Crossroads Inn, Kingdom of Stilyra- Late spring 14 years AR

She wasn’t sure about their group at first, she held nothing against the 4 girls and one boy she traveled with, she’s just never spoken to any of them before. Cara was the closest in age, the rest were all between 9 and 11. Of the six four were there for their first steps, Cara’s 19 year old sister Diana, and one heathen that didn’t care about the fate part but was excited about her first time ever leaving her home village.

After they arrived, they ate and did what was fated for them, they eavesdropped on everyone. A few caught them in the act but after a quick explanation they either dropped the issue and moved further away or decided they were the one that fate had guided them too and started telling every bit of gossip they could think of. Erin and Cara were both old enough to drink watered wine and listened to the people of the busy inn, it was one of the few stops along the road between towns so it attracted a bit of everybody that made their living on the road or in the wilds. Merchants and traders, message carriers, adventurers, hunters, and even the patrols that regularly road up and down the distance between towns and villages to drive off bandits and dangerous wildlife. There wasn’t one single thing that everyone was talking about.

The ones seeking their fate started to get a bit worked up as the hours flew by and the curfew for anyone in the inn under 16 grew near. They’d heard about anything and everything, trade deals, news, funny stories but nothing really fit the criteria. Eventually a young barmaid only a few years older walked up to their table and shooed them up the stairs. Even Erin was a bit disappointed when she went to bed that night.

“Hey wake up!” Erin jumped in her bed a small girl stood over her. She could see through the cracks in the shutters that it was still dark out.

‘What in Hel’s names is she doing up?’

“What’s wrong Wendy?” Erin tried to bury herself into her pillow, the inns beds were much softer than her own, “bad dream?”

“No somethings going on, everyone is outside,” Wendy said, still shaking her temporary roommate, it wasn’t necessary. Erin shut up out of bed and made her way to the window and looked though the shudders, she could see in the darkness 30 or so people milling about in front of the inn. That looked interesting. Erin got her boots on and headed for the stairs, Wendy cautiously followed behind. As they exited the building everyone was still talking in hushed voices. The others from their group was already present.

“There it is again!” Everybody stopped, faint howling could be heard in the distance coming from the south, the road to Terra. It slowly faded away.

“See I told ya, that ain’t no fucking Gray and that ain’t no fucking direwolf. That’s something else, the others don’t sound like that.” an elderly hunter exclaimed.

“Well what else is there?”

“Could it be a shadowcat? Heard some came north a few years back and chased some stupid kids down a fucking hole.”

“No, that’s not a shadowcat,” Erin dismissed the idea, “They’re more like a scream.”

“How would you know miss?” the merchant and a few others gave her a skeptical look. Erin sighed, she was waking up fast but too tired to argue.

“Because I was one of those stupid kids that ended up hiding in a hole, except less hole, more cave with a tight entrance.” She said, not really caring about the couple people that laughed at her.

“How’d you get out? Heard those things are viscous and stalk prey till death.” the same man asked.

“A group of Ederathan knights happened to be passing through on their way to Dain, they joined the search and killed the shadowcats” That started a murmur the crowd.

“Could be those fuckers! Wouldn’t be surprised if their ilk is down hunting in the forest.” an overly chunky patrol captain threw in an idea. Erin had just blinked at the man in confusion, howling knights?

“No, the knights only howl in place of warhorns,” an Elvanni man with blue paint on his face said. He was one of the rougher looking of the bunch and obviously armed, “The other’s only howl on occasion; celebrations, funerals..” He shrugged.

“How the fuck would know?” The Elvanni just pointed at his painted face in reply.

“Fucking barbarians,” the man grumbled but looked away and pretended not to have said anything after noticing the so called barbarian watching him. He meandered to a different part of the group.

“It’s the solstice, maybe it’s others of their kind celebrating?” the barmaid opined.

“Were not in Ederath! Why would there be a bunch of-” He cut himself off as more howling started in the distance, it only lasted a few moments before tapering off.

