"Baron Memphis's guard sent out warnings three months ago," the Village Head added reluctantly. "Reports of a rogue necromancer, possibly multiple practitioners, moving through the outer provinces. They've been targeting isolated communities, places where disappearances might not be immediately reported to the Baron's castle."
More murmurs rippled through the crowd, this time tinged with real fear. Parents began looking around frantically, counting their children, making sure everyone was present.
"Necromancer?" one of the older women gasped. "Here? In our village?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" another villager demanded, anger creeping into his voice.
The Village Head held up his hands. "We didn't want to cause panic over what might have been unrelated incidents. And we hoped... we hoped they would pass us by. We're small, remote. We didn't think we'd be worth their attention."
Arthur stepped forward again, his face a mask of righteous concern. "Clearly we were wrong to hope," he said gravely. "But now that we know the threat is real, we need to act decisively."
Kael watched Arthur's performance with growing disgust. The man was good—he hit all the right notes of leadership and concern, playing his role perfectly. If Kael hadn't heard him collaborating with the necromancers just minutes ago, he would have been completely convinced.
"Everyone stays close," the Village Head ordered, his voice carrying the authority of decades of leadership. "No one travels alone, not even to the latrine. And make sure the children are present and stay within sight at all times."
"What about Henrik?" Tanya asked, her voice trembling slightly. "If something's happened to him—"
"We'll investigate," Arthur interrupted smoothly. "But safely, with proper precautions. If there really is a necromancer involved, we can't afford to lose more people to reckless heroics."
Alaric nodded grimly. "Arthur's right. This isn't something for individuals to handle. We need coordinated action."
"Should we send for help?" one of the guards asked. "Contact the Baron's guard?"
The Village Head considered this. "The Baron's castle is three days' ride. A message would take time to get through, and more time for reinforcements to arrive. We may not have that luxury."
"Then we defend ourselves," Alaric declared. "We've got enough former soldiers and active guards to mount a decent defense. We fortify the village center, establish watches, make sure no one else goes missing."
Several of the other men nodded agreement, hands moving instinctively to weapons that most hadn't touched in years except for ceremonial occasions.
But Kael was thinking beyond immediate defense. They had seen the scope of the necromancer's operation. And they had Arthur on the inside, feeding them information and victims.
"Father," Kael said carefully, "what if... what if they already know our defenses? Our patrol patterns, our weak points?"
Alaric frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Someone who's been watching the village for a while would know exactly how we'd respond to a threat like this. Where we'd fortify, how we'd organize our defenses. They could plan around our reactions."
It was as close as Kael dared come to suggesting there might be a traitor among them. He couldn't directly accuse Arthur—not without proof, not without risking everything.
But Arthur caught the implication, and for just a moment, his mask slipped. His eyes met Kael's with burn intensity before the concerned expression returned.
"That's... that's a disturbing thought," Arthur said slowly. "You think they've been scouting us? Planning this attack?"
"It would explain how they knew to target Henrik's shop," Kael replied, trying to sound like he was just speculating. "It's central to the village, but not too obvious. Perfect for a hidden operation."
The Village Head stroked his beard thoughtfully. "If that's true, then we need to assume they know more about us than we know about them. That changes our defensive options significantly."
"We should consider evacuating some of the non-combatants," Alaric suggested. "The children especially. Send them to the Baron's seat where they'll be safe."
"No," Arthur said quickly, then moderated his tone when several people looked at him strangely. "I mean... splitting up would make us more vulnerable. If they have been watching us, they'd know about any evacuation plans. Our people could be picked off on the road, away from any help."
Kael's stomach clenched. Arthur was steering them away from any action that might remove potential victims from his reach.