Garinor and his horse both needed a rest and the girl was still flagging them down to join them. He pulled gently on the reins and the horse slowed to a trot, after which Garinor guided it to a tree. He dismounted and tied the reins to a branch, then greeted the others.
“Hello, I’m Garinor. I hope I’m not intruding.”
The girl who had been waving to him smiled back. “Not at all. We were about to eat. Sit here.” She motioned to a rock on the ground. Garinor smiled and accepted the seat. The girl then called aloud, “Hey everyone, we have a visitor.”
One of the tents opened and a young man emerged and stretched. He glared down at Garinor and stopped short, his eyes opened wide. “Violi,” he said, his voice trembling a little, “who have you found?”
“His name’s Garinor.” She beamed. “He was going right past us on his horse. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes, dear, it is,” he agreed, not taking his eyes off Garinor for a second. The piercing gaze made Garinor uncomfortable. “Everyone, come and see what little Violi has found.”
Four others appeared either from their tents or from the surrounding area. They all stared at Garinor with the same fascination and he squirmed and then rose to his feet.
“Hello,” he said. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll be on my way.”
One of the others walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder with a rather strong grip. “Nonsense, there’s no need to run off, now is there?”
“Not at all,” replied another man. He looked at the little girl. “Violi, could you go and fetch some water for our new friend?”
“Okay!” She jumped to action, disappearing behind a tent and running off toward the nearby stream with a pail.
The man’s grip tightened and Garinor winced in pain. “So you’re the one,” he growled. “Threatening to kill the king, are you?”
Garinor gasped. “What? No!”
The others laughed. “As if you were going to tell us the truth.”
“But really, I am no threat against the king. In fact, I was summoned to the castle days ago, but I haven’t had the chance to get there yet.”
“That so?” said the one woman among them. “Why is it then that you’re riding so fast to the southeast, and concealed in the forest no less?”
He shook his head. “I’m on my way to a place in the southeast first, but then I will find my way back to the king.”
“Seems an odd route to take to seek out his majesty.” The man holding his shoulder added his other hand to take Garinor’s other shoulder. The pain increased.
“I don’t know,” spoke the last man. “I think he’s telling the truth. It’s in his eyes. And I don’t want any trouble with the king.”
The woman laughed. “Have you forgotten your place? You’re paid like the rest of us and orders are orders.”
The first man who had appeared looked over his shoulder. “Be off with him, then, before Violi returns. And take his horse so it looks like he left on his own.”
Garinor was going to shout out, but his captor sensed it and covered his mouth. He tried to bite the strong hand and wriggle away, but it was no use. The mighty grip was much too powerful and Garinor had no defense against it. He felt the two hands converge on his head and then with a quick snap the man broke his neck and killed him.
Garinor was strapped to the back of his horse and was then released into the wild, never to be heard from again.