“What about their kin, the crazy ones overseas? They can swim right?” the Merchant asked. Others spoke up immediately. The argument about whether their new idea could swim was short, everyone figured it was obvious they could but could they swim that far, all the way from the mainland? Erin ignored the group arguing and approached the Elvanni man.

“What?” he looked down at her, only slightly. He wasn’t much taller that her.

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit confu…. Ahem, I mean I have a question if you would grace me with an answer child of the Elvan,” Erin said and gulped as the man rolled his eyes at her.

“It’s well enough but it’d be elder of the Elvan, I’m older than you… besides I’m from Ederath. You can skip the pomp,” He corrected her but only seemed slightly annoyed, “Well?”

“I was only wondering, why would knights howl?” Erin had to take a step back as the Elvanni furled his brows and looked at her. He studied her for a moment as if trying to figure out if she was messing with him.

“You look of the north but you’ve never heard of lycans? Shapeshifters?” He seemed more shocked that angry.

“Ah no… are they the monsters across the sea? A priestess came to the village and told us abou-” Erin was really starting to regret her question, maybe she should have just waited and asked her mother.

“No!” he abruptly stopped her, looking at a few others that had taken notice to the question and outburst. He continued more softly, “the monsters are their savage kin with similar origins but not the same. Lycan’s may be abrasive and dangerous but they’re also kind and honorable, what’s across the sea is nothing more than men turned into beasts rampaging to kill and turn others. Lycan’s only turn those who they deem worthy and are willing.”

“What if a lycan turns someone into a monster?” the barmaid joined in.

“It won’t happen, they train and learn to control themselves long before they’re ever even considered and their children do the same before their first transformation. If not…” He ran a finger over his neck.

“First transformation?” Wendy asked, she seemed nervous but she was one of the ones excited about fate and they’d finally found what everyone was talking about.

“Southerners…” he ran his hand over his face ignoring the glares he received, “when wild magic consolidates on your day of adult hood… when you turn 16...”

**********

Crossroads Inn, Kingdom of Stilyra- Late spring 14 years AR

“Uggggh…” Jon lifted his head up and spit out a mouthful of mud and grass. His head ached, his body ached, his mouth tasted like a mixture of dirt, vomit, and blood. He pushed himself over onto his back, “I’m never yelling after ma and Kaden spend the night drinking ever again.”

A slow wipe of his mouth and Jon started to take in his surroundings. A couple clouds drifted past the twilight sky of early morning. The morning was chilly but not unbearable, he felt dew covered grass wiping against his exposed neck. A movement caught his attention and he looked over to see a boot next to his face, he reached over and tapped it. Nothing happened so he did it again and it jerked away.

“What happened? Was it the wi-Ahh, AAAHHH,” Jon shot up and briefly staggered at the sudden movement. He looked at Jaesmin and saw her tunic and vest had been ripped to shreds. From the bottom of her ribcage to the top of her tights was torn away, exposing pale skin covered in drying blood. A flash of memory from the night before, three monsters coming out of the forest, a wide mouth full of teeth, Jaesmin nearly disemboweled, and searing pain.

“Are you okay?!” Leofrith crawled over to Jaes on all fours before rubbing her stomach, looking for a wound, “b-but I s-saw.” Jaesmin ignored her brother’s frantic search for an injury that wasn’t there anymore and did the same to his shoulder. Jon looked down his tunic, where he remembered feeling long teeth rip through his chest was covered in blood but otherwise perfect.

“You’re okay! You’re okay, how the fuck….?” Leo said while Jon stared at the blood on Jaesmin’s stomach, bits and pieces of the night before flashing back.

“The village!” Jaesmin pushed her brother’s hands away and shakily got to her feet, Jon could tell by the wincing that she felt about as good as he did. He tried a glance at the sun but the brightness hurt his eyes, it was sitting right upon the horizon, early morning. Leo got up and helped Jon to his feet. Both were shaky as Jaesmin started running towards the half completed wall a half mile away. She only made it two steps before she fell face first into the turf.

