“So… do you all not have horses in this world?” Patrick asked, glancing toward the front of the group where two of the soldiers strained slightly as they pulled the cart along the road.

The wheels creaked steadily over packed dirt and scattered roots, the sound blending with the soft hush of wind through the trees.

Nikolaus’s lips curved faintly, a hint of dry amusement touching his expression. He shook his head. “We do,” he said. “Or… we did.” His gaze flicked briefly toward the cart before returning forward. “Our horse was killed by the bandits we encountered yesterday.”

Jennifer’s face fell instantly. “Aww… not the horse,” she said, her voice soft with genuine sympathy. “Why would someone kill your horse?”

Nikolaus was quiet for a moment, his expression shifting; less amused now, more distant.

“I do not know,” he admitted. “It is… unusual.” His brow furrowed slightly. “It has never happened before.” A beat. “And it was not accidental.”

That hung in the air a little longer than anyone seemed comfortable with.

Casey broke the silence, walking alongside Amanda near the cart, her tone more practical. “So what exactly do you guys do?” she asked, gesturing vaguely toward the soldiers. “Like… patrol the roads? What’s the job description here?”

Nikolaus glanced toward her, considering the question. “We patrol the roads, yes,” he said. “To keep the paths safer for travelers. To protect the surrounding towns, and the city itself.” He paused slightly, then added, “The Black Isle is not… forgiving, in many places.”

The forest seemed to agree.

They continued along the narrow path, swallowed quickly by dense trees pressing in from both sides. Sunlight filtered weakly through a blanket of cloud cover, diffused further by a low morning fog that clung to the ground. It pooled between roots and wrapped around the bases of trees, obscuring what lay just beyond immediate sight. The world felt muted. Quiet in a way that wasn’t entirely comforting.

David glanced back over his shoulder. The tavern was long gone now, hidden behind distance and forest alike. There was no sign they had ever been there at all.

He turned forward again. “This place seems pretty far off any main road,” he said. “How’d you even find us?”

Nikolaus didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lifted slightly, as if replaying the memory. “Your fire,” he said at last. “We saw the smoke.” He adjusted his grip on the strap across his chest. “With wounded, and no horse, we needed shelter. So we followed it.”

Patrick slowed slightly as he walked, his expression shifting into that familiar, thoughtful focus. “And… out of curiosity,” he said, “where would you have gone if you hadn’t seen it?”

Nikolaus glanced at him, a faint crease forming between his brows. “Why does this matter?”

Phillip, walking a few paces behind, caught the shift in tone. He quickened his step, falling into place beside Patrick and Nikolaus.

“I think I see where he’s going,” Phillip said, glancing briefly at Patrick before looking back to Nikolaus. “You said earlier you didn’t know how your men got infected.”

Nikolaus’s expression sharpened slightly.

Phillip continued, voice quieter now, more deliberate. “If you were already slowed down; no horse, wounded men, you weren’t exactly moving fast.”

Patrick nodded once, picking up the thread. “Which makes you… vulnerable, and carrying a time-bomb.” Another step. Another creak of the cart. “A Trojan horse,” he said.

Nikolaus frowned at first, the unfamiliar term catching him off guard. But then… Understanding.

It spread slowly across his features, the confusion giving way to something darker. His jaw tightened. For just a moment, something sharp flashed in his gray eyes; anger, cold and sudden.

Then it was gone. Reined in. Controlled. “I see,” he said quietly. His gaze drifted ahead again, though it no longer seemed as relaxed as before.

“What you suggest…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “It is a terrible thought.” Another step. “But it is possible.”

The fog shifted slightly along the path, curling low around their boots.

Nikolaus exhaled slowly, his composure settling back into place, though something in him had clearly changed. “We will speak more of this later,” he said.

No one argued. The group continued forward, the weight of the conversation settling over them as heavily as the mist around their feet.

And somewhere ahead, the road waited; quiet, uncertain, and no longer quite as safe as it had seemed moments before.