Kieren found an opportunity and moved closer to Jude, eagerly asking, "Is the matter resolved?"
The man with the ugly face glanced at him and nodded.
"Did all twenty-five people die?"
"There are now twenty-seven corpses in that place," Jude said.
The minstrel paused, "Did you also kill the brothers who were supposed to signal to others?"
"What, were you particularly close to them?"
"Not really, but according to our original agreement, they should have quietly left there before you arrived; you should not have encountered them."
"They had died before we got there," Jude responded.
"Hmm?"
"Actually, when we reached the place you mentioned, we only saw three living people, and they were fighting over the loot and the bottle of giant dragon blood.
"They realized we were near only when we approached, and by then, they had no chance to run away.
