How you managed to fool them, I won't be figuring out any time soon." Lahan had started to chat with Avya on their way back.

"Hah, thanks." She giggled in response, but then stopped herself. "I worry that we just shifted the problem to the lord instead."

"I wouldn't worry about it.  It was nice being wishful.

Soon enough the two reached the road, where they met up with some of the people who had been searching in the area. They looked at Lahan and Avya surprised as if asking: "Where did you two come from?"

"We found the bodies." Lahan said. "The knights set of for somewhere, so there's no point in waiting for them."

 

Their return was met with grim silence. Facing murders was not a thing any of the villagers had had to deal with. Lahan assumed most were contemplating what the future would be like. He most definitely was doing so, albeit for another reason.

Lahan’s thoughts were interrupted by Dulgar, a member of the search party, speaking. He was a lean fellow, dark-haired and tall. From what Lahan knew he used to be one of the Lord's guards before the Vorethians forced him to cut down their numbers. Lahan didn’t know what Dulgar did for living nowadays.

"Does anyone know what we should be doing with the bodies?" He asked. "Burry them or burn them?"

"How should I know?" Lahan asked sarcastically. "Do I look Vorethian to you? Let the knights handle their own. We needn't get involved more."

A nod of agreement followed from everybody before they all decided to leave.

 

"I see you're back, Lah." Kliera greeted him as he entered their home. It was hard reading the woman's facial expressions, especially with her hardly even lifting her attention from her work; patching up clothes and such. "Helping out and such. Quite nice of you. So... what're the Vorethians up to?"

"Two of their knights have been killed, it seems." He replied, whilst trying to withhold as much of the truth as possible. "They are putting the blame onto the Lord."

That response made her stop Kliera in her tracks for a while before calmly shaking her head: "We can do nothing, but pray to the Gods."

 

That evening the Vorethians held a feast for the whole village to attend. Lahan didn’t quite know who they had requisitioned all the needed food from, although it'd easy to guess were he to look for disgruntled expressions in the crowd.

“I hope you will find this day one worth celebrating, people of Drerno.” The leader of the Vorethians rose up to speak. It was clear that he had spent much time on his speech even if it didn’t quite get everyone’s attention. His actions though were loud enough. “Your lord proved to be rather traitorous. You can see what followed. Consider yourselves free peasants instead of serfs from now on.”

As that was said Lahan immediately tried to shield Lili from the gruesome sight.

Prompted by his commander’s words one of the Vorethians proceeded to show off the lord’s head; a fate seemingly shared by his entire court. Family, guards and servants. None had been spared.

 

“Milan…” Dulgar murmured in disbelief, staring at one of the heads, having apparently recognized the face.

“What the hell!?” He shouted, suddenly punching the Vorethian straight into the face.

“Your friends?” The foreigner asked. “I’d like to say “sorry”, but it’d be disingenuous. Advise you to calm yourself.”

A second punch was thrown in reply. One that was dodged and responded to in kind. Just as it looked like a full-blown fight would start another Vorethian intervened, knocking down Dulgar from behind.

“Poor man.” The commander commented before issuing his orders. “Whip him a handful of times tomorrow, no more than ten, and let’s hope he’s learned his lesson.”

 

The rest of the event was held in nearly complete silence.

Lastly the Vorethians held a brief ceremony where they burned the bodies of their fallen comrade. Lahan could almost swear that he saw a woman’s silhouette in the flames of one of the pyres for a moment.