August considered the thought for a second, then shook it away. "Folkswell," he said. "That's a nice town." He'd never heard of it. "I... thought you looked like someone I know from Reajh is all. Wondered if you were kin." He looked over at the line of boys. "But I guess not. Let's go."
Along the trip he huffed some light conversation with a few of the boys. One with black hair and a scar etched under his lip revealed himself as the first commoner. He was from some village in Matron's Hallow. A few others hailed from Reajh--they gawked at August's last name--and one came all the way from an estate on the coast. The gray haired one must've been the other commoner. He wondered what he was doing here, in the army. Commoners usually were sorted into their own troops, led by their own common commanders. Kind with kind, you know. Maybe they were good. Or an accident.
The sun finally squat over the horizon, and they crested a hill into the outskirts of Hackdirt shiny with sweat. Swallows looped over barns mottled with lichens. Past a cluster of gardens, the town center rose out of the earth like an old man with sunken shoulders. Some wooden houses, a few soddies. No people. The boarded paths and gardens were empty. Windows shut. August leaned against a barn and waved the boys to rest beside him. It was getting late, and shadows stretched over the gardens and through allies. The clouds had stirred for the last hour as they gathered together a storm. It was spooky, that was sure. A flicker of movement caught his eye. He squinted into the town center. A slab of wood hinged over a window inching shut. Someone was watching them.
He looked over at the boys. He'd been sent with six Mordecai--plus himself--to a village that couldn't have exceeded a few hundred, and could've easily fallen under his range alone. Six dead. Six boys. That was funny. That many dead, it made sense for the commoners to ask for a troop. Many did. But for a town so tiny to have been granted a troop? Whatever it was they'd told the general scared him too. The boys looked at him with glossy eyes. He cleared his throat.
"Alright. You four--" he pointed at the nobles "--pair up and go to north and south edges of town. Once you get in place, whistle to the other pair and one you're both settled start to circle the town, south pair heading up northwest and north pair heading down southeast. You--" he pointed at the black haired commoner "--make post in the center of town. See that you can get somewhere high. There's a storm coming, so once it starts pouring everyone head in to that stable over there. That's our quarters for the next week. And you--" he pointed at the gray haired commoner "--follow me. We're gonna ask some questions. Everyone clear?"
A few nodded.
"Alright. Let's go."
He started towards the soddy with the cracked window. A tiny sliver of light slipped through into the shadows outside. Darkness blotted the light from inside for a second. The low call of churning wind howled from an alleyway like the mewing of a mountain cat. Already, uneasiness slipped over August's chest as he and the boy beside him slipped into the town.
(OOC: sorry for the wait! And feel free to steer what happens next if and whenever you'd like :) )