“Easy,” Jon said, moving somewhere between a power walk and a jog. He bent and grabbed her outstretched hand and helped her up. They began a stumbling pace back to the village, each one of them falling down multiple times like their limbs were not their own anymore. Jon felt strange, the aching was beginning to go away but every movement felt off. It wasn’t like a seizure or anything like that but just off. In his past life as Edgar, he would have been able to describe the feeling. It would be like driving a sedan all your life and then moving to a different car or larger SUV, even at the same speeds it felt strange. A difference in perspective, a slightly different feel, a subtle difference on where the shifter or controls were. That was how it felt, Jon was in control but it was like driving a new car for the first time.

They made it to the wall and worked their way around to see the much smaller wooden palisade that surrounded the village proper. The started towards it as two people came running towards them from the north.

“Jon! Jon! What the fuck happened?” Aethred ran up to them, Andrew going slower turning to look behind him and holding his hands up as if telling someone to stop. The group of heads poking out from behind a haystack in the distance showed that was exactly what he was doing.

“I don’t know, we were attacked. We just woke up. What’s going on?” Jon said annoyed at his friends loud voice, “are the gates open?”

“We have no idea. We were in the hideout and got woken up by howling. We thought it must have been wolves so we fucking locked ourselves in. We ran all the way here at first light but...” Aethred said, looking towards the gate, a several dozen corpses could be seen despite the distance. Jon remembered seeing the people run down the road and realized that no, the people had scattered in every direction. “We have no idea. The gates open but… We’re going to go to the lake and check on that group, come on.”

“That group?” Leo asked, remembering the kids that were told to anchor in the middle of the lake, “Lets get my father and the guards.”

Leo started towards the gate but Aethred stepped in his way, Leo shifted and Aethred blocked again. Leo was moving awkwardly making it easy for Aethred to block him.

“Listen, you don’t want to go in there…” Aethred somberly said.

“I think we’re all alone now,” Andrew said, his face scrunched up holding back tears, “she knew…”

Jon walked around Aethred, he moved to block Jon too but only let Leofrith get by as well, they jogged toward the open gate. Leo was the first to the gate followed quickly by three others, Andrew held back, refusing to look inside. Jon wretched in his mouth at what he saw. The three froze while Aethred turned around to join Andrew. They came from the north and must have been able to make out some detail as the gates were wide open.

The best way to describe the scene along the main road through the village was true carnage; in the road were shredded corpses but in the town, there were only parts. Arms, legs, torsos, heads… from what Jon could see there wasn’t a single piece attached to another. Organs spread across the ground, pools of congealed blood forming dark crimson puddles. A muscular arm laid near the gates with a large burn running down it’s length recognizable even through the blood and claw marks; it’d belong to the blacksmith, Jon was there when his mother treated the burn. Realization awoke in Jon.

“MA! MAAAAA! KADEN!” He began to move into the village, the smell was nearly unbearable and his feet slipped as he walked. Jaesmin started moving right behind him. Jon tried to ignore the squishing, slopping sound his feet made. He didn’t even look down, rather not knowing what he was standing in.

“FATHER!… PAPA!,” her voice cracked as she moved towards the manor, Leofrith pushing his sore legs into a jog to catch up, “PAPA! MOTHER! ANYONE!”

Jon continued moving, only stopping to steady himself or throw up. He’d thought near the gate was the worst, no one would argue that he was wrong as he reached the square. He needed to cross it to get home but as he neared it he wasn’t sure he could. He’d already puked everything in his stomach but continued to dry heave at the sight until bile started coming out. Andrew jogged up behind him but stopped.

“They fucking ate them,” Jon said, his voice barely a whisper. In front of him looked like a butcher shop after a pack of stray dogs got in. Chunks of flesh and half eaten bodies were spread though out the square. Jon wiped the foul bile from his lips and continued on after closing his eyes and breathing. It didn’t help as much as before but it did something.

He could have gone around but what if it was worse? He wasn’t sure how it could be but he didn’t want to find out,“Just look up, just look up. They’re not here, they were at home. I don’t need to look at it, just look up, they’re at home.”

