Antello quietly nodded as Lyra moved to the front of the procession. Everyone remained silent as the afternoon wore on and it was approaching dusk as the farm came into view. Lyra halted the little group and everyone dismounted. Lyra walked off through the trees to a small hill that offered a good view of the farm. Slowly she scanned the farm. Syman drew alongside her and gently touched her arm to let her know he was there.

“Something is not right,” Lyra declared. “Aguara should be in the fields, but nobody is in sight.”

“Not exactly true,” grimaced Syman. “Look at the barn. I see at least four figures standing in the shadows inside. How many people live here?”

“Just three,” frowned Lyra. “Aguara, his wife, and a son. I see the people you are talking about. I would have missed them.”

“You were wise in checking,” smiled Syman. “Keep watching. I will break out some food. We haven’t had anything to eat since we left the Academy.”

Lyra only nodded as she peered at the barn. She hadn’t even thought about eating, but now that Syman had mentioned it, she was very hungry. Dismissing her newfound hunger pains, she considered Aguara’s farm and the presence of the fourth person. It could be just a visitor or neighbor she realized, but the thought did nothing to quell the rising sense of fear that was building within her. If the raiders were still in the village, how safe were they this close to the village? Would the raiders think to check the trails in the forest near the village?

Syman returned with bread and strips of dried meat and they ate in silence while watching the barn for any changes. Lyra nearly choked on her food when the four people exited the barn and made their way to the house. Four dark clad raiders opened the front door and entered the house as if it was their own. Lyra fought the fear rising in her chest as she frantically started searching the rest of the farm for more dark clad figures.