Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 362: Rescue(1)

Chapter 362: Rescue(1)

By the time the following night descended, the rebel army had finally emerged from the suffocating confines of the forest. The open plains stretched out before them, offering a vastness they had not seen in weeks.

A few hours after the campfires were lit, the long-awaited carts arrived, creaking under the weight of promised provisions. The sight of the wagons, laden with sacks and barrels, sent a palpable wave of excitement through the camp. Rebels who had barely spoken for days now scrambled to unload the food with newfound energy.

For the first time in over a week, the rebels sat down to a proper meal. Gone were the meager scraps and foraged roots; tonight, there was bread, dried meat, and even a small measure of ale. The camp was alive with the sound of crackling fires, murmured thanks, and the occasional laughter—a stark contrast to the sullen silence that had gripped them during their march.

Lucius and Marcus sat near one of the fires, sharing a simple meal. Lucius tore into a piece of bread, savoring every bite like it was a feast fit for a king. Marcus gnawed on a strip of dried meat, his face lighting up with one of his lost smiles. 

The two were still heavily guarded, but they did not care about that, as they now had their belly filled. After all, seeing how someone actually met Inor and express interest for a deal, be it fake or real meant that perhaps their lives were not forfeited as they previously thought; of course, they were not out of the woods yet, but at least the knowledge that there was a path forward alleviated their worries a lot.

Lucius took a deep, relieved breath, his eyes scanning the camp around them. "You got me worried there, Marcus," he said with a light chuckle, his voice betraying a hint of lingering tension. "You really made me start pondering the possibility of being silenced. I thought we were done for, that we'd never make it out of that forest."