Chapter 191 - Harbored revelations
Scarlett and her party once again found themselves seated in their carriage, steadily traversing a worn dirt road, accompanied by a small contingent of knights under the command of Sir Franke Home. Scarlett’s gaze was fixed outside the window, where the morning sun had recently pierced through a somber sea of clouds, casting a warm glow across the horizon.
Following the skirmish between the duke’s men and the demons that had appeared during the night, the original company had been split in two. Sir Home had opted to keep those recovering from injuries and in need of more time to recover in the cavern, along with roughly half of those still fit for battle. That group would both keep watch over things in the swamp while also commencing the arduous work of dealing with the deceased Vilewyrm. The rest, under Sir Home’s leadership, were entrusted with escorting Scarlett back to Bridgespell, where they would report the situation to Duke Valentino and decide on a course of action.
Neither Sir Home nor the duke had likely foreseen the confrontation with a demon when embarking on this mission. Now, having weathered a battle with not only the Vilewyrm but also other demons, the knight captain was understandably on edge regarding the unfolding events. Though he seemed to have his reservations about leaving some of his men behind in the swamp—where another attack could easily occur—he believed that decisive action was necessary, given the circumstances.
Scarlett understood that sentiment, even though she knew the particular threat he was concerned about wasn’t as ‘looming’ as he might think. At least not in the fashion he was expecting. While Malachi’s demons could be dangerous, yes, Scarlett doubted that the woman would be responsible for any direct attacks from here on. She would be busy with other things.
Somewhere along their journey, two scouts clad in light armor joined their entourage. They approached Sir Home, their conversation audible enough for Scarlett to overhear.
“Captain, we tracked the demons’ path, just as you ordered. It led us to a village called Crowcairn,” one of the riders reported.
“Crowcairn?” Sir Home’s brow furrowed in thought.
“Yes. It’s a village roughly an hour and a half's march to the west,” the rider explained.
Scarlett’s own brows knitted into a frown. That was strange.
“Did you find any signs of the village being attacked?” Sir Home asked.
The rider shook his head. “No, Captain. We did not enter the village itself in case the demons were hiding there, but we observed people moving around and they appeared unharmed.”
Sir Home’s gauntleted fists tightened on his horse’s reins. “Could that mean that whoever unleashed the demons is hiding within that village?” he seemed to ponder aloud.