The woman gave a short, sharp nod of agreement. Jo pushed himself upright, his legs unsteady. None of them spoke again as they turned away from the site, their footsteps heavy on the stone.
Each of them cast one final, unwilling glance at the three grey, moss-covered forms before starting back down the trail, the scavenger birds already hopping closer in their absence, returning to their gruesome feast.
***
The guild hall the next day felt heavier than stone, the atmosphere pressing down on everyone who entered.
Conversation that normally filled the high-raftered space had thinned to almost nothing, replaced by a suffocating silence.
Adventurers sat in scattered clusters or stood alone along the walls, their voices hushed, their movements subdued. Some wept quietly in the corners, shoulders shaking, faces turned away from the room so no one could see their grief.
