Habuk and his riders hastened over the hills. Clumps of grass and earth where kicked skywards by the hooves of their powerfull ponies. With a howl he raised his spear and pointed towards the east. They approached a broad, yet shallow river, they did not pull the reins, rather reckless perhaps they went straight through. The riders in the back crashed through the mirrors of water that splattered up as the ones in the lead disturbed the peace of the gentle stream. Habuk privately smiled to himself, they had found and warned four villages in the past week alone, "Not bad." Three of them would send couriers on their own accord to more neighbours. He was glad that steadily the word was spread to take action, but also despite not being surprised he found it worrying that the local chieftains very much were aware already.
They went on for a few more miles to the east, "Another village!" Cried out one of the young men. A cheer followed of several, yet the wisest among them frowned by beholding the smoke that rose up to the clouds. "Too much smoke..", said one of them.. Another nodded quietly. "Do not be dismayed brother, surely they are having the largest of feasts and we'll be swimming in honeywine by the fall of night!" But there was no wine, nor feasting. Not a single man laughed as they found the village, slowly riding through it like a mourning's procession, even the ponies had held their heads low as if in respect and knowing of what may have happened here. Habuk pressed the back of his hand against his mouth while his eyes pinched. The fumes caught on their breaths, the air was warm here, like if one would stand too close to a campfire. Before them the remains of the village lay burned to ashes and cinders. Still smouldering. The leader of the young heroes gave the signal and they descended, "Bema.." Another breathed. It was then a pillar that must have been a wooden statue in the image of a dragon that fell down..
The men grabbed for their weapons, but nothing happened. They stared at the toppled remains for a moment longer and they began their search in the ruins. It did not take long before they found the bodies that remained amidst the rubble. Habuk himself picked up one of them in his arms, with empathy in his eyes he stared at the seven year old boy that had never had the chance to see adulthood and make a name for himself. The greatest hall there was still standing tall, the flames could not quite damage the structure deep enough, and it took eight men to barge into the scorched doors. Burned splinters flew in all directions as the hinges gave out under their combined force. And their eyes widened as what they saw within. One spoke with horrific understanding, "They have been left here with the doors locked and the place set on fire. They-" Habuk's second spoke, a fierce young man named Chauck, "They have been suffocated." He stepped on a long-knive that yet had red marks over it, he picked it up and his brown eyes took sight and seemed to smoulder as his mind worked, "Atleast those that were unable to take their own lives.", he kept it. The scene before them made most swallow and a few had tears in the corners of their eyes by seeing such devastation. Around the tables and benches the bodies of the villagers lay of all ages and genders, but at a guess, these were mostly the children and elders while the warriors had been outnumbered outside.
"Brothers behold the reason why we are not allowed to fail in our task and why we wage battles, far away from our families and villages. It is not for fame, nor for loot! It is to protect those that we are able to call blood-kin! It is because it is just! A war with the most highest goal!" For a last time in the burned hall fists banged on chests and shields, despite the grim mood that yet hung there. "Wergild!", Habuk shouted! "Wergild!", a dozen voices roared up to the ceiling!
Then they had gathered whomever they could find. It swiftly became clear how brutally everything was stripped bare of value. The bodies were laid together on beds of soft dry grass and flowers were laid in their hands as far as any could be found. One of the young men lowered a torch. "Let us now be glad that we could ease their spirits!"
Chauck then swiftly hopped into his saddle and looked over to Habuk, "Do we continue east?" Habuk grabbed his reins and leaned on his arms, his jaw working endlessly.. Then eventually he came to a conclusion, "Many more will suffer the same fate if we do so, let us go further north and see perhaps for ourselves if we can not see this warband of.. of monsters be defeated." Chauck frowned, "That will keep our task to warn the villages in the east to a halt for a long while, but I understand." "They will rue comitting these crimes battle-friend! Now to the mountains!"
The sun still shone brightly upon the fields, great flames went up from the pyre of bodies as Habuk and his riders took a different course. Yet then, despite the surprising warmth of the day, already dark clouds hung over the mountains and were preparing to make their descend, they seemed pregnant with lightning as a distant rumbling could already be heard and a screen of rain went their way. Would this be an omen for bad or worse? It would not be an easy journey at the least.
