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After a while, the crunching of the rest of the patrol's steps faded.

"Did the emperor find out that you're.." he broached, fidgeting awkwardly, "you know... not a boy?"

Oh Taegus, Kel cried internally, if only you knew just how deep the emperor's understanding that I'm 'not a boy' has become.

"How could he possibly find out?" she responded cheerfully, trying to push the graphic images of the previous night out of her head.

She turned to continue walking, but immediately felt Taegus's hand on her shoulder.

"Kel." His voice was full of concern. "Be careful. The Dragon Emperor is not an ordinary man."

A sharp twinge in Kel's lower back at that exact moment reminded her painfully of the truth behind Taegus's words.

Placing her hand over the top of his, Kel turned to the boy with what she hoped was an assuring smile.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted. "Plus, it's weird to have you be so gentle like this."

"What? Weird?!" Taegus gave her a hurt look.

"It's true though," Kel laughed. "When I first saw you I thought you were grumpy and terrifying."

"Grumpy and ter-- You know what, Kel?" the boy's eyes narrowed.

"Ah.. what?" Kel wondered if she had taken things too far in her attempt to steer the conversation away from the Dragon Emperor.

"You looked like a pathetic little wimp when I first saw you!" Taegus shouted jokingly, sprinting away before Kel could hit him.

"See?" Kel called after him. "This is what I was talking about!"

Playfully, the two trekked on through the trees along the patrol route. They were beginning to wonder why they hadn't caught up with the rest of the group when Kel spotted something strange.

"Doesn't it look like someone went through there recently?" she questioned, motioning to a trampled patch of grass.

"Yeah, it does," Taegus agreed. "But that's the complete opposite direction from camp, so why.."

The boy trailed off, an ominous feeling settling over them both.

Kel took a step forward.

"We should check it out."

"No," Taegus argued. "We should go back first and-"

A distant howl cut him off.

It didn't sound like any kind of animal Kel knew of, but it didn't exactly sound human either.

"Let's go," Kel hissed, pulling her bow off her shoulder and grabbing an arrow.

At that moment, following unknown tracks to a potential dangerous scene, she wished desperately she'd been placed in the swordsman division instead.

The only close combat weapon given to archers was a medium length dagger. It clearly hadn't been chosen based on utility in fighting, but in ease of concealment. Still, it would have to do for the time being.

She heard the sching of Taegus's sword being unsheathed behind her as she carefully traced the haphazard tracks through the trees.

It looked like three to four men had passed through. What had caused the entire patrol to run off course like that?

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they found the answer.

In a small clearing, not far from camp but definitely out of hearing distance, all four of the other patrol members lay strewn around. Beneath each of their contorted bodies was a massive circle of red coating the dirt and grass around them.

Kel's heart sank at the sight.

They should have gone back for help.

Why did she always have to charge into everything so blindly?

Whether it was the wrong decision or not, however, the time to change minds had passed. Standing over the soldiers they'd just slain was a group of six men, all wearing bright red tunics on top of leather armor.

Red? Kel wondered to herself.

She'd never seen or heard of a kingdom with such uniforms. Were they some kind of rogue group?

"It's them," Taegus breathed in her ear, his voice shaking. "The soldiers who attacked us in Pandreia."

But why would the same rogue group that attacked Taegus and his comrades have members stationed this far north? With the whole continent at war, it would be impossible to spread that far in such a short time.

When Dash said there was a potential situation he had to help deal with in Mevani, did he mean this?

"We should go back," Kel whispered to Taegus. "We can't save them anymore."

Judging by the obvious wounds alone on the fallen Serin soldiers, they were all either dead or dying. Kel and Taegus would only meet the same fate if they confronted the rogues now.

Taegus nodded, and the two slowly picked their way back from the clearing.

Each foot fall was filled with dread--the fear that it might be the step that alerted the men in the clearing to their presence.

Above all else the reality that a wrong step or loud breath could mean death hung like an ax above their heads.

If we get out of this, Kel messaged Taegus mentally, I'll follow everything you say from now on without questioning it.

She imagined the reply to her message was something along the lines of 'shut up and keep moving'.

Eventually, the distance between them and the rogues felt like enough for Kel to stop holding her breath. And after several more careful steps, she felt comfortable enough to move more briskly.

They were close to halfway back to the original patrol route by now which, at the very least, was within shouting distance of the camp.

Kel thought they were in the clear until..

Snap!

Her foot had planted directly on top of a dry stick, practically invisible among the dirt and grass.

The heart-clenching noise seemed like the loudest she ever heard and echoed eternally through the trees.

She glanced fearfully back at Taegus, whose own face was pale.

Gripped by terror, the two stayed frozen, listening for the rustle that would indicate their impending doom.

But the forest remained silent.

"Let's keep going," Taegus mouthed to her, his cheeks regaining some of their color.

Kel nodded and lifted her foot to take another step when the bushes next to her opened.

"Here they are!"