As the new day dawned Gilnar and Meredith informed the others of the nights affairs and they checked the surrounding area after about an hour they came back together.
“I couldn’t find any evidence of a battle here of late.”
“Same.” The rest uttered similar agreements.
“Maybe it was long ago, death lights can linger for hundreds of years after the incident that they died in.” Flacidious recounted and the others nodded in agreement.
With that the group drew up the camp and headed off down the road this time though at a better pace, trees lined the sides looking tired and withered, the air was crisp and their breath misted up in the slight cold.
After several hours there was a turning off of the road they stopped and gathered.
“A turning would mean a settlement near by.” Erek said and looked up the joining path. Flacidious nodded.
“We should tak a look, if there’s a settlement we may be able to get some supplies and some proper food for the horses.” Flacidious turned to take the road and he met no argument from the others.
“Odd there’s no smoke.” Primela pointed out and they all stopped a moment. Feng clicked his tongue.
“We’ll have to approach it carefully then.” Flacidious said in his matter of fact business tone.
After a short while the troop came up on a scorched village they fanned out and Meredith got off the horse she had been sharing with Charles, Flacidious made a gesture with his hand and they quietly approached. Burnt huts, barns and stables occasionally there was a charred body in a house or animals in a stable, all the livestock seemed to have been burnt aswell.
After reaching the middle of the village they stopped and took stock of the situation.
“Scorched earth?” Gilnar asked looking around.
“But from who?” Erek dismounted his horse and picked up some of the soil and sniffed it.
“This was clearly done sometime ago.” Long joined Erek and looked around leading his horse to a fence post and hitching it.
“Yeah, this isn’t fresh, maybe a couple of months ago?” Primela stayed sat on her horse sniffing the air.
“Sounds about right to me.” Erek seconded the opinion while throwing the soil to the ground.
“Why are there so many bodies? Normally you want to get the people out before burning everything down.” Charles wondered looking towards the barns.
“Something odder, a number of the bodies were sat down, that means they probably didn’t try to run right? Isn’t it normal for people to try and escape when their house is on fire?”Meredith had been into a few of the buildings on the way as she was on foot, she lifted her hand and then rested them behind her head while looking from left to right.
“Maybe they couldn’t?” Sial said while joinging Erek in hitching his horse to the fence post.
“I don’t like it.” Gilnar said, his horse pranced on the spot for a bit.
“What’s there to like?” Feng grumbled. Flacidious shot him a look but didn’t say anything he just tugged at his goatie a moment.
“Let’s keep looking around, maybe there’ll be some kind of clue.” Flacidious finally said.
“At least it isn’t foggy eh Mere?” Primela sneered.
“Shut it Primela” Meredith shook her head and then headed towards the other side of the village. “I’m going to look for thier village shrine.” She yeld back at the rest who were rummaging through the wreckage of houses, Flacidious stood looking at the surroundings a picture of concern.
The shrine was covered in thick back gore, there were a number of animal carcasses and other offerings scattered around a central pillar. Meredith moved closer wiping some of the sticky ooze away from the insciption bringing it to her nose to sniff, she wrinkled her nose and wiped her fingers on a clear patch of ground. The offerings were mostly rotting food, a smattering of idols and other such items common for village communities to share the pile though was rather large.
She ran her fingers through her hair and seemed to think for a few minutes before looking around some more, she kicked some stones and checked in the bushes.
“That’s odd.” She muttered and looked back at the shrine. Then she walked towards a burnt house that would have once over looked the small shrine, there was a horned strongbark, a tree that was common for the regions futher north, from one of the gnarled branches was a rope with a number of knots on the way up to the branch. She swung it as she passed it and began to search the hut. There was a body laying on the floor of a far wall chared beyond recognition, she rummaged for a few minutes and sifted through the ash, her eyes narrowed.
“It’s not here either” She stood up and headed back towards the village centre.
Once she got back the others had found feed for the horses, fresh water and had piled up other supplies and were discussing next moves.
“I found another two bodies in hovel near where I found the feed.” Said Charles and Feng nodded his head.
“Yeah I found some too. I know it’s odd but I think they may have killed themselves.” Bedros offered.
“Then why weren’t they buried?” Feng asked, his brow was furrowed and he had one hand on his waist.
“Some kind of superstition?” Asked Primela who seemed restless.
“I wouldn’t of thought so, I’ve seen a number of regular burial plots and the Vicini had the same death traditions as us, where they do cremate their dead they do it in a ceremonial way not just burning them in their beds.” Feng pointed out. The others didn’t seem to see a need to argue with his knowledge or rationale.
“They seemed to have take the villages relic as well.” Meredith said as she noted a moment to interrupt since she joined the group, they all looked at her, Flacidious pulled at his growing beard.
“Most settlements will have shrines and almost all shrines dedicated to a deity of the pathenon will have a relic. The one here is gone, they must of taken it with them.” She put her hand to her head and looked at them all.
“So?” Asked Primela. Echoing the question that was on most of the faces of the rest of the group.
“It would imply that firstly they left on purpose and secondly that they don’t intend on returning.”
They all looked around for a moment.
“We’ll stay here tonight, in the remains of that barn that’s still mostly standing, we’ll send a bird back to the capital and we’ll dry our things and see if there’s anything else we can salvage.”
“Should we head back?” Asked Charles.
“No, we still haven’t found anything.” Flacidious crossed his arms and headed back to the horses.
Charles sent off the first of the birds with a message and the others returned to the old barn for the first time in several days they could have a far more comfortable nights sleep, no severe wind or rain and no fog and there were real walls even if they weren’t the sturdiest of walls they’d help. Also there was plenty of fire wood and the horses could be fed and watered. Long played his flute and the night was rather merry despite the grim surroundings and they even managed to catch a boar that made a fine feast roasted on a spit above their fire.
“We’ll have to make good time tomorrow and push to the Vicini border city of Florens if I’m correct on where we are it should only be about a days ride.” Flacidious seemed to be saying to his plate of meat.
“mmhmm” Meredith nodded.
“With the horses fed and watered we should be able to push harder.”
“Should be.” Meredith happily ate a fatty chunk of pig.
“Sorry we couldn’t get you a new horse.”
“It can’t be helped.” She sighed and smiled. “At least we’re able to be dry at last! Honestly I have sores on my sores sores!” She exclaimed and a number of laughs went up around the camp.
The party slept well that night and indeed, by the morning they were able to enjoy being dry. Even if it may be for a little while.