are... empty, in a way that goes beyond just the absence of life."


    The veteran ranger''s normally gruff voice softened as he continued, his eyes distant with memory. "The trees still stand, but they''re gray and lifeless. No leaves, no birds nesting in their branches. The ground is barren, no grass, no flowers, not even weeds. The rivers and streams run thick and dark, polluted with ash and worse things."


    "And the undead?" Aric prompted when Kaelen fell silent.


    "Everywhere," Kaelen replied simply. "Moving through the ruins of villages, wandering the forests, gathered around the fortresses of the more powerful undead lords." His expression darkened. "The area we''re approaching lies in the shadow of Blackwind Citadel."


    Val moved closer, drawn by the mention of the infamous stronghold. Kaelen acknowledged him with a nod before continuing.


    "Blackwind Citadel was once the seat of an Atilean governor. A magnificent city built into the side of the mountain, with towers that caught the morning sun and walls of white stone. Now it''s a place of darkness, ruled by the one they call the Shadowbinder."


    "I''ve heard stories," Aric said hesitantly. "They say he''s lived for hundreds of years."


    "More than that probably," Kaelen confirmed. "The Shadowbinder was around when the Atilean Empire fell. Some say he was once an imperial mage who discovered forbidden secrets, others claim he was never human at all."


    Val had heard the legends since childhood. The Shadowbinder was a figure that mothers used to frighten misbehaving children throughout Yelden Valley. But rangers knew the dark truth behind the stories.


    "He commands the strongest undead forces in the eastern Deadlands," Val added. "Liches, wraiths, and death knights. All creatures far more dangerous than the ghouls we encountered."


    Aric''s face had paled slightly, but he maintained his composure. "And we''re heading toward his territory?"


    "We''re scouting the border," Val clarified, placing a reassuring hand on the young ranger''s shoulder. "We won''t engage anything beyond what we can handle. If we find evidence of a significant incursion, we report back to Oakspire for army support."


    "Our job isn''t to fight the Shadowbinder''s forces," Kaelen rumbled. "It''s to make sure they stay on their side of the mountains."


    Captain Jorin signaled for them to resume their march before Aric could ask further questions. Val fell back to his position, noting the thoughtful expression on the young ranger''s face. Fear was natural, even healthy, when facing the undead, but allowing that fear to paralyze or overwhelm was deadly.


    The sun was low in the western sky, painting the mountain peaks with gold and crimson, when Jorin called a halt to their advance. They had reached a small clearing where a sturdy log structure stood. One of the many ranger shelters maintained throughout the frontier to support extended patrols.


    "We''ll make camp here," the captain announced. "There''s not enough daylight to safely continue, and we''re about a mile from the border."


    The shelter was simple but solid. A single room with a stone fireplace, wooden sleeping platforms built against the walls, and storage space for emergency supplies. It would be cramped with all twelve rangers inside, but it offered better protection than tents if the weather turned or if they encountered trouble during the night.


    Jorin organized their activities with practiced efficiency. "Kaelen secure the perimeter. Lysa inventory the shelter''s supplies and prepare it for occupation. Val gather additional firewood and water."


    Val led Elara and Aric into the surrounding forest to collect deadfall for the night''s fire. The trees grew more sparsely here in the higher elevation, with expansive views of the valley below through occasional gaps in the forest. As they worked, Val noted subtle changes in the environment. The birdsong was less frequent, the undergrowth less vibrant. They weren''t yet at the border, but the influence of the Deadlands could be felt even here, a creeping malaise that affected all living things.


    "Is it always like this?" Aric asked quietly as they gathered fallen branches. "This feeling of... wrongness?"


    "It gets stronger the closer you get to the border," Val confirmed. "You''re sensitive to it, which is good. Some rangers never develop that awareness."


    They returned to the shelter with their gathered wood to find the other squads had made significant progress. They had established a defensive perimeter with subtle traps that would alert them to any approach. Jarek had a cooking fire going outside the shelter''s entrance, the smell of simmering stew drawing rangers like moths to flame.


    As darkness fell, they shared a meal around the fire, the conversation muted compared to the previous night. The proximity to the border weighed on all of them, even the veterans who had made this journey dozens of times. Val observed his teammates carefully, noting the slight tension in shoulders, the more frequent glances into the surrounding darkness, the hands that never strayed far from weapons.


    After the meal, Jorin outlined the watch schedule for the night. In this dangerous territory, there would always be three on watch. Each squad leader and his two regulars took turns through the night. The three would rotate positions with one staying near the cabin and the other two would perch in trees, using the height to improve the visible range.


    With the logistics settled, rangers began preparing for sleep. Some performed equipment maintenance, others wrote in journals or field logs, a few simply stared into the fire, lost in thought. Val cleaned his sword thoroughly, checking the edge for nicks or damage from their encounter with the ghouls. Satisfied with its condition, he applied a light coat of oil to prevent rust.


    Aric approached as he was finishing, his own weapon freshly maintained. "Do you think we''ll find the source of the incursion tomorrow?"


    Val considered the question carefully. "Possibly. The concentration of undead activity suggests we''re moving in the right direction. But finding the cause may be more complicated than simply locating tracks or ghouls."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Something coordinated is happening," Val explained, keeping his voice low to avoid spreading concern. "Ghouls don''t organize themselves, and they don''t travel this far into the valley without purpose. That suggests influence from a more powerful entity. It could be a wight, lich or necromancer."


    Aric absorbed this soberly. "Like the Shadowbinder."


    "Possibly," Val acknowledged, "though I doubt he would involve himself directly. More likely one of his lieutenants, if the Blackwind forces are involved at all."


    "And if they are?"


    "Then we gather information and return to Oakspire immediately," Val said firmly. "That''s an enemy beyond our capacity to engage."


    The young ranger nodded, seemingly reassured by the clear parameters of their mission. He bid Val goodnight and made his way to his assigned sleeping platform inside the shelter.


    Val remained outside a while longer, watching the stars emerge overhead. The night was clear and cold, the air carrying the first hints of winter''s approach. He breathed deeply, centering himself in the present moment, pushing aside both memories of the past and anxieties about tomorrow.


    When he finally entered the shelter, most of the rangers were already asleep or quietly preparing for rest. Val removed his boots and outer garments before settling onto his sleeping platform, his sword placed within easy reach. The shelter''s interior was warm from the small stove in the corner, the air filled with the soft sounds of breathing and the occasional creak of the wooden structure settling.


    He woke briefly when the first watch changed, hearing the soft movements of rangers entering and leaving the shelter. Lian murmured a brief report to Rhea as they passed. "All quiet. Moon''s bright enough to see clearly." Then Val drifted back into his troubled sleep, the boundary between dreams and memory growing increasingly blurred as the night deepened around the isolated ranger shelter.