What would take the caravan several hours of travel took half the time for the fast moving detachment, and soon enough, they were turning north into the woods and rolling hills of the area.

  Their pace slowed as they moved into the woods and had to account for the rougher terrain, but the path they were following was obvious enough that they still managed a good speed.

  As large a group as this, especially one with a supply train, was incredibly difficult to obfuscate. This method of going via the countryside was probably the best option they had, and under normal circumstances, it would work reasonably well.

  It was simple ill fortune on the part of this group they were following that the alliance had crossed their path so soon.

  A small voice in the back of Tim’s mind reminded him that it was technically possible that these people, whoever they were, could be friendly. They could even be trying to help with the Cyth.

  Realistically, Tim knew that was unlikely, incredibly unlikely in fact. Firstly, that anyone would even know the Cyth were coming this way, and secondly that they would know in time to get a force over here.

  No, his own opinion was the same as Sylvie’s. This was the Brotherhood trying to do something while everyone else was distracted.

  Galstar held up a hand to slow them down as the tracks they followed became muddied for a short distance. Looking around, Tim saw some of the Airta examining a secondary trail that approached from the east.

  “It looks like a smaller group arrived and merged with them,” the Pathfinder said, riding over to examine the tracks herself. “Interesting. We should trace these back and see what they find.”

  Tim felt approval and a complex mix of emotions over his bond with Sylvie and took a second to translate it as best he could before nodding.

  “The Airta will send a hunting group that way to investigate. The rest will follow the main trail.”

  The Pathfinder nodded, familiar enough with the situation to take Tim’s words at face value. She no doubt didn’t really understand the pack magic of the Airta, few outsiders did, but she knew that Tim did.

  Sylvie barked out a few orders, though the instructions mainly came through the pack’s bond, and a trio of Airta loped off to backtrack the newcomers.

  It would be interesting to see where they were coming from, especially as the newcomers had brought a laden cart with them.

  “Pathfinder,” Tim said abruptly, remembering their trip down to Gerann. “The size of the tracks we just saw, it roughly matches that group we encountered. They had a cart as well.”

  The Kranjir frowned and nodded. “That’s a good thought. This could be some sort of raiding party that is gathering together before heading back.”

  “Then why are they going north-west?” Tim asked, trying to think of what was in that direction. It was mainly towns and villages for the most part.

  “I don’t know, and that worries me,” the Pathfinder said, her frown growing. “I don’t like any of this, Tim. Keep me informed of whatever the Airta find.”

  “Of course,” Tim said, glancing over at the silver wolf loping along to his right. Sylvie had heard all of that and glanced his way to give him a brief nod.

  Normally, a wolf making such a human gesture would make Tim laugh, even when he knew it was one of the Airta. There was something unnatural about the motion in a wolf, though that didn’t stop the Airta.

  This time, though, Tim was too worried about what was going on to find anything amusing about it. This was all a bit too close to home, and the idea of yet another threat menacing the villages around the city made him tense.

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  They’d been through so much already, all the people in the area had, and Tim wished dearly to spare them any further hardship.

  Sadly, that particular goal was outside of his reach right now.

  The woods thickened as they kept moving north, but Tim noticed that they were starting to turn west now as well. Only slightly, but it was noticeable.

  A few hours after the first pause, they slowed again as they came to a new set of tracks merging with the group they were following.

  The Pathfinder had them slow just long enough for Sylvie to send out another small group, and then they were pushing forward again.

  This set of newcomers was roughly the same as the last one, even down to including a cart. The wheel tracks were deep enough to say that this was one was heavily laden as well.

  “It looks like your raider theory might be on the mark,” Tim said to the Pathfinder as they started off again.

  “In which case, there is something here that we’re missing,” she said tightly, looking increasingly concerned by what they were finding.

  Over the next four hours they found two more signs of additional groups joining the main band, though their carts were seemingly unladen. There were some slight differences to the tracks as well.

  Rather than joining the moving band, these particular newcomers had been waiting for it.

  “Failed raids, perhaps?” Tim offered, but the Pathfinder had simply shook her head, her brow furrowing in thought.

  “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

  Sylvie communicated that she didn’t want to split any more Airta away from their group, which Galstar agreed with.

  The two groups already sent would help give them an understanding of what was happening if all went well. If they didn’t, then the chances were that another two groups wouldn’t help.

  Tim understood the decision, and the Pathfinder had no objections when he passed it on, so they simply pushed forward.

  The path of the group they were tracking was almost purely westward now, and they were nearing late afternoon.

  The light was beginning to fade, which would only make their work harder, so the Pathfinder began to call them to a halt when one of the Airta leading the way let out a sharp bark.

  The Pathfinder turned to Tim expectantly, but he was already parsing the meaning flowing among the pack. It was difficult, as he wasn’t truly part of it, but he caught enough to understand.

  Turning to the Pathfinder with a worried look, Tim nodded to the leading Airta. “They can smell blood up ahead. Human and something else.”

  “Ready yourselves,” the Pathfinder called out, slowing her mount and stringing a shortbow with smooth, practiced motions. “We will investigate, but move slowly and carefully.”

  Sylvie let out a low growl and the Airta scattered into the woods, fading from view in moments like the consummate hunters they were.

  Only Sylvie stayed with them, leaving the Kranjir, Tim, Sylvie and Fenn to advance into what rapidly showed itself to be an old battle.

  Sylvie sniffed the air and Tim translated for the Kranjir. “She says this is a few days old.”

  The Pathfinder nodded, dismounting as she did to take a closer look. Joining her, Tim ran his gaze across the battlefield.

  Roughly twenty people lay dead around a small camp, the way they lay and how they were positioned making him fairly sure that this had been a desperate last ditch defence.

  An empty, broken cart sat in the centre of the camp, and every tent and every contained had been smashed and ripped open.

  There was no who these people had been fighting, but at least they had the confirmation they needed now. One of the wand users that Verdan had told them to watch for was dead among the wreckage.

  Searching the body, Tim recovered a simple wooden wand, noting as he did the broken remains of what looked like a set of rings.

  Stowing the wand, Tim moved on to help search the rest of the camp, eventually coming to a bloodied tent, which Sylvie was carefully sniffing.

  “What is it?” Tim asked, crouching down to look where she was focusing.

  A brief surge of magic turned the wolf at his side into Sylvie’s lithe human form and she rose to her feet. “Vespa.”

  “Vespa?” Tim echoed, remembering the huge bat-like monsters that had attacked Hobson’s Point. “Are you sure?”

  Sylvie turned to give Tim an incredulous look before gesturing at the ground around them. “There are no other tracks here. The group we are following deviated around, but there’s no sign of anyone else coming or going. They could be hidden by the passage of the larger group, or they could have flown in.”

  “That matches what I’m seeing as well,” the Pathfinder said, joining them with a nod to some heavy imprints past Tim. “Those look like something big and heavy landed hard. This was all quite one-sided as well, which I’d expect for an airborne attack.”

  “What are the Vespa doing out here, though?” Tim asked, glancing between them.

  “I don’t know, but we should tell the Wizard,” Pathfinder Galstar said, glancing over the destruction one last time before heading back to her horse. “The Chosen told me that he had an interest in them. Perhaps he will be able to understand more?”

  Sylvie nodded and whistled, drawing a few Airta out into view. “Scout the area, find any signs of battle and report back.”

  The Airta nodded and vanished off into the woods, leaving them to retrace their steps and find somewhere to camp for the evening. They could go no further without risking being too far from the caravan.

  Besides, this was enough to answer at least a few of their questions.