Three ravens flapped loudly and came to perch on the ruins of an old wall. It might have been the demarcation of an ancient settlement or the wall or a single hall. The landscape had reclaimed so much of the land it was hard to tell.
"Caw!"
A small boy emerged from the treeline, skipping a path that avoided the muddiest patches of ground.
"Jude!" Called a soft voice.
Baise emerged from the trees. He was not dressed in the usually drab and heavy clothing of an explorer. He wore colourful, light fabrics that floated around his slender frame.
"Dad?"
"They haven't looked properly yet so wait for me. Tiberius, Vaspien and Fabrice!"
The three ravens looked down at them.
"Go and look around for anything dangerous properly please."
Another round of flapping, a few loose black feathers carried on the breeze and the three ravens vanished into the ruins.
"Just because no one in the town had heard of this place does not mean something else hasn't made a home here."
"Like a troll?" Jude seemed more excited than concerned.
"Like a troll, hairy and smelly and looking for a child sized snack," Baise laughed. Jude had his ways, but Baise would never put his adopted son in any more dangerous than was necessary.
