At a narrow mountain pass.
Three mounted knights, their luxurious armor glinting faintly in the darkness, advanced cautiously.
"Damn wildlings!" they kept cursing. "Sooner or later, we'll kill every one of those beasts!"
Their feet had been scorched by fire, and it felt as though their skin had fused tightly to their boots.
Such pain, such torment.
But someone had to do the dirty work behind the scenes!
They had come under secret orders from House Belmore of Strong Song, to inform the foolish mountain wildlings of the true situation.
They did not know why Lord Benedar Belmore had ordered this.
Strong Song could be said to be the family with the deepest blood feud against the mountain wildlings!
Yet they had also been instructed to maintain private contact with the mountain tribes.
The nobility was full of vile conspiracies and schemes!
And they were the ones left to suffer!
"Damn it!" One knight angrily waved his fists.
Suddenly!
The sound of blades leaving their sheaths rang out from the woods on both sides.
"Who goes there?!"
The older knight in the lead shouted warily as he drew the longsword at his waist.
More than twenty shadows darted out of the forest like ghosts.
The longswords in their hands gleamed coldly under the faint night light.
They surrounded the three knights completely.
"Are you bandits?" The older knight in the lead swallowed and spoke. "We can pay a toll!"
"Dismount!" A lean but fierce-looking man stepped forward. "I want your horses!"
"And your weapons!"
"No!" The older knight calculated the chances of fighting his way out with his men, but it was already nearly impossible. He frowned. "We'll only pay the toll!"
"We are sworn knights of Strong Song!"
He tried to frighten them off by declaring his identity.
"Dismount!"