"This seems like the place..." Bjorn murmured as his breath rose in front of his face in the frigid air.
The other warriors had already spread out and were searching the site of the massacre for clues as to where Skourj had gone. Bjorn glanced around at the frozen, lifeless bodies with a grim expression. 'The creature is as powerful as Lord Exile warned.' His eyes scanned over the broken shields and weapons.
"Bjorn! It went that way!" An old warrior that had grown up alongside Bjorn shouted as he pointed to the North.
"That should be where the enemy encampment is that Lord Exile mentioned..." Bjorn frowned as he glanced in that direction. 'Was it searching for more food? No, there's still plenty of meat on the bones of these warriors. So is it the curse driving it to seek out more people?'
"Ok, everyone, spread out and watch for any sign that the creature changed its course. Let's go!" Bjorn roared as he stomped through the snow, pulling his fur cloak tighter around his body.
They marched on in silence through the frozen forest. They could hear only the sound of the winter winds howling through the trees. From time to time, a blotch of red-stained snow would appear, showing that they were still on the correct path. 'Is that its own blood? Or did it drag some poor soul with it?"
Bjorn was full of questions as he tried to imagine exactly was he was up against. 'Aim for the eyes, he said... Is its fur really that hard?' Bjorn had doubts about being able to strike such a small target when faced with something as large as a bear. Eventually, the time for procrastination was over. The encampment slowly came into view, along with the horrific sight of what lay inside.
"Another massacre..." Bjorn sighed as he stared at the crimson slush that covered the ground inside of the wooden walls. "The creature has been here! Split up and circle this place to see if any tracks lead away from here. If not, I'll go in alone and you can witness the fight from here!"
The others nodded solemnly before taking turns to shake Bjorn's hand and wish him luck. Bjorn's eyes narrowed as he watched them separate and move around the perimeter of the encampment. Every passing minute increased the tension that Bjorn was feeling in his chest. He half expected for them to signal that they had found something, but alas, they did not.
Bjorn sighed as his knuckles turned white as he gripped his spear. With slow and deliberate steps, he made his way down the frozen hill overlooking the encampment. His eyes scanned the interior for any sign of movement. They had confirmed that Skourj was in there somewhere, but there appeared to be no reaction to their presence.
Bjorn struggled to slow his breathing as his heart pounded in his chest. 'Almost there!' He walked past the opening in the wall and entered the camp. There were a few small huts spread around. Most likely places for the warriors to get out of the cold. However, there were also two larger buildings.
'One of them should be a barracks for everyone to sleep in... But the other...' Bjorn's eyes went to the other one, where a gaping hole replaced the doorway. 'That should be where they gather to eat and talk.'
From the looks of things, Skourj was inside. Bjorn struggled to decide what he should do in that situation. Fighting inside would restrict them both. The bear would have less room to use its massive frame and would be unable to really charge at him. But if he lured it outside, he would have more room to manoeuvre, reducing the likelihood of the bear landing a lucky blow.
Bjorn hesitated before deciding to confront it in the confines of the building. With a bit of luck, Skourj would be sleeping peacefully within. With every step that he took, he felt as if his heart would jump into his throat. The slight crunch of the slushy snow from all of the blood sounded like a hammer striking steel to his ears. He was certain that Skourj must have heard his approach with every step.
Surprisingly, the beast never charged out of its temporary lair. Bjorn held his breath as he stepped inside of the building. The gloom of the early morning sun did not reach the interior. A darkness hung over the room he entered, causing him to squint to make out the shapes of the broken furniture and bodies.
Laying there, near the back wall, was the hulking mass of Skourj. Breathing deeply in its sleep. Bjorn silently cursed to himself when he realised that Skourj had used the bodies to create a sort of nest to surround its body. It was nigh impossible for him to approach the beast without kicking something that could alert it to his presence!
He took a few careful steps towards the black mass, testing each bit of the wooden floor for any possible creaks before transferring his weight from one foot to the other. It was slow going, especially since it was difficult to see what exactly was near his feet. The last thing he needed was to accidentally kick a mug or something.
Bjorn felt like things were going too well, as he carefully navigated that macabre obstacle course. He headed for the smaller side of Skourj's body, where its head should be. However, he froze in place when he noticed Skourj's ears twitch slightly. A deep frown set on his face as he slowly raised his spear, expecting the beast to make a sudden attack.
But nothing happened. Bjorn did not dare to let out the breath that he was holding in. He had to succeed in delivering his surprise attack, as it was most likely the best chance he would get to slay the beast. Skourj's face came into view as it continued it slumber. Bjorn steeled his nerves and raised his spear. With a fast lunge, he struck out towards Skourj's left eye...