024

"What about the wisdom?"

Gregor looked at Barath for a moment, seriously considering the question. He nodded. "Ture. Very true. There is that, and," he shrugged, "I guess it's better then the alternative."

His lictors laughed to themselves as they began to re-pack their water skins all recognizing the unspoken signal that the break was over. The mounted their horses and began down the dirt road at a leisurely pace. The sun was high and warm in the skin, giving the harvest air an unseasonal warmth. They road ran between two farms, both showing recent planting of winter rye. The rye would protect the soil through winter and provide food for the livestock during the winter.

Ahead of them the farmland ended and the eastern tip of the Moss-Head forest covered the road. They would spend little time in the forest, making it through in less then a day if all goes well, the bulk of the forest laying to the west. Gregor had not been looking forward to the forest, but the sun of the last two days has changed that. The sweat pooling on his chest and lower back would dry, and the chance of a sun-burn would decrease. 'Imagine a sun burn at harvest!' Gregor shook his head with a smile.

"Something funny Censor?" Antio.

"Nothing Antio, just thinking how wise I..."

Gregor's words died in this throat as a woman's scream ripped through the air. Hand's flew to their sword hilts. Even Gregor drummed his hilt nervously as his stood in his stirrups scanning the country side. The scream faded.

"I see no farm houses. Lictors do you see anything?" The jovial tone that Gregor had been using earlier was gone, replaced by the authoritative tone of a representative of the Electorate.

"Nothing Censor."

"I see nothing to the east."

"Nothing."

The air grew still. The men remained on edge scanning all the way to the horizon looking for any movement other then the winter rye lazily blowing in the slight breeze.

The air was torn again by the same woman's shriek. There was something different about it this time, a heightened edge, as though someone was repeating the previous scream but using less air for effect. Then the scream ended, cut off before it fade as it had done moments earlier.