Ready? She was practically bursting with the need to do this. Shed been hoping for something like this all her life, and now… now she had a chance to prove herself.

***

Is it always so boring on patrol? Erin asked. How long had they been riding now? Hours at least, with nothing to show for it except the ache that came from too long in the saddle.

Seeing nothing is good, Til said. It means everythings as it should be.

Beside him, Fenir grunted his agreement.

They rode along a path across open ground, between fields as empty as they were beautiful. It was the kind of place Erin was sure Nerra would have liked, and for a brief moment, she missed her sister, but she knew she had to be here, doing this. Their father would never take her seriously otherwise.

They kept riding, and ahead, Erin saw a village, barely more than a hamlet, really, with people wandering the streets. There were scarecrows out in the fields beyond it, although they were poor at their job, because crows were landing on them, pecking on flesh that…

Erin almost gagged as she realized the truth: that those were people who had been tied outside there, their throats cut, their bodies left as some kind of cruel display. She looked around and saw that both Til and Fenir had come to a halt, staring out at the village.

Whats happening here? Erin asked.

Hard to say, Til replied. Except that those arent villagers in that hamlet.

Aye, Fenir said. It was almost the first word Erin had heard from him.

She could feel the fear in her, and the uncertainty. If not villagers, then who?

Quiet, Fenir said, and for a moment, Erin thought he was giving her an instruction.

But Til nodded. The quiet men would be about right.

Quiet men? Erin had heard of them. Her brother Vars had tried to tell her stories of them, only stopping when it became obvious to him that he wasnt going to get her to scream in fear by doing it. What are southerners doing here?

Hard to say, Til said. He looked around, then nodded to one of the scarecrows. We need to leave, before we end up like them.

Leave? Erin demanded. She could hardly believe her ears. She could feel her anger rising, pushing down her fear the same way it had with the bandits. Leave them to get away with what theyve done?

We need to go and report this to the commander, Til said. We dont know how many there are, or how theyre armed. Its too dangerous to go into that village.

Were supposed to be knights! Erin insisted.