The sun was blazing fiercely. The golden eye sent unwavering heat upon the land beneath it's gaze. It had been a hot summer it was a small mercy for once that the wind could sweep through the hills of Dunland. Maloch held up a hand before his narrowing eyes to ward off the dust that wanted to blind him. As did his fellow hunters along with him. They were small and bulky men. They only wore short trousers, their spears and leather bags. Their bodies were covered in dried dirt, which initially was meant to prevent their skin from burning. They wouldn't spare their water to refresh the layer now though, rather they'd slake their thirst. Their expressions showed miserable annoyance or quiet wariness, they were in territory of one of the big tribes of the land. They were in the lands of those with the Falcon as their totem and while not openly enemies Maloch and his own did not come as friends. They had been sent by their young chieftain to recuperate the recent losses they suffered. Maloch could still remember the flames shooting up from the grainfield.. Most had been eaten up by the greed of the fire before they could save the barely ripe produce. They would not last the next winter if they couldn't find food in another way. It was always like this or atleast it used to be worse. The oldest of the hunters was called Cwnhan and he often told about his younger days of raiding other tribes. Adding complaints about how the fresh youngsters wouldn't recognize a spear from a shovel if it hadn't been pointed out to them.
Maloch rose up his spear to make the others halt, they stopped and knelt down with him. "What is it?", Cwnhan hissed as he usually did. "Listen. I hear voices." They perked their ears with curious glances, trying to hear over the noise of the dried grass being brushed by the breeze. "Children..", Cwnhan concluded. One of the hunters whispered, "These lands are uninhabited, it's atleast ten more miles before we would run into the first settlement of the Falcons." "Maybe these are herdsmen trying to find a green patch of land?", another asked. That put them into focus, for it is why they came, to steal what they could. They lurked over the hill and down to it's foot they could see two figures playing. "Boy and a girl, maybe siblings.", Cwnhan said. Maloch looked ahead, "What's that?" In the distance a caravan was coming through.. they were many, a cloud of dust left behind in their wake. The hunters froze like hares caught by the eyes of a fox. "Don't.. move..." They did not except one of the youngsters sliding back. These men were painted and had weapons and shields in their hands. At the center of the group was a man carried by four strong warriors on a roofless palanquin. The hunters hadn't moved until the parade was in the distance. "Wonder what all that was about?", Maloch asked. Cwnhan lowered his brow, "Looked like they were heading to a wedding." "Maybe we should follow? Who knows how long we'll be scouring these lands for any sign of food?", One of the youngsters asked. Cwnhan cuffed him behind the ear, "Fool and do what? Get ourselves beaten like a stray dog?" Maloch wondered, "Who knows.. maybe there is some good to be found there, let's give it a try? They can't spill our blood if they find us on such a sacred rite or risk eternal shame. So even if we get caught..", he let the thought hang in the air. The youngster piped up, "That's what I was trying to say!" "Quiet!", Cwnhan hissed dismissively, he looked at Maloch whom had a smirk on his face... The elder thought upon the fact, images of drunk useless guards.. Tables laden with food.. it had it's allure if only to get out of this unbearable heat, "Hm.. fine.. let us give it a try. The one that get's us caught will receive my boot between his legs though, so be warned."
They had followed the Falcons for another two miles. They remained in the distance not daring to come closer as the man of standing and his entourage had stopped within a small dusty valley. The leader halted and greeted a man before him, an old man, .. one garbed in white.
