FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Feeding time, guys!"

A disgusting tin of sloppy grit was tossed into the cave room they all currently called home. About twenty feet down a hole, was where the bandits were keeping them, caged like beasts. Though they were no longer shackled to the walls of the main area, it was almost worse being down here.

"Leave that gate open and I'll find a way up and kill you," Kyl'e growled up at the bandit. This threat seemed to amuse the serval.

"Really wolf? That'd be a sight to see. Sorry, but my orders are clear. Keep this gate closed so you don't escape. Even if you could reach us."

"I can," Kyl'e affirmed. "And when I do, and succeed in getting that gate open, I'm coming for you!"

"Alrighty then," the serval grinned. "The name's Tassi. You know, just for when you come looking."

With that, the serval laughed again and moved off. Kyl'e's sharp ears swept through the air, until he heard the definitive sound of the door to the main hall closing.

"He's gone," the wolf said.

"Good," Khayal said, sitting up from his pretend nap. "Now Kyl'e...that's quite a climb. Are you sure you can do it?"

"I may be a wolf," Kyle grinned. "But you know me. I'm a good climber. I'll see what I can do about picking that lock. Then I'll go find some rope and get you guys out."

"Be careful," Khayal warned.

Kyl'e nodded, the grin falling off his face. Twenty feet wasn't lethal in most cases, but luck was always a factor. If he slipped and failed the landing, he might break an arm in a few places. He even risked dying.

Death was no longer a worry for Kyl'e. Hadn't been for a long time. Years ago, he was certain he was going to die by Kar'na's hand. Die without ever seeing another sunrise. Die without saying goodbye.

But all of that was behind him now. He'd seen enough sunrises. He had no one to say goodbye to. His sole goal now was to serve the creed that had been his backbone for so many years. And if serving the creed required his death, he'd go willingly.

Kyl'e looked up the walls of the pit. They were sloped inwards as they went up, so the bottom was a lot wider than the top. Not only that, but they were pretty smooth too. Made intentionally difficult to discourage desperate prisoners. Then there was the gate.

Though just a simple iron contraption with a lock on top, the gate was still an additional trick to try and get by. How was one to pick the lock one-handed?

Figure that out when you get up there, Kyl'e's mind told him. His practiced eyes scoured the wall, and he noted a path to the top.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped back slightly, before sprinting to the wall and planting his foot about one foot up.

One.

Two.

Three.

Three steps up the wall, and he pushed the final one into a leap, shooting up and grabbing a ledge. About twelve feet up. Good. That was a good start.

Fingers firmly gripping on, the wolf began to climb, using just his arms at first, until eventually his feet found purchase. A good ways up, he reached a section where he couldn't go any higher, so he began to edge his way around the cell, until he found another spot to ascend.

Though Kyl'e frequently climbed, his forearms were getting a little tired. But he wasn't going to just give up, under any circumstances. His right hand slipped free, leaving him hanging solely by his left arm.

The wolf gritted his teeth and swung his feet, providing a tiny bit of pivotal motion, which allowed him to lunge up and grab the ledge again.

Kyl'e surveyed around and saw he wasn't far from the grate. Blowing out through his nose, he quickly jumped backwards, rotating as he did so, to grab a bar. He'd reached the end.

Now was the tricky part. Taking the lockpicks he and the others had forged over the past thirty-something hours, Kyl'e hoisted himself up, hooking his elbow over one of the bars. Now, he had an arm free to pick the lock.

If someone had asked Kyl'e at that very moment if he had experience with picking locks one handed, he would've fallen in surprise. But if they were to ask him any other time, he'd be the first to admit that he had no idea what he was doing here.

He fiddled and twisted, trying to locate those tumblers and sink them, all the while maintaining pressure on the lock rotation. Kyl'e's arm burned as the other one used dextrous fingers to figure out the lock.

A sound from beyond the door caught the wolf's attention briefly: footsteps. Someone was coming.

Though every nerve in the wolf's body told him to hurry up, he forced himself to remain calm, and continue away. There was a snick, from both the lock Kyl'e was working on, and the lock at the door. The wolf had picked the lock.

