His breath went slower and fainter, until it finally faded, while the Dural officers were still standing in circle around him, petrified by the shock of his dreadful story. Having finished his story, the villager closed his eyes. I know I am to die now, and I… am grateful for that, for my torment is to end.” I can still see her… in my head, haunting my thoughts, denying me any rest. She was very beautiful, prettier than… anyone I’ve ever seen, yet at the same time terrifying and… deadly. A ghost too, glowing green in… her armor. I played dead… forgive me, milord… then I hid… it’s how I survived. Strong, they were, there was… no way we could resist… their attack. They were, gods be good… Ghosts, all of them, mounted on… dead horses. There was obviously no way his wounds could be healed, and he certainly did not have long left to live, yet he had time to tell them what happened to the village, and his story was worse than everything the commander and his officers could have imagined. The poor man was indeed heavily bleeding. However, we found a survivor, though he’s badly injured.” It’s as if the enemy came and left by flying, m’lord. One of them announced: “We searched the surroundings, but couldn’t find any track of horsemen. He was interrupted by two soldiers coming back, carrying a man on their shoulders. We cannot let this slaughter be unpunished. “Do you think there could be a second Hippus raiding party in the region? In any case, our duty is to track and destroy them, whoever they may be. The commander didn’t look fully convinced yet. Have you ever seen Tasunke’s bastards leaving without looting the bodies, even when they are closely chased after? He had been killed by a longsword’s blow, but he still wears a silver ring, and his purse hasn’t been taken away. “My lord, I have just been searching the body of one of the village defenders. Even a devil like him can’t move that fast.”Īnother officer, who had just joined the group, intervened. “Out last report located his party three days of ride from here. “I’m not sure this is the work of Tasunke’s raiders, m’lord”, Delvin, his most trusted lieutenant, answered. This time we won’t let Tasunke escape, and we’ll make him pay for his countless offenses!” They cannot be far ahead of us, a few hours to the most. “We’ll leave as soon as the scouts discover in which direction the enemy has gone. “We’re not to stay here any longer than we must”, he began. Then he gathered his officers for an improvised council. The Dural commander unmounted and began to give orders, sending scouts to search the surroundings while other men were ordered to bury the dead. Crows hastily fled before the riders, disturbed while feasting on the corpses left in the deserted streets. Crumbled houses were consuming, producing the thin, slowly fading columns of smoke which had guided the company there. When the outriders reached the village, the fire had already almost ceased.
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