They had reached a significant depth within the grove, the air growing colder and the shadows more profound.
They had just encountered a lone Thorn Knight, the last of its kind in this sector, and had dispatched it with a coordinated effort.
Now, silence reigned.
Liam and his raid party hung around the area, recovering from the skirmish. Their group was large.
Over ten members, mostly women who leaned against the colossal trunks or sat on the thick, moss-covered floor to catch their breath.
Another smaller raid party of five stood nearby, their gear clattering softly.
Not long ago, one of the raid parties from their initial coalition had detached and pushed ahead, a move Liam had aggressively encouraged.
"Are you sure we should have pushed them off just like that?" one of the ladies in his party asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face as she looked toward the dark path the others had taken.
