Chapter 130
"We could just go around the village," Arran said, looking at the smoke floating up into the sky . "Whatever happened to the village is long over, but those who did it might still be there . "
Even if he was curious to see what had happened to the village, perhaps the wiser choice would be to just avoid it altogether . It wasn't his first instinct, but then, his instincts rarely led him away from danger .
"We can't," Snowcloud replied with a small shake of her head . "If the village was attacked, we can get a sense of who's responsible . " In a softer voice, she added, "And there might be people still alive . "
"All right," Arran said, not needing much convincing . "We can take a look, but give me a few moments to prepare first . "
Wary of going into danger unprepared, he changed into the black armored coat he got from Lord Sevaril and belted on his starmetal sword . With his Duskcloak within reach as well, he figured he would have a good chance of escaping even if there were a dozen strong mages in the village .
When he finished his preparations, Snowcloud gave him an inquisitive look . "New equipment?"
"I picked up the coat in Goldhaven," Arran replied . "The sword I've had for a while . "
"You really are full of surprises, aren't you?"
From Snowcloud's expression, Arran could tell she recognized both the coat and the sword as being anything but ordinary, but it couldn't be helped . There was no point in having treasures if he could not use them when facing danger .
"Let's go," he said . "I suggest we leave the road, and approach from the woods . If anyone's there, they won't see us coming as easily . "
Snowcloud replied with a nod, and soon, they were moving through the thick woods surrounding the village, slowly making their way through the dense underbrush as they headed in the direction of the smoke .
When they reached the village a quarter hour later, Arran immediately saw that his suspicion had been correct — whatever happened was long over . Most of the buildings in the village had already burned to the ground, and what few of them still stood were little more than smoldering husks .
Yet although the village had been destroyed, he was surprised to see that there were no bodies anywhere . Nor, for that matter, could he smell the familiar scent of charred flesh — the only thing he could make out was the smell of burned wood .
"I think the villagers fled before this happened," he said in a low voice . "Either that or they've been taken away . "
"Let's have a look," Snowcloud whispered back . "But be careful . "
Arran had no intention of being careless regardless of her warning, and as they stealthily prowled into the ruined village, he continuously swept the area with his Shadowsight, heedful of any possible threats .
He almost concluded the village was abandoned entirely, but then, behind one of the half-collapsed buildings, he detected three shapes — adult figures, holding weapons .
"There!" he yelled, pointing toward the trio's location . Drawing his sword, he rushed forward, bounding toward the building behind which the three were hiding, Snowcloud following some steps behind him .
He reached the three hidden men only a moment later, before they had a chance to flee or react, and their terrified looks made it clear he had taken them by surprise .
Yet when he saw them, he immediately knew that they weren't responsible for what had happened to the village — their faces were gaunt to the point of being emaciated, and although it looked like they had seen battle not too long ago, it was clear that they had been on the losing end of it .
"What happened here?" he asked, sheathing his sword as he realized they were no threat . "Who burned down the village?"
Seeing Arran put away his sword, the three men relaxed visibly, though they still looked at him and Snowcloud with wary eyes .
For a moment, none of them spoke, but then one of them took a hesitant step forward . It was a young man, barely out of boyhood, with a slender build that almost looked feminine . Yet despite his unimpressive physique, he seemed less fearful than his comrades .
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