However, though she had some apparent hesitation to speak, her team members were not reluctant to speak their mind - and quickly too, at that.

"Mmm... Milady, you know that I am a simple man with simple thoughts..." The large man spoke, the owner of the deep, booming voice from earlier.

"What I think is that every extra pair of hands counts. There are so few of us already and every single person to fight alongside, work together with or breed with makes a true difference. Nevertheless, I understand your concerns and fully submit to your decision."

"No! There's no way at all we bring back a potential threat to our homestead! What are you thinking, Gatyon?!? How can you be so foolish, blind and... Naive??? After what happened the last time, do you still trust in every single strangeling you meet in the wild lands?!? Fool!!"

The very instant he finished his sentence, the other woman in the group vehemently opposed this, exclaiming loudly, clearly disturbed from the start by even the though of bringing Lars back to their "homestead", whatever that was.

And despite their apparent need to be discreet and the urgency he sensed in their body language, the small group of 4 hunter-warriors descended into a heated argument over whether they should take the risk and bring back the suspicious man in strange clothes or to be safe and eliminate him on the spot.

"You have no idea who he is, whether he's from a village that has fallen or whether he's even human at all! Do you even know if he's human in the first place?!? What if he's one of the dark-touched ones who've turned...!?! Tell me, Gatyon, how will you take responsibility for bringing a dark-touched one into our homestead, huh??! Tell me!!!"

The archer woman brazenly strode forward, taking large steps until she was right in front of the larger man - Gatyon. She stood nearly on her tip-toes, pus.h.i.+ng herself forward so that her face was almost touching the far larger man's face. Her tenacity and combative spirit was clearly displayed as she showed no sign of backing down even against someone who looked to be specialised in close-quarters combat vis-vis her garb that marked her as an archer or hunter.

Then it was Gatyon's turn to be agitated. His steady eyes flickered slightly and he raised his arms at his sides, punctuating his words as he objected strongly.

"Katya! We are of the Vulf tribe! How can we be so heartless! What if it were not a stranger but your lost brother that we found in the wilder-lands?!? Would you still be so insistent on eliminating him?! Surely you wouldn't!!" The tall and heavy-set man spoke sternly with a loud voice, still trying to remain calm. However, Lars could see the corner of his brows crease and the crows-feet in the sides of his eyes crinkling up as if though he were seething with anger right now.

Katya, the woman with a combative spirit, flinched at his words, wavering slightly and backing down just the littlest bit. However, as the words sank in, she became even more furious, clearly triggered by his touching of a sore point.

"GATYON!! You leave my brother out of this!! How dare you even mention his name after you, after what you...!! You!!!!"

Katya's face initially turned redder and redder as her eyes hardened, cold as steel. However, she began to lose her words to speak as her face took on a pained and troubled expression and she involuntarily took one step back and jammed her eyes shut, shaking her head slightly. Her voice was troubled, her expression like one of great loss.

There was silence for a moment, accompanied by the ambient sounds of the woods as their leader, the one they referred to as "Milady" looked on, unsure as to what to do. She shot a look to the gray-haired man with the pony tail, as if asking him for counsel in this situation - but she was met with silence as he looked away, not meeting her gaze.

"ARGHH!!!"

But the silence was for just a moment, as Katya suddenly let out a guttural grunt and unslung her bow in a quick, fluid move, completely belying the fact that she was disturbed or in an unbalanced state of mind.

Before Lars could blink his eyes, she had taken up her bow into her hands and nocked an arrow, training it directly at his forehead where he kneeled, bound on his knees. And in her eyes, Lars saw the look of a weary soul, one that was fighting tooth and nail to survive - and to find a reason to live.

And yet those were the most dangerous types of people. She looked to have no qualms towards releasing the arrow at the drop of a hat and executing Lars right there and then.

"Milady! I shall take it upon myself to solve this dilemma for you; let there be no difficulty, no moral quandary of taking an innocent's life! Whether innocent or a tainted, let the blood be on my hands and the guilt on my crown - but let the homestead be safe and we lose one life rather than we risk all of our safety!!"

Yet despite her courageous and sacrificial announcement, after nocking her arrow, the woman did not move any further. Despite her brows furrowed with aggression and her red-faced murderous expression, she seemed unwilling to make the move without agreement from her leader.

Perhaps unwilling to take on herself the guilt of potentially killing another...?

Finally, the valiant woman who was the leader of the group held up her hands and stepped between the gloomy-faced hunter and Lars and firmly placed a hand on the bow, gripping the arrow tightly to prevent it from accidentally taking flight.

"Katya..." She spoke this time with a voice of compa.s.sion, understanding and gentleness as she slowly lowered the aim of Katya's bow with her right hand and moved closer. The archer did not resist, allowing her weapon to fall and slowly relaxing her muscles, relieving the tension from the bowstring slowly.

Then the silver-haired and tanned leader drew closer, placing a hand on the taller Katya's shoulder, causing the older woman to tremble nearly imperceptibly again before she spoke with empathy.

"All of us... We've all lost someone dear... Both to the darkness and to the creatures of the wild lands... But Katya..."

"If we were to lose you to the taint too... How would we rescue all those who have been kidnapped...? How will we find the answer to the bonds of darkness...?" Her gentle eyes looked deep into the hunter's soul as she pleaded.

Katya wavered once more, frowning with indecision and clearly struggling internally in her heart.

"...Without you, without us being together as the chosen four... How will we find a way to rescue your brother and my father from the taint...?"

But when she heard her captain's last words, she broke down entirely and began to weep where she stood, covering her face with her free right hand.

Lars could only look on, his worries at being immediately deprived of life and hope momentarily alleviated.

Yet he also realised that there was so much going on, so much more to this world than just a simple forest of goblins.

He only wondered if he could speak about the monster in the cave...

And how he had been bitten.