‘You're welcome.’ Heres placed a hand on Tahon’s shoulder. ‘And you needn’t be so serious; I’m just a friendly old man.’ He patted the knight on the shoulder, winked at Einar and the twins, and set off into the forest.
Once the druid’s footsteps had faded, the four of them exchanged glances.
‘It’s high time…’
‘…to go back. We’d better…’
‘…not be late.’
‘Yes, you’re right.’ Tahon sighed and put the swords away in the small armoury. ‘We got carried away by the fight and there’s no time left for training.’
‘I’m sure there’ll be a moment tomorrow and…’
‘…more people keen to practise.’ Kari sighed, as if to say he’d rather stay here and do a bit of fighting than go home.
No one said it out loud, but everyone knew that a trial was imminent. A trial of the legionaries that could even determine Stairon’s relations with the Empire. Without saying much, they began to gather to set off back. Once they had made their way through the forest towards the settlement, the twins made the march more bearable by grumbling that they hadn’t had the chance to fight the knight.
‘Why were they like that?’ Einar blurted out after a while. He was just leaping over a ditch formed by two massive roots and wavered slightly as he landed. ‘Soldiers don’t behave like that; they shouldn’t.’
‘It’s… complicated.’ Ceet sighed, shaking his head gloomily.
‘If it weren’t…’
‘…we’d already know.’ The twins stopped their grumbling and quickly joined in the conversation.
‘Something big’s going on, isn’t it?’ Toinen glanced over his shoulder at his friend. The beastman looked at the three brothers with a weary gaze.
‘Yes, it does,’ admitted Ceet. ‘To be honest, I was a bit surprised you didn’t know yet. A war is brewing in the south. Not like any we’ve seen before. The Nakhers are… hmmm… forcibly conscripting everyone capable of bearing arms and sending them en masse further south, deep into their territory. What’s more, there are increasingly frequent… hmmmm… rumours of blood priests travelling in the company of the Marked and
