Page 29 of Lady Knight and the Thief

“Why to them, rather than straight on to show me this evidence of the old ones reawakening?”

“We need provisions, do we not? Would you like to avail yourself of some of the finer comforts of life before venturing into the deep Wylds?”

Begrudgingly, Cypress nodded.

“That’s what I thought, Lass. After we get a bit of rest at my camp, I’ll take ye to the tomb of Winged Hounds, and you can see for yourself.”

11

Diddled

Thesunhadalreadybegun its descent on the following day when another decimated, burned village came into their sights.

Cypress had smelled the burning throughout the day, but still, when the village appeared through the trees, she felt as if she were walking through a dream.

Unfortunately, the road did not go around the village, so they had to press through.

Every single cottage, storefront, and barn was torched. Raized to the ground. Even worse, though, were the bodies lining the streets.

While she was no stranger to the horrors of death, the display in front of her was… abhorrent.

“What happened to this place?” Cypress whispered, holding a cloth over her nose and mouth. Ash still fell from the skies, crackling embers of wood burning gently, and it floated on an errant wind.

Torren and Cypress slowly guided their horses through the village, voices lowered to a whisper.

“Crown Raiders, if I had to guess,” Torren replied as he ducked under a broken sign.

“Crownraiders?” Cypress asked, looking away from another pile of bodies.

“None of my people are going to attack a village and raze it to the ground like this.”

“So it has to automatically be the Crown? What about the Hunt that you werejusttelling me about? The thing you couldn’t even name?” Cypress shook her head. “Your bias is showing, thief.”

Torren scoffed. “Remember, Lass, I can’t lie to you. You asked, and I answered.”

“Fine,” Cypress growled. “Whydo you think they are Crown Raiders?”

“Because your King harbors hate for my kind, for the Fair Folk.”

“You say that like you know it to be a fact.”

“Because it is. The crown has been quietly killing Fair Folk for decades.”

Cypress shook her head. “Impossible. I would have known if bands of raiders were sanctioned by the crown.”

“Really? Why would they tell you? Your purpose was to guard the Prince. Caelith’s preciousheir.What reason would he have to share his plans with you?”

Grumbling to herself, Cypress had to admit Torren had a point. A very astute one.

“I’m not saying you are right, butif you are, and this… slaughter was sanctioned by King Caelith, why now? Why is he burning these towns down now? Why not destroy them before Cade was even born?”

Torren shook his head. “Villages like these have been burned to the ground many times, Lass. But the people return, time and time again.”

“So where are they now?”

“Likely hiding within the trees and tall grasses, waiting until we leave and the piles stop smoldering to care for their dead and rebuild.”

“Any why wouldn’t it be the thing you couldn’t name, or any other beast of the hunt?”