At the same time as they sat on a fallen tree trunk by the marsh, a man lost his life in the forest some distance away from them. It was not far to the wide gravel road which connected the country districts and just then three soldiers galloped through the night on their way to the farming villages to look for the royal children.

The third soldier was young and couldn't ride as fast as the others so he got left behind. The other two didn't care about him. He thought he was alone, but he was not. When he heard something move in the forest he stopped his horse and listened. He thought that perhaps it was a deer, but it might have been the royal children. Suddenly, he saw a man among the trees.

"Hallo there"! Shouted the soldier.

"You are not wearing uniform and have no right to be in the forest".

Those were his last words. An arrow hit his shoulder. He screamed and fell off his horse. In a flash the men ran up to him and stabbed him through the neck.

The invasion by the emperor with all its cruelty and murder had aroused an intense hatred among people in Hilonien, but as they were overwhelmed by an immense military force the situation seemed hopeless. However, after their little sister had been killed, two potters from the capital city had gone into the forest intent on avenging her. They were the first to realize that this could only be done by means of an ambush.