[Cyrus Marius]

The first rays of dawn seemed to chase the three soldiers as they wove their way back along the banks of the Dark River, following Pandora as she led them away from unfriendly eyes and towards the Great Wood to the south. Cyrus was silent as he navigated the landscape, his mind back on the foothills that he had been unable to investigate further. He longed to press deeper into enemy lands, to see with his own azure eye what lay in store for the Legions to follow, but now was not the time to risk it all. There would be more missions into the mountains themselves, and for now, there was more information to be gained about the rest of the Sherian countryside. Every stick and stone of the land that the Legions knew better than the Orcs was a small step towards victory.

It did not take long for the group to reach the area south of Vers again, and from there they turned further south into the Great Wood itself. Immediately, the world seemed again to be swallowed in darkness, so thick and emmense was the forest's cannopy. The sounds of wildlife could be heard all around, so different from the barren and stripped lands ravaged by the Horde. Though none of the soldiers spoke, all could feel the eyes of the forest watching them as they entered, taking note of all four beings to enter the Wood. Pandora no longer ran as far ahead as she did before, prefering to remain closer to her bondmate's side, luminous blue eyes flicking from shadow to shadow as they followed the swift moving shapes. Ehrin looked around the Wood in comfortable appreciation, however Erik Hammerhand looked downright sick, his skin pale and sweat dotting his forehead, and finally he stopped dead in his tracks.

"These are ill-omened woods, my brothers. I can feel the eyes of spirits watching me, their cold breath on my neck chilling my spine. The Hammerhand fears no mortal man nor beast, but the dead are a different story." The massive Vagaran shivered visibly as he said this, casting his pale-blue gaze around him nervously. "We should not linger in these woods."

"Nor do I intend to." Cyrus' reply was swift and brusuqe, evidence that the tension within the Great Wood was wearing even on his iron nerves. There was just something about the deeper reaches of the forest that called to the animal residing in all men, that primal knowledge that danger and death can lurk in the darkness. Steeling his resolve however, the young legionnaire turned from Erik towards Ehrin who stood nearby.

"We will wait here for a couple candlemarks, to let the suns rise and better illuminate our way. We are well covered by these woods, and an Orcish patrol would have to be nearly under our nose for us to be seen through this lush growth. Go quickly and find what game you can, and hurry back to this spot."

The half-elf nodded sharply, "Yes sir," and handed Cyrus the map that he had scrawled his information upon, then turned and all but vanished from sight. Cyrus looked at the area Ehrin had departed from for a moment, but then turned and addressed the russet Virkyn that roamed by his legs.

Kneeling before her, Cyrus cupped her canine head in his hands and looked into her bright blue orbs.

"Pandora, it is time to hunt. Gather the gifts of the forest, and bring them to me."

The Virkyn's eyes blinked and she lowered her head slightly in understanding, then she to turned and all but vanished from sight. Unlike the half-elf Ehrin, who used his skill and agility, Pandora simply became one with the endless shadows that surrounded her, loosing her solid consistency until she was just another shadow soon lost amongst the rest. Cyrus watched her leave for a moment, then turned back towards Erik. The Vagaran seemed lost and frightened, however true to his Vagaran pride, the massive man was showing as little signs of his discomfort as he could. His visage was set in it's customary scowl and he gripped his single-handed war hammer with such intensity that his knuckles were turning white. Cyrus strode over to the large soldier and took a seat on an emmense network of roots that lay exposed nearby, resting his back against the mammoth tree that had spawned the root cluster.

"Have a seat, my brother. Rest for a moment. The spirits will not bother us, and we shall be on our way again soon."

Erik glanced over at him, but the unspoken strength and assurance within Cyrus character gave the Vagaran the faith he needed to trust the man implicitly. The massive soldier likewise sat at the base of a great tree, and both soldiers then drew their armaments and began honing them with the methodical and critical approach ingrained into the Legion's finest infantry. Karvaaka gleamed slightly in the dim light of the Wood, it's soft, subtle light rising and falling as Cyrus' hand rubbed the crystalline steel blade with a red-colored oil and patch of rawhide. Erik ran a whetstone over the pick at the back end of his small hammer, and both legionaires kept an eye on their surroundings, watching for the return of their commrades.

Pandora was quick in returning, a pair of thin, ragged-looking rabbits clutched in her bloody maw. From the bond between them, Cyrus knew that she had already feasted on one of the rabbits she found, and her satiated hunger aided the young soldier in his own mortal complaints. Now, she presented her prize to her bondmate and his ally, and at the sight of food, Erik's spirits picked up and he smiled broadly as he lurched to his feet and began preparing a small firepit for their meal.

"What a hound! Swift and sure as an arrow she is, by the Gods. Brother, where did you get such a beast?"

Cyrus smiled his own secret smile as Pandora let the pair fall from teeth and trotted up beside him, his long arm reaching out and sliding around the russet Virkyn affectionately. The feel and smell of her coat flooded Cyrus' senses, and for a heartbeat, the young legionnaire allowed himself to forget about the cares and concerns of the war and simply appreciate his bondmate's presence.

"She is special Erik; she is one of a kind."

The Vagaran smiled again and nodded, then busied himself with preparing their spare meal. Cyrus returned to tending Karvaaka, and they waited for the last member of their party to return before they continued.