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that would offer only a small amount of protection in a sword fight.  It was more important for him to travel lightly and silently, moving through the forests undetected.   With little regard for the dead man, Marik yanked the arrow from the man’s chest and looked it over carefully.
    “This is an odd arrow,” Marik said softly, more to himself than his captain.
    “How so?” Brace asked after a moment.  Marik continued to study the arrow from tip to fletching.
    “It is a hunter’s arrow.  Straight and true enough for a hundred yard shot to take down an animal, but hardly the kind used by a soldier from across a battle field.  And the tip is stone, and not steel.  It’ll kill an animal just as easy, but it won’t do well against even studded leather.”
    Brace took the arrow from his ranger and looked it over himself.  “But well enough against skin and bone.”
    Marik gave a quick nod of the head.  “It would appear that our princess came across a hunter in the woods.”
    A shout came up from near the river.  Brace and Marik raced towards a group of knights scouring the riverside.  They had found another body.  This one had taken an arrow through the throat and although he had died quickly, it had not been instantly.  The body was a bloody mess covered by buzzing flies.  Brace stopped several feet away, unwilling to get close enough due to the horrid stench coming from the body.  Marik ignored the smell and walked right up to it.  The soldier was clad in similar dress to the other dead Thellians.  But rather than having to pull the arrow out from the body, Marik took it from the dead man’s grasp.
    “Pulled it out himself,” Marik observed.  “Same kind of arrow.  Fine workmanship, but not as good as our fletchers produce.”  He looked at it more closely, his fingers running through the fletching, down the shaft, and over the arrowhead.  “Actually, it is very good quality for a hunter.  I wouldn’t want to come across this hunter in a fight.”
    Marik looked at the body, and then towards the river.  He traced what he thought was the path of the arrow and came upon a small sandy area on the bank of the river.  There were clear and obvious footprints.
    “Captain, this is where the arrows were shot from.”  Marik then pointed across the river.  “I’d guess that our archer then fled across the river.  We should check the other bank and continue our tracking there.”
    “Very well.  Take three others – Paul, Dolin, and John – and continue tracking.  I’ll have the rest scout this side of the river for more bodies and then collect up the Royal Guard and return them to the castle.  The king will want to honor their bodies with a proper burial.”
    Marik looked down at the arrows still in his hands and then across the river.  “If the princess came across a hunter, and he helped protect her, I think she will be in good hands.”
    “Why do you say that?” Brace asked.
    “Those bodies haven’t been there very long.  Certainly not any longer than sometime last night.  It is likely that the princess’ defender made those shots blind, in the dark.  Anyone who can make those shots is very good, or very lucky.”
    “Either way, if he has saved our princess, he will be well rewarded.”  Brace turned to leave, but turned back to say, “If you find her do not return her directly to the castle.  I have made a promise to our king that I would return her myself.  Although I would be grateful for her to be found by anyone, I would prefer the king not to know that I must disobey his commands.”
    “Sir?”
    “I have some business to the north that I must attend to.”
    Marik nodded his understanding, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts.
    “This attack, this ambush…is curious," Brace said in response to the inquisitive look Marik gave him.  "I have some thoughts about who might be behind this, but it will require me to travel for a couple of days.  They are questions