Andrew and Jon slowly made their way across the square as Andrew mumbled Jon’s words to himself. ‘Just look up’ became their mantra as they stumbled on. Faces full of tears that were a mix of fear, sorrow, and the burning sensation from the smell of hundreds of corpses starting to heat up on the first day of summer. Jon thought Hel might be better, death and rot were present but it would be freezing and dark. He wouldn’t be able to smell as much or see anything around him.

Jon led Andrew slowly, only glancing down every so often to make sure he didn’t step on anyone. Even short glances were enough to recognize some of the bodies, he just prayed to the gods that he wouldn’t see anyone he deeply cared for. He reminded himself as he approached the other side that his sister was away from Terra, his closest friends were safe, and thanks to being ostracized, he’d never really gotten close to anyone else. His mother, Kaden, Piers, and Lora, that’s who he was here to find.

They’d made it across and past the carnage that spilled out of the square and jogged the remaining way. The corpses, scattered parts, and chunks of flesh became less common as they made it to the road that led home, Jon didn’t let his hopes get too high but he still felt a little. They saw their one story, 4 room log cabin, built as a reward from the Magistrate himself, Their home for the past four years. A waist high mortared stone wall spread around their property. As they made it through the door, they scrambled to the bedrooms after a glance at the empty common room. Andrew checked the store room as he came out of their parents bedroom. The home was empty. Jon looked around and realized nothing even looked touched.

Andrew walked over and plopped down on his bed in the common room. He looked lost, eyes searching through the home as if there was something he might notice, some sign they got away. Jon felt a pain in his chest as he realized he was doing the same thing. They were both looking for something to cling on to, something to give them hope. Jon joined Andrew on the bed and sat, he wasn’t sure how long.

“Maybe… maybe we should take somethings,” Andrew quietly said, Jon wasn’t following, “You know in case they escaped and need help. Maybe the wolves or whatever they was chased them away.”

Andrew got up and walked into their parents bedroom, he started digging though the chest on the floor, pulling out everything. Once it was empty he lifted a false bottom that Jon hadn’t even known was there. Andrew took out a strange piece of parchment with two marks and two pouches that clinked with coins. It was his parents coins and the coins his mother kept safe for Jon. He had to admit, Andrew had a point. Deep down, Jon feared they were now orphans but maybe they got out and if not they needed to survive somehow.

“Stay here,” Jon went straight out the window of Erin’s room. The control over his body was getting better the more he moved. The small rear of the their home, the former site of the hut he grew up in, was a small garden. Carrots, potatoes, and onions planted in neat rows. The sight of blood made Jon momentarily gasp and he would have cried out if his mind didn’t notice the dead goats and hens. He shook his head and went around the side of the house towards his stash.

He opened the small lean-to built against the house and moved some tools before digging in the dirt to pull out another two pouches of coins. He’d buried them so he could buy stuff without his mother knowing. One small for buying stuff as he wished and a second pouch plump full as his long term savings. He grabbed the final piece of the stash from behind a rough hewn plank that framed part of the door, a boot knife in it’s sheath. He had the dagger that Kaden had lent him by the tower but the bootknife was his.

He tried to crawl back in the window but fell. He knew something was different but he would figure it out later. He got in on his second attempt. Andrew was in the room, busily stuffing some of Erin’s stuff into a his fathers rucksack. He pointed towards the door, leaning against the frame was a one handed broadaxe and a heavy wood maul. The former was basically a heavy hatchet that most woodsmen carried. It was also every woodsman’s last line of defense if they happened upon something dangerous in the forest. The latter was basically a hefty two handed ax that was used for chopping wood, it’s blade was only half the size of the broadaxe but its other side doubled as a sledge hammer; it gave weight and power to every swing.

“Pretty sure that’s your da’s. It was under the bed in there but mine never needed axes like that. I’ve got his bow though.” Andrew didn’t bother hiding the pain, if there was one item his father would have grabbed as they fled it’d be his bow and a quiver of arrows. If a broadaxe was a woodsman’s best friend, a bow was a hunters.

