In this part of the countryside there were large farms and even some manors, but a significant gathering of people was truly a strange occurrence.
And from the sound of things, it was in the middle of… a field?
Silver looked up at the sun. It was almost directly overhead. "Strange time for a party…"
"A market perhaps?" Sage was also getting an uneasy feeling in her gut.
"There wasn't one last time I passed through, though admittedly I have not been in this particular spot in quite some time." Silver tried to take different routes on his journeys as much as possible. He saw no reason to make his paths predictable when he had so many enemies.
"Things tend to change rapidly or not at all when it comes to those sorts of things," Sage chewed her lip as she thought.
"What are you thinking, avoid them or check it out?" Silver was happy to have someone to consult for a change.
Sage arched her brow. "This is your country, not mine, but I do think we would do well to set our minds at ease. If we are worried about this problem when it is nothing, we may miss something important later on…"
What she said made sense. The easiest way to make a mistake was to be distracted. If both of them felt uneasy about the situation ahead, there was a good chance that something was actually wrong.
And if everything was fine, then they could continue, fully focused on getting their important message of an impending war to the princess.
Coming to a decision, Silver jerked his head and the pair went in search of a copse of trees to hide their mounts. Although Sage's horse had been noticeably quiet and Daisy was an expert at stealthy travel, the horses' girths and heights alone made them much more visible in a field.
Humans were much smaller, and with the two Guardians' cloaks, the pair could move almost invisibly.
Thankfully the horses were used to this routine by now, and they settled in for a quiet afternoon of grazing. Their owners left without a word.
Ghosting through the trees was as easy as breathing for the more experienced Guardian. Silver had been doing it for so many years that is came more naturally than walking down the street in open air.
It seemed that in their time apart, Sage had acquired similar skills. While she was not as good as the other Guardian, the lady was little more than a shadow as she passed through the woods.
Silver beamed with pride. 'That's my Sage right there. Couldn't have taught her better myself.' Nodding approvingly, Silver pushed the thoughts in his head aside to concentrate on the problem at hand.
The field in question had been cleared long ago to be cultivated and cared for by a loving farmer. But the wheat growing there now seemed wild and somewhat untamed, as if someone had plowed the field and planted it, but then abandoned it.
'Why would someone go to all the trouble of preparing a field and not reap the harvest? Did they die or fall ill? Maybe the people are here to help get things back in order.' Silver tried to stay positive. If he was only looking for a problem, it was very possible that he would come to the wrong conclusion.
The tall wheat made it very easy for the two Guardians to enter the field unnoticed. Without warning, Silver grabbed Sage and pressed them both to the ground.
Through the golden heads of grain, a golden haired man suddenly appeared. He looked around as he pressed his way through the closely-planted stalks, searching for something. Even though there was a visible hole from above where the two people were laying, the newcomer seemed only interested in things at his own eye level.
At last he sighed and moved off to his left, quietly clicking his tongue to stave off his boredom.
"A guard?" Silver mouthed as he turned his hooded face toward his companion.
"He could just be looking for a place to relieve himself," Sage offered quietly. "But I think your answer is more likely."
"Which begs the question...what is he guarding?" The cloaked figures checked once more to make sure the man had moved on before daring to continue.
Less than an arrow shot further, the pair found what the man had left behind.
In the middle of the wheat field, the grain had been stomped down by horses, wagons and people. Tents were erected between the flatbed wagons and many people were carrying on without a care in the world. They were dressed in patchwork clothing and their tents and wagons were simply designed and decorated.
'Vagrants?' Silver pulled his mouth to one side. The nomadic people groups occasionally wandered through, but the group was not usually so large.
Because they lived off of the land and the kindness of strangers, they would split into smaller clans whenever their numbers grew too large.
And this group had gone over that number quite some time ago. By a quick tally, there were at least a hundred people milling about, keeping things running.
Silver's senses tingled. There was something strange about this group.
"They aren't vagrants," Sage whispered. As the people inside the camp were making a fair amount of noise, she felt comfortable communicating her thoughts.
"What makes you say that?" Silver couldn't deny her claim.
"You don't see it?" Sage looked at him incredulously.
The challenge given, Silver doubled his observations. He studied the tents. Even though they were simple, the seams were uniform across each of the dwellings. If each family had made their own home, there should have been variation in both the fabric used for the tent and the way it was constructed.
The carts were likewise all made about the same time and from the same materials. If things had been gathered over time as the nomadic people were accustomed to doing, then there should have been at least some difference in the style or wood the carts were made of.
Then there were the people themselves. They looked healthy and well-fed. Nothing about them screamed that they were always on the move and scavenging for anything they ate.
They were also mostly clean-cut. Few had the knotted, untamed hair that hallmarked those who lived by nature's rules.
"Their hair isn't right. Their carts are mostly new and their tents are all the same," Silver announced with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
He had fully expected a pat on the back and a look of admiration from the woman with his deductive reasoning, but received a look of confusion instead.
"Nothing else?" Sage prodded, her beautiful mouth pursing to try and coax him.
"Um, the horses! The horses aren't regular horses. They are brawny and tall, built for riding not for pulling carts." Silver smiled triumphantly.
Pressing her lips together, Sage suppressed her grin. "All excellent deductions. But you missed the most obvious problem with their group. Though I must say that it is nice you see everyone as the same…"
"I don't understand," Silver admitted. He felt defeated.
"Let's just say these people would have trouble having another generation." Sage winked.
Refocusing, Silver noticed that there were no little boys and girls running around. In fact everyone he could see was at least seventeen or older.
'Maybe the kids are with their mothers,' Silver reasoned for a moment. Then it hit him. He knew the problem.
Seeing the recognition in his eyes, Sage nodded. "That's right. They're all men."