Untitled Fantasy Novel
an excerpt

"Impossible!" said Rynlan, again. "The Jyoka are gone. The war ended them. We haven't seen any of them since the duke began his office!"
Tauren added, "Even if there were some left, there couldn't be enough left to cause that kind of damage. No, my friend, it cannot be!"
Rynlan said, "Did you find bodies?"
Ulisun shook his head. "No. They didn't leave their dead behind."
"Jyoka always left their dead behind," said Tauren. "They had no respect for the dead of their own kind. They had no burial rituals or anything like that. They were monsters, and we put them down."
Damona said, "May I point out, sir, that bandits, after looting the bodies of their own fallen comrades, leave the bodies behind? They do not carry them away, because dead bodies slow them down. Therefore, it cannot be bandits any more than it can be Jyoka."
"We found footprints of clawed feet. Jyoka had clawed feet." Ulisun, taking a cue from Rynlan, took a swig out of his own mug, for emphasis.
"Deception," said Rynlan. "It simply cannot be."
Ulisun shrugged. "Very well, so it cannot be. But still, something massacred village after village, over and over. Something is heading past Kingsfalls, and up into the north mountains. We came here to warn the duke, and encourage the duke to send the Guard to seek out the marauders and destroy them. But, we could not convince him to send you."
Tauren nodded, slowly. "It cannot be Jyoka," he said, "but something should be done. We should be protecting those people," he said. "We have heard rumors of this," he confided in them, quieter than before, so the other tables would not overhear, "but we do not march forth. I do not know why we wait. If what you say is true, the duke should lead us out to find these bandits and teach them the folly of their ways!" He slapped the table, making the cups jump and wobble.
Amisinia had grabbed her cup. "Could you not inquire of this matter to your superiors?" she asked.
Tauren looked closer at her. "You're an elf," he said, startled.
"Consistently," she replied.