They followed the track and it began looking more like a road as the forest disappeared behind them. Patrick relaxed, a little.

"What happened while I was gone?" Justine asked.

"More and more people were disappearing and we figured they were either hiding from the invaders or were driven out. There haven't been many people killed, mostly the soldiers are content to scare the people away, then burn the villages."

Has anyone tried to talk to them?" asked Patrick.

"Hisen ...