Just that the town was attacked.

Erik paused for a moment before responding, “Well, …the castle was just attacked.”

The woman narrowed her eyes at the boy then turned her gaze in the direction of the Gerard estate. The trees between them and the town were quite thick, so she couldn’t see what was happening at the estate. At first, Erik was afraid that she might not believe him, but just as he was about to say something, she held up her hand and hushed him.

Again, he glared at her as she once again was bossing him around. The woman, sensing his stare, glanced back up at him and said in a soft voice. “Look with your ears, not your eyes.”

Erik cocked his head as he tried to find out what she meant. “Look with my ears?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, glaring back at him, “Which you can’t do if your mouth is open.”

Erik pouted and closed his eyes. After a few seconds had passed, he heard it. Though they couldn’t see the town, they were close enough to hear the faint sounds of voices on the wind.

“What do you hear?” she asked him.

“Shouting,” he replied, “Yelling. Pots braking.” He opened his eyes and looked back down at the woman. “It sounds like the town is being ransacked.” He froze when he realized that the woman was narrowing her eyes at him as if she was studying him.

“Very well,” she said finally before turning the horse towards the woods. “I know another place we can go, but it’s pretty rough there. You will have to do everything I say when we arrive, understand?”

Erik scoffed, “It’s not like I haven’t been doing that already.”

“Understand?” she said, raising her voice.

Erik’s face turned pale as the woman glared daggers at him, “Y-yes, Mama,” he said with a quick nod.

The woman stared the boy down for another minute or so before making her way into the woods. “Now stay quiet. There are far worst things in these woods than goblins.”