"Yes, they were in black armour and cloaks and their eyes were red." Arden recounted. "What of you... did you see anything?"

 "No, Father pushed me into the cellar with Rubia and bolted it shut. We could hear all the fighting and then the whole house came down on top of us. That's how I escaped out of the cellar, waking up some time later by when it was all over."

 "What happened to Rubia?" Arden cried in alarm, the pretty face of Hari's cousin sister flashing before his widened eyes.

 "I don't know... I was searching for her and came upon you."

 "Let's keep on searching for her then." Arden rose to his feet.

Rubia was a year older than him and had come of age last summer. The raiders may have already taken her.