"Come now
Race," chided Princess Theguis. "You're not going superstitious on me,
are you?"
"It's hard to just rationally explain away what happened in my room,"
replied the cavalryman. "A creature that can't be killed doesn't fit
neatly into the Rationalist Philosophy."
The lancers rode off slowly, following the trail of the beast. Crushed
grass, brushes, and even small trees and saplings provided an easy mark
for the horsemen to follow. Theguis idly fingered the pommel of her
rapier while keeping a watch out for any surprises. Racius started to
hum an off key tune, it's grating notes a counterpoint to the rustling
of the trees and other foliage.
"Would you stop whistling?" impatiently asked the Princess.
"Who's whistling?" innocently replied Racius as he started whistling
again.
"You are, that's who," retorted Theguis. "You overgrown sorry excuse
for a--"
"Wait," interrupted Racius. Although he enjoyed riling the Princess, he
thought he had heard something. "Did you hear a yell just now?"
The Princess held up her hand to stop the riders. Everyone listened
intently, trying to make out any sounds over the wind. Finally, a faint
scream seemed to reach out to them from the darkness.
"This way!" yelled Theguis as she sped her horse forward.
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Chapter 10: Murder in the Hut
The riders soon reached a tumble-down hut, its door broken in and
hanging on one hinge. Theguis and Racius jumped off their horses and
rushed inside, to find a scene of chaos. Broken furniture, scattered
and broken plates, chairs overturned and thrown about the room. In the
center of all this were two bodies.
Racius stepped over to the body of a young lad, who was covered in
slashes and other cuts. It didn't take a healer to see that the boy was
dead. Racius picked out a torn green fabric from the boy's hand. Next
to him was an older woman, bruised up and unconscious.
"Get some water," ordered Princess Theguis to a cavalryman. The splash
of water awakened the woman.
"Noooo!" she screamed as she backed away from the armed men.
"Easy! We're not here to hurt you," cooed Theguis as she motioned for
the cavalrymen to get out of the hut. "We heard your cries for help and
came as fast as we could."
"Oh no!" cried the woman as she went over to the boy. "They've killed
Garin." She started to sob uncontrollably. Theguis tried to comfort the
woman while Racius went out to join the rest of the men.
"Sir," reported a sergeant. "We found the tracks from a group of
horsemen. They're still fresh." Racius went to look at the tracks.
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