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-----As Whisper moved away from the village square, he could see different people moving between the buildings. The obvious difference now was, of course, these were humans. Men searched about for supplies or to usher women, children or older ones back toward the square. Some of these men still wore the rags of their imprisonment, while Whisper saw a couple of human males who had slowly pieced together fragments of chain and plate armor.
-----The elf also spotted three strong looking women who must have been used in the river mining operation. The women were searching among the deserted buildings likewise checking for supplies or forgotten prisoners. Though they wore torn sack clothing, they hefted crude hobgoblin swords making their appearance all the odder.
-----Whisper avoided the humans as he moved among the trees that he had hidden behind hours earlier. Within a few moments, he stood a few yards away from the smoldering ruins of the house where three of the Black Riders had dwelt. The fire had been quite effective, causing the upper level to collapse. Now the structure was not recognizable except for the tree that Whisper had used to climb onto the roof. It now looked like a mass of blackened timbers piled on a stone foundation.
-----Oddly, the tree that stands next to the ruin appears untouched by the fire.
-----Whisper walked forward, and gently patted the tree as he continued to study the blackened ruin of the house. There was a sense of wonder, and some measure of satisfaction that the tree had not suffered from the fire, in him.
-----He briefly considered digging through the timbers to confirm that the Black Riders had all perished, but the destruction seemed total, in any case.
-----Instead, he set out to perform his own perimeter patrol of the village.
-----On his patrol, Whisper observed the small groups of human guards now stationed on the western and southern edges of the village. The wood elf also noticed that many tracks led from the village to the south. All of the cursed humanoids that survived the liberation of Kulendra must have migrated south across the river. Whisper could picture dozens of hobgoblin soldiers still garbed in their armor leaving their camp, perhaps to regroup across the river.
-----Of special interest, Whisper found another home on the southern side of the square that looked as if it had been spared from the humanoid pillage. This home looked as fine as the one that Whisper had assaulted the previous night and had slain the foul occupants within. This place was one of the few locations within the village where the elf detected horse hooves leaving the village. Investigating closer to the home, Whisper saw that whoever had dwelt here during the occupation had time to clear it of belongings. Footprints outside the doorways revealed that humans had lived here. Two sets of prints were larger; obviously those of male while a smaller set were the softer prints of a woman.

-----As the sun reached its zenith behind the thick clouds, word spread quickly from the eastern gate that a rider had been spotted in the distance. The eastern gate was where Pil supervised his improvised small squad.
-----At first panic threatened to ensue as one of the young prisoners who had earlier been a mining slave raced toward the village square shouting, “To arms! To arms! Rider spotted to the east!”
-----With that movement within the newly liberated village was hectic and quick. The able-bodied ones began gathering in the village square. It was interesting to note how quickly these had gained weapons and pieced together bits of leather and metal to form crude armor. In a matter of moments, about fifty young men and women were armed and ready. They appeared fierce and wide-eyed in their stance.
-----Mothers and children who had been out earlier helping with the foraging of the vacant homes and shops now assembled close to the inn. It was most of them who exhibited the strongest fear and panic.
-----“Hold now!” Raven shouted amongst them with his arms raised high. As the gathered fighters looked toward the Hunter, Rinda began comforting the women and children, urging them to take shelter inside the inn. Just then Sol rode up on Thunder and turned his stallion so that they were facing the eastern gate.
-----After a few more moments, another runner came into the village square calling toward Sol and Raven that not one but two riders had approached those at the gate. They had spoken with Pil and evidently had brought something of good tidings as the bronze warrior would be allowing the riders through to speak with the newly freed people here.
-----Just as the murmurs from the warriors in the square died down, the two riders could be seen riding through the gate and taking the trail road to the square. Both had the appearances of scouts by what they wore and they rode light horses.

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