Andrew just walked past and started packing some of his own stuff, setting aside his own bag for when the first one was full. Jon jumped in as well, pulling his own canvas ruck out of his trunk before tossing in some clothes, he moved to the 4th room of the house, it was the store room. He knew he’d never come back to Terra after he left. Even if they miraculously found his mother and Kaden, he didn’t think he could stomach it or be that close to the Dain anymore. He started packing dried fruit and meat, hardtack bread, some wild onions, and the bit of hard cheese they had. He thought about going to the bakers or one of the granaries to pillage more but couldn’t come to a decision if he wanted to. He left it be, the baker was on the way to Aethred’s and the granaries were near the gate.

“You ready to go?” Andrew asked, while trying to tie a frying pan to one of his two packs. Jon nodded and stopped to grab a scarf, Andrew gave him a look but followed suit as soon as Jon tied it over his mouth and nose.

“Let’s head to Aethred’s house and the manor I guess,” Jon started out. He wasn’t sure what to do but wanted to see if Leo and Jaesmin had found anything.

*********

Leo chased after his sister down the main road, he saw Jon turn the corner headed towards the new square. Andrew sprinted to catch up, Leo wished they’d have stuck together but each group had their own priorities. His moment of inattention had caused him to step into a pile of human offal, the intestines wrapped around his boot. He felt something rising in his throat but managed to swallow it back down. He’d been forced to butcher pigs and goats by his father as a way to temper himself and get him used to blood and entrails; neither a Magistrate leading guards nor a knight at the front had any business in a fight if they were expelling the contents of their stomach. Leo had had issues with it at first but soon it became nearly routine and the training stopped. It helped at a moment like this but not much knowing it wasn’t pig remains he was jogging past.

He had noticed the same strange feeling about his body as Jon had but managed to deal with it a little better. He moved up the slope to the manor on the hill, no longer behind but directly beside his sister. There were only a few bodies laying near the path, he recognized a couple of them as guards or villagers, one was a man at arms but he couldn’t tell which one as he was face down and they wore identical armor.

The door to the manor was wide open as they made it up the steps. Deep claw marks had torn into the wood and ripped the doors top hinges from the frame, making it lean. Jaesmin sprinted in and cried out. It wasn’t a scream or cry, more of a wail of agony.

A total of eight bodies lined the hall with two more propped up in chairs in the center of the room. The bodies laid orderly in a single row, stains showed where pools of blood had been before seeping through the floorboards to the cellar below. Unlike the bodies outside, each corpse only had a single, clean gash across the throat. His father sat slumped over the side of the chair, dagger in his hand. The only signs of struggle were a few claw marks dug into the walls and a broken vase, the room was otherwise untouched.

Jaesmin was on her knees, taking deep sobs that sounded like she was trying to catch her breath. Leo knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her as she held her fathers cold hand. He kissed her head and uttered a few words of support, he’d have said more if he could but he’d started crying as well. He wasn’t sure what to say.

He reached out and took his mothers hand in his, rubbing the back with his thumb. He looked at her, he’d hated her at times for what she did to Jaesmin. She had deserved a lot of things, living on knowing she’d driven her kids to run away was the worst he would have ever wished; not this though. He lost track of time as they sat like that. Jaesmin shaking brought him from his idle thoughts, it took Leo a moment to realize she was laughing softly. She turned to him and wiped the snot from her nose

“Sorry…” she looked at him ashamed. She didn’t really explain what the laugh was for. He knew his sister and even she wouldn’t laugh at her mothers demise. He didn’t ask but didn’t need to. She held a letter in her hand, something that their father had held in his hand while he died. She handed it to Leofrith. It was crumpled and hastily written but he recognized his father’s handwriting.

Terra has fallen, the beasts came in the night. Warn the Countess in Everton, the Duke of Ebrus, the King in Novaria, and the so called heathens in the north. Werewolves from across the sea have reached our shores, the forest of Dain must by scoured clean. I pray this is found and the beasts leave our remains untouched. If not, know all who laid in this hall took their own lives by the same dagger. Not in an act of cowardice but a final act of defiance, we refuse to give the bastards the satisfaction. May the gods guide us.

