I followed the others silently, distant enough that I could intervene if they were ambushed, but not so close that any pursuers would see me if they watched the group.

  Wearing the wolf hood, I felt like part of nature as I crept through the bushes. A thick smell of tar filled the air, and I took a deep breath, savoring the scent. I was in my element here: no rules, no silly tasks that needed doing, just survival.

  After separating from the others, I had sheathed the knife and summoned a spear, which I kept level to the ground as I stalked. There was no benefit to showing the others what I could do. Tessia already knew that I was more of a fighter than a summoner. That much was enough to weaken my element of surprise if she was captured, something that could prove catastrophic if our settlement ever had to go head to head with the Redeemers.

  I ducked under a branch as the group's muffled voices reached me. Some time after leaving their camp behind, Elinor stopped complaining about having to carry the heavy deer. Now, Tessia talked to them about the people back at camp, explaining the intricate web of relationships that had formed in just a few days. I didn't even know most of the people she talked about.

  Of course, I knew who the current leaders were; I'd appointed them myself. Tessia kept that little fact under wraps, which I appreciated. I could see why Aubrey had taken a liking to the girl. She was clever, and damn good at winning people over. Both Elinor and Adam were already wrapped around her finger. They wouldn't say no to joining the settlement, even though Elinor still put on a show of uncertainty. When they saw what Tom had built—what he was building—that wall would crumble.

  Every now and then, the sound of a twig breaking echoed through the forest, making me twitch and scan the treeline for enemies, yet none showed. Soon, Verdant Glade would come into sight. I needed to act before then. It was time to spring plan B into motion.

  I whistled, calling Iron's attention to me as I drew a wide circle in the air with my hand. Immediately, he took the hint and flapped away from the group, deeper into the woods. If the Redeemers were content watching from afar, which I assumed they were, I would simply have to find them. It was time for me to go on the hunt.

  My heart felt heavy at the thought. Killing was not something I enjoyed or sought out, but when necessary, I wouldn't shy away from it. I owed that to the lives I had already taken.

  Tessia craned her neck, looking at Iron's retreating figure as he disappeared into the knit of trees. She squinted her eyes to shield them from the sun and wore a deep crease on her brow as she turned to look for me.

  Her gaze swept past without seeing. I remained still, crouched beneath the brush with the wolf hood drawn to break the shape of my face. A few moments passed and she sighed, turning back to the others as she resumed the conversation.

  It's better this way.

  Most people probably hadn't adapted to the new world yet. They didn't understand what letting a threat like this linger meant. I did, which was precisely why the responsibility fell on me. Verdant Glade depended on me, and I would not let them down, even if that meant I had to bloody my hands.

  Iron's wingbeats faded, but I knew where he was. I could feel our bond lead me to him just like I could feel the pull of the Verdant Glade. From the sky, he would see what I could not. I lingered, letting the backs of the group melt into the distant greenery. A knot tied in my gut.

  They won't be attacked; the Redeemers wouldn't wait till the last second. They've had plenty of better opportunities.

  I shook the worry away. Letting them out of sight may have been a risk, but it was a calculated one. One I had planned since we first left their family camp behind. Now, it was time to hunt.

  Turning from the group, I made sure not to break any twigs. The long spear made that difficult, but these last few days hadn't been wasted. It was still early; the crisp air of the early day felt cool and calming.

  When I could no longer hear nor see the group, I picked up my pace, still in a half-crouch as I moved. On the move, I grabbed a fistful of dirt and smeared it onto my face, masking the pale contrast it painted against the shrubbery.

  Iron chirped, high pitched and in alarm. Forcing a scowl of grim determination onto my face, I sometimes wished he wasn't such a good bird. Then I wouldn't be forced to do the things I had to do.

  I moved like I'd learned in these last few days: deliberate, but not slow. My toes touched the ground first, then rolled onto my heels to cushion my steps. I avoided twigs and didn't allow my spear to brush against bushes or branches. Where I went, silence followed. To my prey, I was a ghost. Even my breathing came slow and controlled, not leaking any needless sounds.

  "Get that damn thing away!" someone snapped in a whisper. I pushed myself lower to the ground and snuck until I could see him. He wore a black Redeemer hood pulled over his face and had a pair of daggers fastened on his hip. Four companions followed him, two of them wielding daggers just like him, and the remaining two having bows. A scouting party.

  [Redeemer Thief LV7]

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  [Redeemer Thief LV6]

  [Redeemer Thief LV11]

  [Redeemer Ranger LV9]

  [Redeemer Ranger LV9]

  I furrowed my brow. All of them were quite high-leveled, especially compared to the people in the Glade. We'd need to pick up our leveling pace.

  Not surprisingly, the level eleven Thief barking orders seemed to be the leader. If I wanted questions answered, he'd know the most.

  I curled my fingers around the spear, not springing into action just yet. Calming my breathing, I told myself that I was in control of the situation. The Rangers constantly scanned the treeline, looking for threats. They were the true trackers in the group; if anyone spotted me, it was going to be them.

  One of the rangers nocked their bow and aimed at Iron. My heart lurched, and I waved at him to fly away. The ranger held their breath and took aim when the leader pushed the arrowhead toward the ground. "Goddammit, stop. A bow isn't silent. If you miss, they'll hear."

