Thornak stepped out of the bath. Lara's breath caught, her cheeks flushing at the sight of his perfect naked body.
He moved quickly, setting up a screen between them and motioning to a small box in the corner.
"This contains clothes I've arranged for you."
She nodded then bit her lip, caught between laughter and embarrassment.
Thornak threw on a tunic and met Kael in the main tent area.
"Thornak," Kael said, "our men have reached the border villages."
"And?"
"The villages… most of them are empty, just as the trader described. Lanterns still burning, doors wide open, meals untouched. It's like the people vanished into thin air. Some of the soldiers report seeing shadows in the forest, moving unnaturally. I don't know if it's magic, or something worse, but the Red Hand are using it to control them."
Thornak's jaw tightened. "Any sign of survivors?"