Wasting no seconds, he swung himself up, pushing the grate open and pulling himself through. Though now exhausted, Kyl'e scrambled to his feet, diving at the door just as it was opened, tackling the figure who was just coming through.

The wolf was skilled, no doubt, as the figure didn't even make a grunt, with Kyl'e clamping his strong hand over the other's jaw. Once the figure was on the ground, Kyl'e slammed his forearm down on the other's throat, much like Kar'na had done to him years ago. Only, unlike Kar'na, he didn't lift his arm until the individual had passed out.

Quickly grabbing the coyote's body, Kyl'e glanced down the hall and dragged the body back into the room with the pit in the middle, closing the door behind him.

"Aha!" the wolf grinned happily, seeing a rope ladder tied to the wall. Evidently the way of extracting prisoners.

"Head up!" he called, grabbing the ladder and chucking it into the pit. He heard it clatter down.

"Good job Kyl'e!" Khayal praised. In only a short order, all the assassins were at the top of the pit, looking around at the room.

"Where's our gear?" Kytra asked irritably.

"Probably in a storeroom," Dakir shrugged. "If they ransomed us off, they'd probably just sell our gear too."

"Think they'll have medicine?" Tai asked, looking at Kyl'e. "I don't think any of us look too good. Injuries could cause suspicion back out in the world."

"Right, good point," Kiri agreed. The younger grey wolf looked at the unconscious coyote. "What're we going to do with him?"

"Leave him in the pit," Khayal shrugged. "Or we can bind him up right here. That'd give us some time before he could raise the alarm. And by that time it'll be too late for the rest."

"I was just going to suggest we kill him," Kyl'e said, looking at the others. "It'd be easier. Quieter. More efficient?"

"I...suppose," Dakir agreed. "But that's also against the code of assassins? 'Don't kill an unarmed opponent, unless he be the target.'"

Kyl'e nodded, but felt frustration anyways. It'd be so much easier to simply kill the stupid coyote and be done with it.

"Let's move..."

The group was swift and silent as they navigated the halls, checking their corners and taking down guards. It was a long trial down the halls, but eventually they located a storeroom, where their gear was being held.

Then, despite Kyl'e's arguments to the contrary, they just left. They killed no one, hurt only a few, and left. To Kyl'e, it didn't make sense.

Why leave your enemies alive? It was a foolish idea. All it did was ensure that they lived to hurt others, or possibly follow you and hurt you again. By eliminating them, you also eliminated the risk. Leaving them alive actually left Kyl'e's stomach in knots.

"Why didn't we just kill them?" he asked, when they were well clear of the bandit's den. "They're simple bandits. Who would miss them?"

"That's not the point, Kyl'e," Khayal said, shaking his head. "An Assassin does not seek death. Death is an assassin's occupation, but not their life. That's what draws the line between assassin and serial killer. We don't seek death."

"But there again lies a fine line," Kyl'e countered. "If we let them live, do we not invite them to kill again?"

"Now that's the fine line alright," Dakir agreed. "But our die is cast. We just need to see if it lands on a number we want."

"I hope so," Tai shrugged.

Kyl'e said nothing, feeling that there was nothing more to add to the conversation. It still seemed like a mistake, but everyone else seemed to think it the wise course, so he'd go along with that. Tai moved a little closer.

"You alright Kyl'e?" he asked quietly.

The grey wolf looked over at Tai, feeling a small pang inside his chest at Tai's innocent expression. No matter what Kyl'e tried to force himself to feel, he couldn't see the white cat as anything but his brother. Despite them being different species.

"I'm fine Tai. Why do you ask?"

He knew why the cat was asking. He'd been best friend with him for so long, that Tai could probably instinctively see when something was bothering him. Usually, it wasn't a bother. In fact, Kyl'e liked when Tai asked, for it allowed him to share his burdens with someone who knew...feelings....better. Kyl'e wasn't too familiar with emotions, having suppressed them his whole life, since the death of his parents.

"You seem just...I don't know. Is something troubling you?"

