At the foot of the cart were a number of bodies, red and bloodied, cut down as they tried to escape by the sentry. Tradden thought there might be half or dozen, perhaps more, a mixture of humans and dwarves.

Then, at the far side of the macabre pile he spotted movement and heard a soft moan.

Rushing across he saw a young girl in a bloodied red sack-cloth, her hair long and white and streaked with the mud from the road. He rolled her over and to his relief saw she was still alive, her vivid red lips parched murmuring in stark contrast to her pale white skin.

‘Beltak! Beltak!’ the young fighter cried as he lifted her slightly and cradled her within his arms. ‘Get over here, there's one still alive!’

He tried to think of some noble phrase to utter, but was lost for words when her eyes flickered open and his gaze met her startling violet eyes. As he held her, mesmerised, the light from Kireth's spell began to fade, leaving the forest in a cold, damp darkness.

The girl gingerly pushed her white hair from her face, taking her eyes from Tradden and stared at Khalin. The dwarf felt a rush of blood to his cheeks as the violet eyes bore into his own. She seemed fragile and small, but there was a strength within.

‘We were been taken to the west,’ she croaked, ‘though to where or why I'm not sure. A keep, I think. The rest are dead, aren't they, I saw them killed?’

Khalin nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. The girl seemed sad, but not distraught, perhaps none of the others were close to her. ‘We will give them a proper burial in the morning,’ was all that the dwarf could think of to say.

‘I am from Kiris Dahn, or was,’ she continued. ‘At least until the goblins took over. It was peaceful before they came, just me and the ruins, and now they lay waste, searching for whatever it is they look for, bringing slaves to help them look.’

Her brows furrowed and she tried her best to look fierce, but the combination of her strange eyes and white eyebrows did not have a stern effect. ‘They found me and then made me look for things in the ruins. They must have found some of what they were looking for as they began to send some of us west, as gifts I think. My home, my beautiful home, riddled with these filthy beasts.’

At that she closed her eyes as tears began to form and lay her head down, clutching onto Tradden's arm with a tightening grip.