Despite having to give directions, Violetta insisted on taking the lead as the six of them rushed to the warren. Into the hills and through part of the forest, they pushed through and onwards through another hilly mass of green before arriving at a small clearing with a copse of oaks and birch that encircled the back wall of the warren. In the thick soil, all around this area was the expansive tunnel network of chambers that made up the warren. Several smoke plumes came from holes in the ground, but the central chamber from which Agog controlled the ventilation of the depths was the one she recognized by a protective dome that kept the rain out. It was large enough with a ring of little vents and a central chimney that was simply impossible to hide. As they approached, she realized that the entrance and the entire area was already surrounded by soldiers.

   Violetta demanded and shielded her with her own body,

  Six figures emerged from behind trees, each one having a long bow and an arrow nocked at the ready. One for each of them. They had walked straight into a trap, and all because of her. She should have known, but Violetta already seemed to have suspected such a thing and was prepared. Putting her hands up, followed by Sig and Locke, but not Cookie or Cake, the three Mahn of the group moved forward peacefully without any gesture towards their weapons.

  Violetta called out,

  A tall soldier in gilded iron scale armor and sporting an iron helm with a plume of command emerged from the tree line and announced himself,

   Violetta was cut off as she stepped forward to declare herself.

   She stared at the man, he had a thin wispy mustache and a goatee that made him look weak to her, it lacked the hearty mass of hair she had seen of many of the officers throughout the settlement.

  Major Wekts seemed to laugh and returned her greeting with a half-bow,

  Violetta gasped,

   He shook his head,

   Violetta growled,

  

   She snapped back.

   Wekts turned and raised his arm as if to direct his troops,

  She stepped past Violetta and marched towards Wekts, the archers snapped their sights on her, but the man was quick to hold them back with a gesture.

   Wekts looked over his shoulder to stare at her,

   Locke protested

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The two kithe simply laughed and said in rhyme,

  Wekts shrugged,

   Came a female voice from the trees, stepping forward was a young woman in a traveler’s cloak and robe,

  She recognized the woman in an instant, the mother of the child. Wekts moved to block her path, but she ran around and down the hill, standing beside her and Violetta,

   Wekts snapped at her,

  The woman looked down at her and smiled before replying to Wekts,

   Wekts insisted,

   Sig said before drawing and throwing his sword on the ground.

  Locke and Violetta soon followed in turn, but she did not want to give up her sword. She did not want to be returned, but more and more soldiers appeared from the tree line, and it was clear they could not win. She drew her blade and set it carefully upon the ground. The two Kithe did not make any such gestures, but Wekts seem to realize they would not surrender in a conventional sense.

   He gestured to his side,

   Cookie laughed.

   Cake seemed disappointed,

   Wekts motioned for the party to be arrested,

   She demanded on her behalf,

   Wekts let it slip,

   Lady Geraen was becoming more outraged by the moment.

   Wekts smirked as some twenty men in armor came out from behind the trees, surrounding them on all sides. The archers were still ready. It was over before it had begun. There was no way to fight this.

   She said to everyone,

  Chief Mudohoon had sold them out, he was an agent of them all along? The weight of those words crushed her, but she knew that the smell of the smoke coming from the depths was not any normal fire. It was a funeral pyre. Rock’s funeral. She knew that now. Had the smoke led them right to the warren? Perhaps, but she did not know what Chief Mudohoon was doing. Was he not planning to trade her back for goods? Then it dawned on her, he was an agent all along, he was selling them out and completing his mission. Of course, he would be rewarded. Why was she important though? Perhaps she could find out now.

   She said to Wekts,

   He grinned.

  Cake howled with almost insane laughter,

   He scowled at the Kithe,

   Cookie nodded,

  Demon? The word brought to mind terrible beasts, blackened forms, some with wings. All of them were beings of terrible evil that wreaked havoc in their wake. She was no demon, but it was hard to argue when your life and those of others were on the line. There must have been some misunderstanding. Talking about it would fix it. She hoped.