11.6

Jewel circled overhead, watching the villagers clump up as the Captains and other soldiers secured supply and treasure in the forage.

Some of the women were taken into houses by the men, some of the younger girls and boys were tied up loosely in what looked like bolts of cloth. But no one fought back, no one hurled stones or fired arrows.

She thought that was good?

It was what her duty was supposed to be.

Make sure the forage finishes swiftly and with no need for violence or loss of life.

Father’s advice to roar loud and fierce seemed to work very well for that.

She stayed high in the air to watch for signs of ambush or splinters of Thurzó’s former army. Or maybe even just regular brigands seeking to exploit the opportunity.

Or even wandering lair spawn or other monsters.

But there was no sign of them. For miles in her sight there was no sight of any danger at all. She wanted to come down and see and smell and hear how this village might differ from the others she had seen.

That however was not her duty today.

A flier in the army needed to be dutiful.

Jewel was the over watch for the foragers, her sight was meant to protect them and from the air was where she could see farthest and intervene fastest if there was danger.

But the woods were bereft of monsters, brigands or anyone who was not a peasant or allied with them. It was in fact still and all but silent except in the very center of the town.

There was some kind of discussion or peddling of business happening between the captain in command of the forage and what she’d guess was the Village (more of a hamlet really) headman.

Jewel recognized those gestures as being heated waving and signs of anger and though she could not hear or smell anything from here to be sure it was not something with deeper malice there was no concern in the captain about an old man bereft of arms and surrounded by levy and fully trained footmen.

The arms of the old man continued to move angrily, the only motion from any of the peasants. The rest mostly huddled together or glanced up at Jewel.

What whiffs of scent drifted into the air this high stank of fear and anger. So pungent it lasted all the way up without being fully dispersed.

But Jewel expected that.

Most people were afraid of her even when she was being perfectly polite.

The anger too made sense.

Peasants always preferred to keep everything to themselves if they could.

Her books were very clear on that and she’d not seen anything to suggest otherwise in father’s demesne or her brief journeys beyond.

Still, Jewel wished that the forage could have been a gentler affair.

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That she would not be needed to take overwatch at all like this and instead walk down there amongst them.

Perhaps after the matter with the King is settled and Thurzó absolves Countess Bathory of his charges against her, Jewel might travel this way and visit? Surely there might be some business Father has this direction? Jewel would like to apologize and perhaps give some Rochford generosity to win them over?

There was also a subtle and yet implacable sourness to the air all around her that seemed to be present and yet not at all.

But that had been with them since she took wind. Must be something rotting in the highlands maybe?

Hmm, some of the camp followers that had joined the foragers were walking off back to camp already?

Bringing some of the peasant girls with them.

That was odd.

And a bit of a problem as they did not have guards. And Jewel was told to stay with the foragers.

But Father had also told her to think more for herself when she saw a situation that she’d not been explicitly ordered to deal with. For her to take more initiative.

She was technically not required to watch anyone but the Foragers that were officially part of the army.

But she was pretty sure one of the camp followers leaving was the captain’s wife. The colors of the dress were right and no one else had come on forage dressed like that, riding a charger with a mule in tow.

It would be no good to let anything happen to her.

Jewel pumped her wings to ascend higher. Climbing to get a better view of the little train of figures with donkey and a mildly fine dressed woman on a charger at its head.

High enough to see the road clear to where it met with the patrols of the camp guards.

It was a strain on her eyes from this distance to discern anything too clearly, but when she was sure that the guards had caught up to the little group and was escorting them to the side of the camp with the laundry and hot bath pots, Jewel felt satisfied.

It looked like they were just offering the girls a bath.

That seemed more than fair.

A hot bath was a wonderful gift in compensation for a bit of food and trinkets.

Jewel turned from the camp and descended in lazy circles back closer to the village so she could better discern the actions of the forage.

It looked like they were just about done. Packs were being loaded and some of the less adventurous camp followers were waiting around for the actual footmen and levy to begin marching back.

Jewel turned on the wing and offered them the Flight Cant of clear skies. But the only one to respond was another Gryphon Rider who was circling one of the other hamlets under forage.

The tilt of Gryphon Wings confirmed that he too saw no danger from the air.

Jewel wished that the riders had better eyes.

It was even more limited to try and have a conversation when all you could do was bank and open or close your wings very expansively to communicate. Even when she could see their arm gestures most of the time they could not spot hers.

It made for very one sided conversations.

Jewel glanced down again and sighed into the flurries of the wind.

They were underway now. Moving in a guarded close march along the road, as opposed to the spread out approach they had made.

The loaded pack mules and a few more girls and men from the village in the center.

Jewel supposed that they were going to get baths too, given the hour they were arriving, probably a hot meal from the army cooks as well.

That was probably what the argument was about.

Who would get to go and benefit from the army’s hospitality.

Jewel’s spirits felt lighter than they had since the battle.

It had been a good day, she had done her duty.

She was glad no one was hurt.