As the weather warmed with the coming of spring, they realized they would soon be able to leave the mountains for home. As the snows melted, the wreckage of the wagons and horses were revealed and they noticed that they were riddled with arrows of the kind fashioned in Kandara. They both agreed it was ridiculous that the Kandarans would be involved in a plot to have her killed but it seemed that things were made to look that way. No doubt that was the story told by the soldiers who had attacked them and, if their suspicions were correct, it was likely that the people of Maramyr believed that she was dead. Ariana remembered all too well that her uncle had been the one who had hand picked her escort, all except Aaron, whom she had herself requested. If her uncle had chosen those soldiers himself, then the orders had to have come from him and that could mean a lot of trouble.She was disgusted that Cerric was her uncle, that he was family. He was greedy and scheming and, even though he would pretend to show concern for her and try to act like he cared, Ariana always felt like he was insincere.
