[Sadbh]

Afton wiped her forhead with the back of her hand. The undergrowth was barely undergrowth at all in this part of the forest, and grew dense and heavy at the traveller's legs, all the way to their hips. For a good length they had been travelling through the thick and grasping brambles of a highly complicating bit of forest. Even Haurin, the eldest and most knowledgable of the three was utterly lost. A breathless young man stumbled up beside the elder two, nursing several soar scrathches on his face. "Haurin do... you even know... which direction... in what Bree lies?" Although his words came in panting, gappy chunks, he still managed to sound sacrcastic and tempermental.

"Olrin, be quiet." Haurin replied curtly, brow creases in frustration. They had taken a lost turn somehow, someplace. And the party had most likely already set forth from Bree. No matter. Haurin pulled himself roughly through bush and branch, the others following suite. Afton was on the brink of collapse, though she tried not to show it. She had tramped sturdily behind Haurin for many miles but was lagging. However, a strange set off sounds trained through the trees. Shouts, screams, barking and... a howl. "The party has found their quarry or the wargs have found theirs!" Gasping and tripping, the three ran through the growth.

"I hope that it is the prior but fear that it is the latter, Haurin." Afton gasped as she hauled her tired form over brush. Her fingers clutched a stich inside side, an with her free hand she unsheathed an old knife. Finally, they tumbled from the wasted 'shortcut' and into the clearing, too late. The predators had gone and one of the party lay pale as death. Afton caught her breath and shook her heads. Halflings. They had not done so bad, but one of their number lay dead.

"Late." Haurin muttered, disgusted with himself. How could they be so slow as to let such pass.