To my dearest Leofrith and Jaesmin. I hope beyond even the power of the gods that you two find this as it means you are safe. Know that your mother and I, have always loved you both. I know that may seem false but I can assure it’s true. My sweetheart, even you. Your mother was trying to protect you in her own way. She believed dearly in the power of the Temple and wished it to shield you from these dark times and with what happened here, they’ll only get darker. Leo I know I do not need to tell you to keep your sister safe but I will anyways. You are my heir, take everything you can carry and leave this place. I’m not sure where your life will lead but you’ll make me proud. Although your life is your own, may I suggest north. Please stay safe, I will see you again in paradise.

We love you both

Also that heathen boy you spent the night with, he’s a good lad. Take him with, it may open some doors to you in the north. Yes I knew, I didn’t tell your mother. If his friends wish to join, so be it but if the mouthy one tries anything, show the little bastard no mercy. Tell your friend that his mother and father died well, I saw them fall. They died with weapon in hand fighting to protect others, that’s the truth. They’re near the mouse house.

The keys are in my left shoe.

Below that a short message in a more graceful hand.

I’m sorry, I love you both. I’m sorry

Leofrith cried and then laughed. He handed the letter back to Jaesmin, who carefully folded it and tore off the top piece along the new crease. One was a message for lords and kings, the other was theirs and theirs alone. She tucked both into the top of her tights, lacking pockets. Leo pulled off his father’s shoe and dumped four keys on the floor. One opened his fathers study, another the safe that acted as their treasury, the next opened their parents bedchambers, and the last was a master key that opened up the other doors and cellar.

Footsteps came into earshot and they both turned to see Jon, Andrew, and Aethred. Jon walked in and placed his axes on the floor before heading straight for Leofrith and Jaesmin while the remaining three awkwardly bowed. It was clear to see that Leofrith was technically the Magistrate and only Jon knew that Leo didn’t care about that. He walked up and gave Leo and Jaesmin a tight hug. The other’s slowly joined. The five of them sat there for half a minute. Leo felt a little better after reading what to him was his father’s last words and the feeling of other people around him that he didn’t need to think understood. Judging from the tear stains on their faces, they knew exactly how he felt.

“Uhh, that’s enough,” Aethred said, pulling away leading to a chain reaction. Leo smiled a light toothless grin but even his famous fake smile couldn’t really work with sad eyes. He turned towards his parents and walked up to his mother. He took her hand and started quietly removing her rings. A few other kids quietly walked in behind them. Leo gave them a glance.

“From the lake or just got back,” Aethred said, Leo gave them a nod.

“Take whatever you wish, whatever we can carry. If it’s useful we’ll use it, if it’s valuable we’ll sell it,” Leo said to the incredulous stares watching him. There was a small touch of confidence to be heard in his voice, even through the pain, “Better we have it than leave it for adventures and soldiers to plunder, by order as Magistrate take whatever you wish from the village as long as the former owner has no one left to claim it…. Take that stuff too, the young ones will need something to remember. We’ll grieve later, lets make sure we can shelter and feed the ones that cant first.” Leo wasn’t sure of his words but he could tell the others were looking to him for guidance, to tell them what to do next. He didn’t say it as his own but more relaying his fathers wishes ‘take everything you can carry and leave this place’.

With that the group of now 10 slowly spread through the manor as two others left. Rather than tote it all around they started piling it in the main hall. They left the dead alone besides collecting a mace and a couple daggers, there was a jute bag with various coin pouches, each containing a simple letter to their loved ones, the gods, or simply a note or map to their hidden valuables. A girl came and draped sheets over his mother and father she turned and met his eye.

“Thank you,” he was all he said to her before going to get more sheets to cover the others if nothing else but to hide their remains while they all quietly got to the task at hand. Every few moments a cry, sob, or sniffle would echo out in the room being among the only noise in the village. The ones that broke down pushed on just by seeing the others continue working and others were later spurred on by them.

The dagger the defiant had used was already in it’s sheath at Leofrith’s waist as he unlocked the safe. He had originally handed the master key to Jon and his parents chambers to Jaesmin but they were unneeded, the monsters had smashed in every door and even pried the outside cellar door off it’s hinges but left nearly everything else intact. They weren’t raiders, but beasts hunting for prey.

