The second hour struck somewhere during Col's mental count. He reached out and tapped Hod's shoulder once.
The hollow emptied of twenty men in groups of three, with twenty seconds between each departure. Six groups moved down the dark slope ahead. Col waited until they had opened a distance of forty yards, then started after them with Ulf on his right and Bern on his left.
They crossed the first stretch of flat ground at a composed walk. Wind from the pass swept low over the broken terrain ahead. That worked in their favor. Any small noise they made would be carried toward the mountain instead of back across the valley.
Above, the three watch fires marked the fort as it emerged from the darkness.
The slope began where the soil gave room to fractured stone. Every step required more care here. Ulf lowered each boot onto the rock toe first, checking for stability before shifting his weight. The method reduced the chance of loose stone sliding beneath a heel. exactly.