"It's nothing, Tai," Kyl'e shook his head. What was he feeling? Frustration, for sure. Those bandits didn't deserve the lives that the assassins had just handed to them on a platter. But maybe...guilt? At his murderous thoughts?

No, that wasn't it. What was there to feel guilt about? Murder was his job. Sometimes for money, sometimes for a reason, always in service of his guild. Now, the guild was telling him not to kill somebody?

There. He'd glimpsed it. If only briefly, he'd seen what bothered him. This whole mess bothered him. His whole life, he'd been groomed as an assassin. To kill selected targets without mercy, to honour his guild. But now? Now they'd deserted the very thing they'd sworn to serve.

And for what? The off-chance that somebody, who could very easily have been a story, would have the cure? The cure to the poison that worked on killing someone who had once tried to kill him.

Logically, it didn't add up. Yes, Kar'na was a hero. But was it worth it to go out of his way to find this cure? Kar'na was a legend, a figure of near mythical proportions. Every young assassin wanted to be like Kar'na. Kyl'e did. When he was younger, he wanted nothing more.

"It's not nothing, Kyl'e," Tai insisted. "You seem a little off. What's bothering you?"

Kyl'e surveyed Tai. The cat was looking up at him, his earnest young face matching the older wolf's. Though Kyl'e and Tai had graduated the same class, Kyl'e was a few years older. Not because he was a worse assassin, but because Kyl'e had requested to be trained longer, so he might gain more skill and practice, before going out into the field. He was wise that way.

Kyl'e sighed. "Plenty is troubling me Tai. This whole mission is troubling me."

No answer from the cat, but when Kyl'e looked over, he found Tai already looking his way, waiting for him to continue.

"Why are we doing this? Kar'na is a Master Assassin, sure, but Khej gave us specific orders to do nothing. Yet, here we find ourselves traipsing through the woodlands like a bunch of madmen, all the while trying to avoid our own guild. At the very least, upon our return, we'll be excommunicated. With or without the cure. So, why are we doing this?"

Tai was silent for a bit, and Kyl'e glanced at him. Tai seemed thoughtful.

"Because of him," the cat finally said, gesturing to Kiri. "Kar'na is his family. Kar'na is our brother, Kyl'e. Family, as Kiri can probably tell you, will cross any line. We all care about Kar'na - even you, don't deny it - so this action is almost impossible to avoid. We must help our family."

"Even though you don't have one?" Kyl'e asked.

Tai immediately stiffened, and the wolf wished he could just erase what he said. He didn't mean it like that, but his words had had a further reach than he'd thought.

"Sorry Tai," Kyl'e apologized. "I didn't-"

"I know," Tai smiled tiredly. "I don't think malice is in you at all, Kyl'e. I know where your thoughts go sometimes, but you're a good person."

"There are no good people," Kyl'e protested. "Only bad people, trying to do good in the hell they've made."

Tai's brow furrowed. "That's where you're wrong, Kyl'e. I believe people can have good intentions, and want to do good. Would that not make them good people?"

Kyl'e was silent.

"And what about you, Kyl'e? Would you say you're a bad person?"

"I kill people," Kyl'e said bluntly. "I may be contracted to do such, but it is still my choice. Sure, I may help the casual orphan, or pet a lost animal, but I am no more a good person than those bandits we let live back there."

Tai went silent, and they walked along. Kytra, Dakir, Khayal, and Kiri, the rest of their group, seemed gripped in a conversation of their own. Kiri was smiling, while Kytra and Dakir argued back and forth, Khayal weighing in occasionally.

"Well..." Tai hedged at last. "_I_believe you're a good person."

Now it was Kyl'e's turn to be silent. Was Tai sincere? Just a minute ago, he'd hurt Tai with his words, but Tai didn't think he was a bad person. Was Tai a bad person? No, Tai didn't have a malicious bone in his body.

That didn't answer the question, did it? Tai was a bad person, merely because all people were bad people. Were people born evil, or did they become evil? Kyl'e personally believed people were born evil. You never had to teach an infant to steal. You never had to teach a child to lie. They did that themselves. You had to teach them not to do those things.

