You signal for your warriors to wait, and a few moments later, the attacking forces charge forward as one, into the village. The forces defending the village fight bravely, but soon Garulf's soldiers have inflicted a heavy toll of their own, and the remainder of Myrshala's forces have either fled into the surrounding hills or been cut down.
As you ride toward the village, you notice that among the bodies on the ground are some without weapons or armor—commoners who were living in this place before it was burned down. As you consider this, a weathered man with a dark cloak hanging from his back approaches you from among Garulf's soldiers.
"You must be Basileios," he says. "We have heard much about the Tribe of the Red Bear. I am Hakkan, a servant of Garulf, ruler of the Varrel Hills—or, at least, soon-to-be ruler. We are clearing out the last pockets of our enemy's forces now. Myrshala's power in this region is all but spent."
"What happened here?" you ask, gesturing to the burned buildings and the bodies of the villagers.
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