  "So I won't miss," the Ranger hissed back, a young woman by the sound of it.

  "What the fuck did you say?" the leader growled, his hands moving to the daggers on his hip. You could cut the tension with a knife.

  "Let's just take a breath," a young dagger-wielding man said, lowering his hood. He stepped between the two with a sweet smile and well-kempt blonde curls. "We almost have what we came for. Let's not ruin it when we're so close, alright?"

  The female ranger eased the string of the bow back into place and removed her arrow. "You're so right, Nate, as always," she chirped, sending a shiver up my spine.

  Is there love in the air or something today?

  The leader grumbled something under his breath and moved his hands away from the dagger hilts. "In the future, you fucking listen. Got it?" He spat at her feet and turned heel.

  "Tsk," clicked the female archer, making the leader's shoulders twitch before he walked away.

  This was precisely why group dynamics were so annoying to navigate and why few friends were better than many. Coincidentally, this was also the reason I preferred not to take the wheel in leading the settlement. Petty squabbles and misunderstandings didn't interest me.

  Kneeling in front of the others, the second ranger rubbed dirt between his fingers, his bushy eyebrows pushed together in thought. "This way. They're slowing down," he said with a rumble. His voice was the type of deep you could only ever achieve by chain-smoking cigarettes for years on end.

  He stood up with a groan and had a slight limp as he walked. A dark stain colored the portion of his cloak covering his lower back. Either he had taken a hit recently, or he wasn't one to do laundry. In any case, he seemed to be the more skilled of the two. He was the real tracker and, therefore, the greater threat.

  When they all started following the old ranger, I stood up from my hiding place and shifted my grip on the spear. I ambled out of the bushes and onto a patch of grass with silent steps, then took aim.

  With a groan, I sent the spear flying. It shot through the air like a bullet and tore into the back of the old ranger, removing the dark stain entirely as it punched out of his gut. Their group froze, then turned. I was already moving back inside the bushes, summoning another spear.

  "Ambush!" the leader screamed, abandoning all thoughts of stealth. He and the other thieves in the party pulled their daggers from their sheaths and scattered into the foliage.

  The female ranger nocked an arrow in her bow, chest heaving frantically as she searched for me.

  I dove deeper into the woods. With all the surrounding trees shielding me, a panicked ranger wouldn't pose a threat. Instead, I focused on the thieves. I crouched and moved toward the first, the only one without any stand-out qualities. I tried to keep track of the others as they swung toward my initial position in wide arcs. That quickly became a chore, and as I approached the bland thief, I understood why. His body blended with the greenery, gradually masking him from my sight.

  If I hadn't seen it happen, things would have gone bad. I stopped and watched as he leaned forward and disappeared.

  Only the sound of his footsteps and the soft gleam of his daggers proved he was still here. I shifted to the right and snapped a twig under my heel. A moment later, a dagger flashed where I would have been had I not moved.

  I caught his arm and pulled him toward me as I burst out of the shrubbery. Even when I couldn't see him, I knew where to stab when I held him. My spear tore through his chest, making the camouflage falter like a ripple tearing through water.

  Before he could scream, I let go of his wrist and shoved my hand over his mouth and swept his feet out from under him. His eyes bulged as he slammed into the ground, and I pressed my knees down on his arms. Moisture formed on my palm from his heavy breathing. "Nothing personal," I whispered and twisted the spear, making his eyes glaze over.

  Standing back up, I tossed him into a gathering of particularly thick bushes and moved on. That left three.

  "Guys?!" the ranger shouted, her voice cracking. "Nate?! Please, I don't wanna be alone."

  "You aren't," I shouted back, then hurried away from my position.

  Fighting opponents you couldn't see complicated things quite a bit, especially in a forest when there were so many hiding places. I needed to lure them into the open, where their camouflage wouldn't work as well. To do that, I needed the girl.

  "Why are you doing this?!" she demanded, her voice growing distant. I didn't answer. She knew damn well why.

  I pushed my speed, not allowing the thieves to catch up. They should both have been moving to pincer me after I shouted.

  Branches whipped against my shoulders as I burst through a stretch of brush and into a shallow clearing. Sunlight spilled through the thin canopy, bathing the forest ground in daylight. Up ahead, the ranger's retreating figure jerked to a halt and whipped around, an arrow already nocked and aimed my way. Her hood fell, revealing a freckled face framed by red hair and a sharp, clenched jaw. "Back off!" she growled.

  "Not an option," I said and unslung the broken shield from my back before charging.

  She let loose the arrow, and I followed its momentary flight before raising the shield. It punched through the wood and stopped inches from my face. I kicked off the ground, picking up the pace and making the ranger rear back as she tried to pull another arrow from her quiver.

  Once she finally managed, her eyes lit up with satisfaction, and I hurled my spear at her. It boomed through the distance separating us in an instant and pierced her thigh, pinning her to the earth. The impact sent arrows spraying from the quiver on her hip and onto the ground. She gaped, eyes wide in shock, as she looked down at the spear. Then she screamed.

  That ought to lure the others here.

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