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Something Must Be Done...
Part 5:
Questions
©2007
Sonja Torres & Aric Olsen, with thanks to Paul Del Vecchio
After the Guildmaster's question, Greywarden was the first to break the
moment of silence. "I have already given my word that I will try, but
after hearing all this, I have a few more questions."
"Me too," said Lucio. The woman also nodded.
"Then ask. Perhaps you will jog another memory or two loose in this old
skull." Bentir's smile was tired, but kindly.
Lucio began, "You mentioned that some farms had been hit, and that only
animals were taken at one. Did the farmers see anything and did anyone
investigate any of these?"
"No one saw anything; it happened at night when everyone was sleeping.
Some cows in a pasture were taken," replied Bentir. "But now that you
ask, I do recall hearing that the ground was torn up as you described by
the road, and another farmer complained at a council meeting that some
of his cashew trees had been completely uprooted."
"We should go look at those farms," commented the woman. "How long ago
was this?"
"The council meeting was a week ago," came the answer.
Greywarden nodded, then directed his questions to Lucio. "About the
place by the road...I noticed the spot from up on a hill not too far
away. Tell us more about it. You said you didn't find any goods left.
Could you tell who might have taken them or if there were more than one
of the large creatures?"
Lucio looked thoughtful as he concentrated on his memory of the place.
"The rain had washed some smaller tracks away, as well as some of the
blood spatter, but I did see some that looked a few days fresher near
the wagon remains, something small, like foxes and kobolds, maybe. I
believe there was only one thing making the large prints."
"What about signs of magic?" asked the female. "Were there scorch marks
or anything?"
Again Lucio searched his mind's eye, visualizing the details of dirt,
rock, plant and wreckage, and always the horrible pools of blood, but
then... "Yes...yes, I remember on one tree trunk, there was a mild burn,
but nothing charred."
"One thing that really bothers me," Greywarden said, "is that there are
no survivors. I don't understand how that is possible. Surely someone
must have been able to escape! Didn't you see any tracks of anyone
running away?"
Lucio remembered well what he had seen. "They never made it...I saw
tracks leading away, and then they too vanished, in another puddle of
blood."
At last they all fell silent, each one lost in his or her own thoughts.
Bentir knew from the determined looks on each of their faces that they
would take up the challenge. But will they survive? he wondered.
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