8
Captain Vesryn stood at the new camp, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were slitted as he studied the ground. No one dared say a word. He strode forward, inspecting the shattered chunks of metal.
“You say you returned and this is all you found?”
“Yes, Captain.”
Vesryn leaned down to scoop up a pile of metal shards. He inspected them closely. It was a puzzle. He saw how many of the shards could fit together. Vesryn grabbed a larger shard, unsheathed his dagger, and attempted to pound its hilt onto the piece of metal. It remained solid. He frowned.
“How did these chains shatter?” Vesryn muttered.
“I don’t know, Captain.”
Vesryn snarled at the dragonrider. “What do you know?”
“I interrogated them, and while most weren’t helpful, one woman quickly confessed they were traveling
