6
Naveen rubbed her hands against her arms. She wore thick cotton to protect her from the winter winds, but it was growing colder with each passing day. It wasn’t going to get any better as they traveled south.
They entered the next village south. Anaiah seemed to be in as much disarray as her village. Smoke rose from several burnt buildings. Villagers worked together to bring dead men and women to a graveyard. Naveen saw the bruised necks. Her eyes clenched shut. They’d had their friends and family hung as well.
She ran forward. The villagers looked at her suspiciously. Her hundred companions lingered behind her. She stood among the villagers at the cemetery where new graves were being dug.
“What happened here?” she asked.
No one responded. Only a few of the diggers glanced her way.
