The sun was barely beginning to peek over the horizon when Hod and her team rode into the forest on horseback.
She rode at the center of the formation with her eyes fixed on the path and one firm hand on the reins.
'This forest is too quiet,' the white-haired woman thought, frowning slightly as she glanced between the trees. 'Since we entered I haven't heard a single bird…'
And that unnatural silence bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
Then the sound of a horse approaching from behind made her turn her head. Looking back she saw the same young man with brown hair who had woken her in the early hours of the morning coming up on her right side.
"Captain," the young man said in a low tone. "May I ask you something?"
"Say it straight."
"…Doesn't it seem strange to you?" he said, looking from side to side. "We've been pushing deep into the forest for a while now and we still haven't run into a single semi-human."
