The horse trotted right into the royal court with the two corpses on it. One of the bounty hunters held the halter in his hand. A few feet from the throne, he knelt before Eumoplus. For a while, Eumoplus gazed at the horse and its load, before stepping down from the throne. Phyllis who had been sitting next to Eumoplus, tried to stop him. However, he would not budge. Cautiously approaching the horse, he began inspecting the corpses. One corpse still had the arrow sticking out. Eumoplus snatched the arrow out of the corpse, and held it before him. He focused his sight on the engraved name.

“It’s from the same quiver,” Eumoplus remarked.

“Undoubtedly, it’s him,” the deep voice of Fyodor echoed in the almost empty court. His long curly red hair had been sticking out of his head cover. There was no trace of feelings in his hardened face.

“We found him in a glade, five miles from our border,” he added.

“Where was the other one?” Eumoplus asked.

“He was on the forest floor, perhaps a few hundred yards from the corpse ahead of it.”

“How was he killed?”

“He has a knife wound in his chest.”

“Who else was with them?”

“Antonov.”

That promising young man from the south?”

“Yes.”

“Where is he?”

“We do not know yet. He has not been found yet.”

"Has he deserted?"

“Perhaps he has. He has had quite a few options before him,” Fyodor responded.

“Check their garbs,” Eumoplus pointed at the corpses. “They should each have a pouch.”

“We found no such pouches,” Fyodor said.

“Are you sure?”

“Your majesty, Ismarus would not go empty handed. He knows bounty hunters carry money.”

“I want you to find Antonov. He cannot be too far from where his buddies have been found. I can see my gold in the hands of the wrong people. Also try to track the usage of these gold coins. Sooner or later, they are bound to change hands. Apprehend the last person possessing the coins, He will lead us to the source. In the meantime, I will sign a decree to facilitate the process.”

“Your majesty, how do you plan to do that? They are all in Dacia as we speak.”

“We have informers in Dacia as well.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

During this exchange, another bounty hunter appeared at the court. He submitted a piece of blood stained torn cloth to Eumoplus. Upon close scrutiny, Phyllis came to a conclusion, it was actually part of a very expensive outer garment.

“Where did you find it?” Eumoplus asked the bounty hunter.

“In the forest close to the rock formations,” Olek the skinny bounty hunter replied.

“Do you mean, where the weirdo lives?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“It looks like, Calysto received some sort of injuries,” Phyllis remarked.

“Perhaps, the injuries were treated by the weirdo,” Eumoplus added.

“I heard of the hermit. I did not know he was a physician,” Phyllis said.

“One of the best, one of the best. If you have any problems, do let me know. I will take you to him, my dear,” Eumoplus said to Phyllis.

“Oh it’s so sweet of you, my dear husband. Matter of fact, I do have some feminine issues.”

“And suddenly, I have this urge to return to the weirdo’s den. My intuitions tell me, he knows a lot about Ismarus and his mother,” with a faint smile, Eumoplus responded.

“You would like to return to his den!” Phyllis looked surprised. She asked, “When did you visit him, in the first place?”

“Oh sweetheart, do I have to divulge all my secrets to you?”

“Do you not trust your beloved queen, sweetheart?”

Eumoplus found his queen’s attitude amusing. With a broad grin he replied, “A few months back, I do not know how, but somehow I found my way to the weirdo’s den.”

Now the ripples of Phyllis giggling filled the court. She beckoned to everyone except her husband to leave. Then she asked, “Did Tegrios’ death have anything to do with it, my dear?”

“Must you always be so curious, my dear queen? Sometimes, things are better unspoken. Let it be an open secret to you, sweetheart,” Eumoplus smiled back.

The dark forest was not yet touched by the approaching autumn. A thick canopy of green leaves filled every inch of the tall trees, giving the forest a haunted look. In three columns, Eumoplus and his men ploughed through the dense forest. Afraid of stepping onto uneven surfaces or holes, they trotted cautiously. Hours went by, just to traverse a few miles.

The usurper wanted someone reliable in the palace, someone he could trust, while he was gone. Phyllis was adamant. She would not let the opportunity for adventure slip away. Subsequently, Phyllis accompanied her husband in this journey. They rode abreast with a long queue of royal guards following them and ahead of them. The flanks were well secured as well. Phyllis was determined, she was going to enjoy every second of it. Her body hair stood up in anticipation.

“What if we come across hostile archers larking up in the tress?” Phyllis whispered to Eumoplus.

Eumoplus smiled at Phyllis, and then asked, “You would not mind, would you? After all, it would be quite an adventure.”

“Please answer my question,” Phyllis insisted.

“Why would there be hostile archers waiting for us, unless of course, it was your plan to have them waiting? No one but you knew about our plan to visit the lunatic. In order to prepare a trap, prior information is needed. Hence, the schedule of the royal visit is always kept secret until the journey starts.”

Phyllis gave up. She relaxed her muscles before the next question. She changed the topic, but not the pursuit. She asked, “Do you believe in spirits or ghosts?”

The question reminded Eumoplus of his experience with his father. Immediately, Phyllis noticed the unease in him. Being aware of the reason, quickly she made an effort to alleviate the unease. She said, “Your father had never seen any spirits or ghosts, he just had nightmares.”

“I do not need any spirits or ghosts. I have my hands full, worrying about other things,” Eumoplus was quick to respond.

Phyllis understood her husband’s reluctance. She said, “I do not hear any chirping of birds. It’s kind of strange, don’t you think so? The forest should be teeming with birds,” Phyllis pointed out.

“Usually they stop chirping when they see a large number of people approaching them,” Eumoplus explained.

“Does it mean, they are all around us?”

“Of course. Just because we do not see them, does not mean, they are not there.”

As the formation stepped out into an opening, not too far away, they could see the tall rock formations.