Darius and his unit of the Elite Army, along with the captured Belorian soldiers, faced the task of trying to cross the Black River. It had swollen with the recent storm, and the water raged with small white caps as it bounced off rocks and fallen trees. A group of soldiers spent the first part of the morning scouting up and down the river for the best spot to cross. A few miles downriver, closer to the Gildanian swamp that bordered the Realm’s southern neighbor, they found a place where the river seemed to be narrower and less rough. Darius had two men take a rope across on horseback to the other bank. The men struggled but were able to cross with the help of the Belorians’ strong horses. The men tied the rope to a sturdy pine on each side of the river. This would give something for them to hold on to as they crossed through the chilling water. The water was a numbing cold and would send them into hypothermia if they did not get warm on the other side. The first soldiers to cross had the task of starting a fire and setting up the tents.
