The Start of All This Unpleasantness

They had so few reasons to feel anxious, no one could have guessed the importance this day would have. This, of course, was far from being their first mission together. This group of friends, these six comrades in arms, always had a knack for finding trouble, but in every situation they seemed to pull through. Of course, this mission seemed to be far more tame than most they had been sent upon. There was no army to lead into battle, no great beast to tame; their job was to snuff out ancient fears and modern rumors.
In the years that followed the great Immortal War and the unification of Kahlan, the rulers of Ikros ordered the mapping, surveying, and exploration of the new and unexplored regions of the country. With the destruction of the four immortal dragons, new life seemed to be springing forth all over the world, and even those places deemed barren and wasted were turning green. The northern region once known as Yalmar was no exception. In King Garalt's day, this country was not only barren but absolutely inhospitable; a land that took more lives than it brought forth. But since those days, whatever curse Yalmar was under seemed to have lifted, and now great forests, though still in their infancy, were growing all over the land.
Fortune had smiled upon them, however. Through the rocky and dense forests lay a very well beaten down path, easily allowing a single column to pass. This seemed to give some validity to the fears and rumors that they had been sent to dispatch, as this path was old. It had been hewn into the countryside, carved deeply into the rocks, and was even cleared of small stones that might irritate the unclad foot. The path was easy enough to follow, despite the prolific forests, but it was also long, miles long. With every passing day they spent following it, Prince Garadaine grew more and more uneasy about it; someone built this path for a reason, and there wasn't a good reason to build anything in Yalmar. At least, there was no good reason to build anything here back in his father's day, and this path preceded that quite easily.
It was close to noon now, the morning dew had long since evaporated from the leaves about them. And as north as they were, the temperature was actually quite pleasant, and the shade from the trees and the fresh scent of evergreen seemed to energized them. Cassrien took point, as usual, as her elven senses were much more acute than any of the others in the party. Though the path was easy enough to follow, the young elf took no chances, scouting far ahead and off path when their trail took them around too many blind curves. But now the path had straightened considerably, and the need for her to be so far ahead of the rest of the party did not exist.
But suddenly, Cassrien stopped quickly, causing Garadaine to almost bump into her. The path had opened up before them, and revealed something that forced everyone to catch their breath. That is, everyone but Gartgnar, as his short stature prevented him from seeing over his compaions.