After a few days, Wilimar was finally starting to get used to the long days spent on foot. He still wasn’t as unfazed as their group leaders and Huvong, but he didn’t feel quite as exhausted when they finally got to make camp for the night and get some rest.
Now that they were getting farther north, the sunshine was becoming less and less and clouds crowded in the sky overhead and the mountains grew closer on the horizon.
“We can stop for lunch here,” Feilos announced, leaving the main road to duck into a small cropping of trees. “What the hell?” he said, stopping short as he broached the tree line.
“What is it?” Detri asked, peering over his shoulder. “Shit...” she murmured.
Sylis and Aravae exchanged a look.
“What is it?” Wilimar asked, creeping closer.
“Someone got attacked here. Be careful, they might still be around,” Feilos said, glancing over his shoulder at them. He signaled to Detri and they split apart, heading into the trees to check their surroundings.
Aravae moved towards the scene, peering at the ground and giving Wilimar a chance to inspect the clearing.
A large carriage was on its side, one of the wheels broken off and smashed apart. Another wheel was barely hanging on to the axle, a gentle tug would probably be enough to pull it free. The remains of a campfire had been scattered around the clearing, ash trod through and kicked up. Aravae picked up a rock, a spot of dried blood darkening the side of it.
Ripped clothes and scraps of fabrics littered the ground and large barrels were broken, spilling apples and potatoes across the ground. Some had been stomped and smashed to pieces in the scuffle.
Feilos and Detri pushed through the opposite side of the clearing, appearing out of the brush.
“We didn’t find much of trail,” Detri sighed. “Which is unusual considering how much damage was done here.”
Aravae rolled a 14+1=15 on her survival check.
“There were at least a half dozen people here,” Arave said, running her fingers over the prints in the dirt. She got up and circled the clearing. “Someone ran, there’s blood here on the leaves, and another pool of it mixed in with the dirt here. I’m surprised there aren’t any bodies. At least one of them had to have been injured bad enough to die. I also have bad news.”
“What is it?” Detri asked.
“The carriage bears the mark of the royal family. Whoever was in there was important, and its likely Corrinthia doesn’t know about it yet.”
“That’s bad, really bad. Do you think you can track the blood trail?” Feilos asked.
She shrugged and moved into the trees. Detri followed, but they came back a few minutes later shaking their heads.
“I don’t know how they did it, or why they would want to take the bodies of the people who were attacked, but everyone’s gone,” Aravae said, dropping the bloody rock she was holding.
“We’ll have to keep an eye out and report this when we get back,” Detri said, running a hand over her scales. “Without any leads we can’t do much about it and we need to take care of that dragon.” He glanced around the clearing. “I know I said we should break for lunch, but I think we should walk a bit farther before settling down. I don’t think it’s wise to be close to this.”
The group nodded and picked their way back to the road, silent as they continued on.
