Anna let go of the railing, nodded firmly, then turned and walked into the house. The door closed softly behind her.
Ron and Geralt led the five orphans out of Candy Trail and into Lower Velen. Thirty soldiers still stood stationed at the village entrance, their neat formation unbroken, their spears forming a cold line beneath the setting sun.
The reeve was still standing beside the low wall at the village entrance. He saw Ron emerge from the direction of the swamp with a group of children in old linen clothes at his side.
Mud speckled their faces, but their eyes shone. His muttering trailed off as he watched the children get onto the soldiers' horses.
"Send six men to escort the children back to the manor and hand them over to Aina."
Miko nodded and turned to pick the men. Ron took out two sheets of parchment from beside his saddle and quickly wrote two brief letters against it, his handwriting short and direct. One was for the baron, and the other for Tamara.
The letters mentioned only one thing: Anna had been found. Bring men and equipment to Lower Velen. Details would be discussed in person.
He folded the letters, stamped them with his seal, and handed one to the soldier beside him. "Return to Crow's Nest and deliver this to the baron personally."
Then he turned to the other soldier. "Oxenfurt. Deliver it to Tamara herself at the address in the letter." The two soldiers accepted the letters, mounted up, and rode off in different directions.
As the children were helped onto the horses, one little boy looked back at the swamp behind him. He could not have been more than seven or eight. He had no idea where this troop of soldiers was taking him, but