Kyl'e rolled his eyes. Great, now he was getting philosophical.

He looked over at Kiri, who was now laughing at something Kytra said. Some argument about mittens.

How could the wolf laugh? Wasn't he aware his brother's life was on the line? That the mysterious Alchemist they sought for probably didn't even exist? Had probably never existed, and was just a fancy tale told?

A tinge of pity touched Kyl'e's soul, breaking past the barriers for a second. When his own mom had died, he'd hoped a cure could be found. He too, had hoped for the Alchemist. However, nothing had been done, and his mother had died in front of him.

So was it so wrong for Kiri to long for a false hope? He hadn't learned the lesson yet. And though it would be a painful lesson, it was one every person needed to learn.

You are your own best friend. Trust yourself, and no one other. That was life's one unshaking truth.

"Dach!" was Kyl'e's exclamation as, in his concentration, he walked square into a tree branch. Evidently, Kyl'e was walking faster than he thought, as the force was enough to throw him on his back.

"Kyl'e!" Tai exclaimed, rushing over to the wolf. "You alright?"

"I'm fine Tai," Kyl'e said, pushing away the cat and getting to his feet. "That branch just caught me by surprise."

"Apparently," Khayal grinned. "Keep your eyes on the trail, not your mind."

"Yes Master," Kyl'e bowed slightly. If his skin had been bare for the world to see, his face would've been flushed red with embarrassment. Here, in front of several novices and a Master, Kyl'e had walked into a tree branch.

"Strange," Khayal muttered, heading over to the branch and investigating it. "I don't remember this branch."

He looked at it, and tapped a claw on a knife mark, too small to notice, had one not been looking for it.

"Yup," he affirmed, looking at the ground as well. "Not a branch. This was a trap. Of some kind...."

He looked around.

"Though, not a very well-designed one. It did practically nothing."

"Maybe we interrupted the person preparing it?" Kyl'e queried, rubbing his bruised muzzle.

"That could be. Though, it's a little audacious to try and rig a trap on a road in broad daylight. You'd have to build it fast, in case of travellers."

"I haven't even seen any other travellers," Kiri mentioned. "Is this even a real road?"

"Absolutely," Khayal nodded. "I'm actually a little surprised at the lack of foot traffic. May be a festival in one of the nearby towns."

"Well," Dakir suggested, looking at the branch. "We'd best keep an eye out for future traps."

The group muttered a common assent and resumed their travel, unaware of the individual hiding in the treetops. To hide from an assassin was no small feat, especially a master woodsman.

But this individual was something more. It was easier for one to hide from an assassin if this person was an assassin. Specifically, a Master Assassin, trained highly in the arts of disguise and climbing.

Shadi was this master. A caracal like Khayal, Shadi's areas of expertise allowed her to remain hidden even from the Master Assassin of her own species. And she was on the hunt, under orders from Khej himself. To locate the fugitives, and bring them back to the guild. Alive.

That last word was a pain to Shadi. Of course she'd bring them back alive, but it was so much easier when orders were to bring someone back dead. Less struggle that way.

However, looking down, she spotted Tai in the mix, and she knew that, even had her orders been otherwise, she would've been unable to kill them. Tai had once been an orphan like her. Same city.

When Tai was exceptionally ill, at almost the exact time Kar'na took him to the guild, Shadi had delivered food to him. In Tai's delirium, she doubted he even knew her. Or recognized her. For sure, he'd never made any mention of it at the Guildhall.

And she was fine with that. She needed no recognition. She was a Master Assassin, which was recognition enough for her.

Shadi slowly crept out of the tree, checking to make sure her merchant disguise was all good. She needed a way to get close before engaging. She would pass them in the woods, and meet them on the trail towards them. Perhaps caught in a trap?

Shadi stopped. That could work perfectly. A simple merchant, caught in a trap, which would reinforce the idea of bandits setting traps along the roads. It would raise their guard, but not to her. And she could even dress as a guy. If she hid as a female, Khayal would be a bit more suspicious. But Khayal knew nothing of her ability to flawlessly imitate the other gender. It was a skill from when she was growing up on the streets, learning to appear like someone else.

