[Nogrod]

Dorran had taken the first watch - insisting on it, as he could roast the rest of the deer and cook the organs while on guard. So they would have something for tomorrow too, from today’s kill. Dorran woke Sythric in the middle of the night. It was even colder that it had been during the evening, and the temperature seemed to be falling all the time. The mist rising from the river had spread all over the camp. In the dark of the night, the faint glow from the two dying fires made the mist look eerie enough.

Sythric started walking to get warm, stopping every once in a while to listen to the sounds of the night. There was not much to be seen, as it was dark enough. Back on camp, Sythric noticed Fion sleeping quite restlessy. He had already trampled his blanket to his feet. Sythric readjusted his blanket and tried his forehead. It was moist and warm. Sythric was concerned, but obviously couldn’t actually do anything.

It was probably the second hour of the night, when Sythric realized, how cold it was getting. The little drop of tea at the bottom of the cup near Fion had frozen. The night has been quiet so far, so making a good fire should be safe enough? Even easterlings won’t move away from their fires during nights like this... And compare the risks with Fion, or anyone! So it was decided. Sythric got to the thicket and brought a good armful of sticks and some heavier wood to the larger fireplace. He relit the fire, letting it rise high, producing much desired warmth around. Then he woke Fion up, and carefully helped him to change his sleeping-place nearer the fire. Fion’s dreams and the fever had somewhat unbalanced the young man, but as Sythric gave him some water to drink from his flagon, and talked to him soothingly, he fell back to sleep. Sythric sat by his side for a moment, wondering what tomorrow might bring up with him.

Sythric took a walk outside the camp’s perimeter again, this time venturing all along to the edge of the grassland, again listening to the now dying voices of the night. The owl whistled somewhere quite near, but then it was all silent. As he returned to the campsite with some more wood to burn, he noticed that most of the people had changed their places, sleeping tightly around the fire.

As soon as he had relit the smaller fire too, he noticed, that the few remaining people had moved to sleep by the fires also. No. One is missing... Sythric counted the sleepers again. Only ten? Then he saw him – it has to be Brand, as Sythric gazed over the other sleepers around the fires. Quietly Sythric walked to him and woke him up carefully. Brand was startled by the sudden awakening, but calmed down quickly. “Please, do not get yourself a cold sleeping here. All the others sleep by the fires. And no, it’s all safe. I’ve only seen one fox and heard an owl. That’s all there is on the move around us tonight. And it’s freezing cold in here.”

Brand rose to sit and rubbed his eyes, shivering as he got out from under the blanket. Then he asked for the time. That seemed to be something Sythric had totally lost track of, while occupying himself with the fires! It clearly was a long way into the third watch already. “I guess we’re approaching “the wolf’s hour”, as we say in Bregoware – you know, the moment when everything just stands still for an hour before nature starts to wake up again to a new dawn?” Brand nodded, seemingly knowing the idiom well enough. “And I think, I should’ve woken someone up, already a good hour ago...” He smiled to Brand with that comment. Brand managed to smile back: “Well, you’ve just woken one up, so why don’t you let me take the watch from now on?” he asked Sythric. “You are welcome, Brand” Sythric answered, and with that, offered his hand to Brand, to help to get him up. Brand grasped Sythric’s hand by the wrist and Sythric did the same, then Sythric half-pulled Brand up, and they both walked to the fireside: Brand starting to poke the fire, and Sythric finding a place to sleep for the last hours of the night.

They all woke up early. Despite the fires, it was chillingly cold. Athwen and Dorran came up with some light breakfast, while Sythric and Leod studied Fion with Raedwald. Fion assured them that he was alright, but Leod insisted on checking and at least Sythric was a bit suspicious. Fion seemed to have no fever anymore, but otherwise he did look quite feeble to Sythric. In the end Sythric managed to insist, that Fion should make a little test with him. So they ran, with easy pace, to the edge of the grassland and then back with full speed. Even though Fion was back first, it surely seemed like a greater exertion to him than to Sythric. After Leod had examined him a little more, he told others, that Fion could ride with them. Sythric was relieved, but still worried about the hardships they might have to face - and how Fion would manage them.