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Eodwine led his small bevy of men through the house, down the corridor, down some stairs, and into a cellar where stood a cage. Linduial's, no doubt, and now empty. There was a way out in the far wall, and they went to it. But all was now eerily quiet that way. Eodwine took the lead, sword drawn, as he slowly, crouching, took careful steps through the door. Then his hand fell and the swordpoint his the ground.
"Haleth!"
Eodwine rushed toward the broken man, whose blue eyes were staring up at nothing. Deep wounds still bled deep crimson from shoulder and throat. Eodwine looked up and about.
"Search the grounds for any sign of the killers!"
Deren and the others began looking carefully the ground near them. Eodwine hoped they might find something, anything. He looked out and saw the rise of land beyond the fence. In the distance he saw two men, one very large and tall, and the other of average height. They had stopped on a small knoll and the smaller of the men was looking at something on the ground. Then the two of them started running higher up into the hills.
"There! After them!" Eodwine cried. "Deren! Gather the others and ride to us!"
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