In the bulky iron safe was a small wooden chest full of coins, neatly separated in pouches. Mostly copper and silver but four gold as well, Terra was never very prosperous and Magistrate Ellis had spent a lot of his wealth trying to change their little village into a proper town in the past few years. His legacy laying half finished outside. Leo felt a pang of regret, his father’s dream would die with him.

Under the chest was a stack of parchment and a couple books, Leo paged threw them and tossed most onto his fathers desk. He kept the one thin spellbook, three spell sheets, and the merchants guild note that showed a grand total of 8 gold, 34 silver, 18 copper that could be withdrawn from his fathers account at the guild. He’d have to go to Everton to collect but as he thought about it, that’s where they’d be headed anyways.

When Leo walked out he saw the others carrying everything from silk sheets to bags of grain from the kitchen and placing it in a large wagon drawn by two very skittish horses. The two farmboys that had left had led them to the manor. The little band of pillagers finished up and left after wedging the door shut behind them. Leo thought of finding a shovel as he hugged his sister to his side but he didn’t want the others to lose focus. They may have the chance to come back and bury their dead but it wasn’t necessary to their faith; the soul departs at the moment of death not burial. It was only a tradition and never once mentioned in the scripture as he could recall.

They pulled their newly acquired loot down one of the narrow alleys instead of the main road, the horses were calmer away from so many bodies. Rather than make repeated trips they tried to get everything they could in one go, none of them could be sure they’d stomach walking back into the village after leaving it.

The blacksmith shop was picked through of tools. Hardtack, oatmeal, and breads were taken from the bakers. Teas and medicines from the resident herbalist. Various tools, articles of clothing, coins, food, and drink were taken from various houses. Any that held signs they had children were placed in a separate container to be sorted later. Casks of ale and wine from the tavern. Eventually they made their way out. A single horse drawn wagon led the way followed by handcarts and boys and girls toting items in rucks and in their arms.

Despite the pain many even went in along with others only just returning to find their home destroyed. If not for the still streaming tears and snot covered faces most would have thought them a stoic bunch. They weren’t that determined or without fear, they were just lost. They followed the ones in front of them, who followed others. When someone went into the fletcher’s workshop and started picking up bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts, others followed and did the same because there was nothing else at that moment.

**********

By mid afternoon, Jon had already been in and out three times, he felt numb.

He was sitting on a small berm in one of the fields north of the village. He sat with his tunic off and had dumped an entire waterskin over himself as much to get rid of the stench of death as cool himself.

Most of the villages usable goods and tools sat in a heap near a group of tents between the two windmills. The camp had been erected for the younger children while some of the older ones and a single old lady tried to comfort and care for them. A second pile of food laid in a growing stack, the granaries were the last to be emptied. It wasn’t finished yet because Leo had called for everyone to take a break. The little ones cried while the older ones who’d gone in sat around alone or in groups without shedding a tear or saying a word. They sat around broken.

Leo walked up to Jon and sat next to him. He pulled out a skin and took a drink, Jon knew by the look on Leo’s face it wasn’t water. Jon still drank the watered wine without question when Leofrith passed it over. Other’s started to shift over, undoubtedly wondering what to do now that Leofrith, their literal ruler now that his father had passed, had finally stopped moving long enough to talk.

“Jon,” he said said holding up his hand to signal the others to keep there distance. To Jon it seemed like Leo was indecisive about something, he kept reaching for a pouch at his side before stopping himself and then reaching again. The third time he reached in and pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Jon while pointing at the final paragraph. Jon scanned the paragraph and reread the part meant for him

Tell your friend that his mother and father died well, I saw them. They died with weapon in hand fighting to protect others, that’s the truth. They’re near the mouse house.

Jon didn’t say a word and passed the parchment back, he chewed on his lip as tears welled up in his eyes once again. Leo didn’t say a thing, just patted Jon on the back. Leo understood, the others around him understood, the little ones might not have yet but they would in time. They were all orphans now.