A wagon slowly followed the road. The three humans driving it had climbed down to ease the horses' effort in pulling it up the hill. They had just left a small village behind, where they spent the night before continuing the journey north. The eldest of them was standing on the top of the hill and walked back to his young companions.
"Soldiers", he said discreetly. The boys startled. "It was expected, we are getting close to the castle. Calm down."
It didn't take long for a patrol to appear at the top of the hill, riding down the slope on their direction. Twelve horsemen surrounded the vehicle, and the apparent leader came close, a longbow in his left hand.
"Good morning, gentlemen. You are…"
"Merchants, good sir", the elder man said.
The warrior nodded, uninterested. If they were there, it was because the patrols to the south had given them passage.
"Problems with the horses?"
"They're a bit stubborn today. I think it's the weather."
"I see. It is quite cold." Still over his mount, Oda examined the wagon; a light canvas covered it, and it seem heavily loaded. "May I know what are you transporting?"
"Clothes and blankets. In a winter like this, I'm expecting good business in the north."
With his bow, Oda lifted a tip of the canvas, but there was another piece of cloth over the cargo. He looked at the other two men, busying themselves with checking one of the wheels. They seemed overly concentrated, opposed by how relaxed the elder man was.
"That's really some big pile of clothes." He smiled back to the merchant. "Let me take a look on it."
The man turned serious in an instant, and hesitated a moment before shrugging and asking for his sons' help to untie the cloth over the wagon. Oda examined the kids a little longer; they looked nervous, but who wouldn't be, surrounded by so many spears?
Suddenly, a grotesque roar echoed from the village. The two boys almost fall on their back, the horses neighed in fear. Oda turned his eyes to the south, only to see a monster attacking the villagers: a giant centipede.
"And that, now? Damn, it's too close to the castle!"
He ordered the merchants to carry on and took his own to the village. The man smiled discreetly at his sons, and they started pulling the horses uphill again.
