Thalif instinctively rubs his shoulder, remembering the sharp pain that would often follow his grandfather’s wisdom.  He bore the cuts and bruises with pride, each one an aching reminder of his family’s legacy.  A heavy sigh passes through the warrior’s lips, and the cold, hardened mask he once wore falls away.  Brushing his hand against his cheek absentmindedly, he feels something warm and wet.  He looks up to see a cloudless sky and suddenly realizes what it is he felt—a tear.  And so he shakes it off, reminding himself of his oath to the gods and of the blood that must flow this night.  For the night is still young, and there is still much to be avenged.

Knelling down, Thalif searches the guard’s corpse to find a dagger stowed in the man’s boot and a hand-axe tucked into his belt.  He stashes the dagger in his own boot and grabs the axe, holding it just below the head as he once again sprints headlong into the dark forest.  The cool night air refreshes him as it rushes past his ears, fanning the flames of vengeance that rage within his heart.  He wraps his cloak tighter around his chest, the cold digging into his exposed flesh like so many needles.  It reminds him of the day of the massacre, and so he runs faster.

In mere moments, he notices the trees are beginning to thin out and slows to a steady jog.  He has reached the other end of the forest; the Kursegaard camp lies ahead.  Loosening his grip on the axe, he lets it slide down until his hand is around the handle and clutches it tight.  Slowly raising it over his head, he begins to survey his surroundings.  If they had placed a guard in the middle of the woods, they undoubtedly placed a guard at the forest’s entrance.  He presses himself up against a nearby tree and starts to listen for sounds that might give away his enemy’s location.  Shouting and screaming can be heard from the direction of the camp, and the horizon glows a faint orange from an enormous bonfire.  The war party must be celebrating their recent plunder, gorging themselves on food, grog, and women.  All things that will make them careless and that much easier to kill.