Why the first trap? To be completely honest, Shadi wanted to get a feel for their general awareness and skill.

The wolf's triggering the trap...and promptly getting smacked in the face with it...didn't speak highly of his skill. However, Khayal's spotting of the marks made him a bigger threat.

And of course, he was a fellow Master Assassin. Shadi must never forget that. But, she hoped he would....

"How's your muzzle, Kyl'e?"

"Merely a mild ache," Kyl'e brushed off. "Nothing more. I shall be fine."

"You sure?"

"Why do you ask, Khayal?" Kyl'e asked, on edge around the caracal's persistent questioning. "Would I not tell you if I thought it was worse? It was a branch, nothing more."

"Sorry," Khayal said, raising his hands. "I was just wondering. I guess I'm a little wary. Something about that trap just seemed...off."

"Ah, so it's been bothering you too?" Tai asked, looking at Khayal with relief. He thought he was just being paranoid.

"Is someone there?" a voice cried around the bend. "Help! Someone help me!"

"Who's that?" Kyl'e asked, drawing his blade.

"Don't know," Kiri commented, blade already drawn as he began to move faster. "But they sound like they're in trouble."

"Kiri wait!" Khayal shouted, rushing after the wolf. "It could be a trap!"

Rounding the bend, Kiri stopped, looking at the young-looking caracal hanging upside down by his ankles from the tree.

"Oh thank the heavens!" the caracal sighed. "Can you cut me down? I've been stuck like this for hours!"

"Who are you?" Kiri asked, as Khayal moved to cut the caracal down. Kyl'e moved in position to catch.

"My name's- ah!"

The caracal plummeted from the trap, Kyl'e catching him with a small grunt. He set the caracal down, and the cat shook himself slightly, before turning to look at Kiri.

"My name's Ashdi," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm a merchant, heading to the city of Treeline, far up north. The First Snows Festival is taking place, and I was hoping to sell some of my wares there."

"What sort of wares?" Khayal asked suspiciously.

"I used to be a carpenter by trade," Ashdi said, unslinging the bag from his back and opening it up. "Then I took up whittling as a hobby, discovered a talent, and started to market it. Now, I go wherever, taking commissions as they appear. See for yourself."

Khayal reached into the bag and pulled out a little statuette, really well carved. It looked like a wolf holding a sword, his cape billowing behind him. The wolf looked really familiar, like...

"Is this...?"

"Kar'na?" Ashdi sighed wistfully. "Yeah, it is. I met him once. He saved my life from a bandit. Since then, I've kind of always had a figurine or two of his lying in my bag. I'm always trying to make it look like the real guy."

His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Kiri.

"You look a lot like Kar'na," he decided, scrutinizing Kiri. "Except with different fur and eyes. Are you related?"

"He's my brother," Kiri nodded.

"Your...brother?" Ashdi seemed surprised. "Really? I...wow...to have Kar'na...the Kar'na...as a brother? But as far as I knew, Kar'na didn't have any siblings...?"

"He has two," Dakir said, holding up to fingers. "His half-brother Tes'ali, the wolf-fox, and Kiri here, the wolf."

"So are you all Assassins then? I should've guessed by the robes. Well...can I ask you all something?"

They nodded their assent, and Ashdi took a deep breath.

"Could I possibly travel with you? You're going my way, and I obviously need an escort."

He glanced ruefully at the severed trap above his head.

"I promise I won't get in your way. I'll be quiet, follow at your pace, anything! I'd just like some protection on the roads!"

Khayal seemed to think about it, before he held up a finger. "Can you give us a minute? I'd like to talk to my fellow Assassins."

"Sure," Ashdi said. "I'll just head over here a bit."

The caracal walked a short ways away and sat on a rock, pulling out a well-thumbed book. He promptly began to read through it.

"So?" Khayal prompted. "Thoughts?"

"I don't know," Kyl'e mused. "He seems harmless enough. But then, looks can be deceiving. For all we know, he could actually be a girl."

The group chuckled slightly.

"But in all seriousness, he seems harmless. And he does need an escort. We could provide this simple service. We're heading up to Treeline too, you know."

"A fact which, by itself, seems suspicious," Khayal countered. "What are the odds that this completely random merchant is heading to the same place we are?"

"But what choice do we really have?" Dakir weighed in. "If we don't help, and this guy reaches a city, saying he met the brother of Kar'na, we could be in serious trouble. The Guild would know exactly where we are."

Kyl'e looked over at him, thinking, before he shook his head. "Anyways, the Guild Charter says we can't kill innocents."

"Right," Tai nodded. "So, shall we-"

"Wait," Kiri said, looking over at Kyl'e. "Did you honestly just consider killing this guy, because he knew my name and relationship?"

"It's a liable risk," Kyl'e shrugged. "I merely considered the option."

Kiri's expression was what could be called disdainful, as he shook his head. Tai looked at him, before continuing.

"So, uh, should we say he can travel with us?"

"Do we have any other recourse?" Khayal asked, still suspicious of the caracal.

"Don't think so," Dakir muttered.

"Then let's do it."

The group broke, and went back to the caracal, who perked up at their approach.

"Ashdi, you're welcome to travel with us. Our final destination is Treeline as well. We can take you that far, though don't count on us providing you escort for the way back."

"Oh don't worry," Ashdi said, brushing it off. "I'm not returning this way. I'm headed up to North Haven from Treeline. The wolves up there might appreciate some genuine wood carvings."

"They probably would," Kytra agreed with a smile.

"But," Khayal said, holding up a finger. "You'll have to keep pace. We're not going to be doing a lot of resting, as we're sort of on a deadline."

"Don't worry about me," Ashdi said with a smile. "I can keep pace."

"Then let's be off."

Their pace kept for a long time, before they finally stopped for a rest, just outside Greatwood. The sun had slipped below the horizon a long time ago, leaving his gentler companions, the two moons, to look down at those below.

Kiri found it hard to think about sleep with both moons shining full in the sky, but he knew he'd be up early tomorrow, heading out to Treeline. With any luck, smoke from the city should be visible by the end of tomorrow.

A small scraping sound diverted Kiri's attention, and he looked over to the other side of camp. There, sitting against a rock, Ashdi was carving, his dextrous fingers allowing his carving knife to make the most precise of cuts. He seemed pretty focused on his work.

A snap from on the fire diverted Kiri's attention again to where Kyl'e was roasting a spit of meat over the fire. The smell was tantalizing, gamy and fresh, making his mouth water. Trying to distract himself, Kiri looked back over to Ashdi, finally deciding to get up and talk with the caracal, who'd been pretty silent all day.

Ashdi looked up as Kiri approached and smiled.

"You're...Kiri, right?"

"Right," Kiri said. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Why would I mind?" Ashdi asked, scooching over slightly. "You all seem like a pretty good group."

"What are you carving?" was Kiri's next question, as he took a seat next to Ashdi.

"I'm carving a little memorial bust," Ashdi explained, holding out the block of wood for inspection. "I'm trying to catch all your likenesses as a thank you."

"You really don't need to do that," Kiri protested. Ashdi waved him away.

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do."

The caracal continued carving, and Kiri watched with interest at the cat's deft motions. Khayal stood up from his spot and headed over, sitting down across from the two of them, back to the fire.

"Sorry for asking, but do I know you from somewhere? It's been nagging me all day."

Ashdi stopped carving for a minute and carefully scrutinized Khayal's face. "I don't think so...I think I'd remember seeing another caracal like you."

"And I'm certain I've seen you before," Khayal insisted. "I just can't place where."

"Well," Ashdi said, looking at him with narrowed eyes, as though thinking. "I've been to the Assassin's Guild during festivals. It's a good place to peddle my wares."

"No, no, that's not it...Shadi!"

Ashdi's knife slipped from the carving and he sliced his thumb. With a yelp, Ashdi dropped both carving and knife.

"Sorry!" Khayal apologized. "I just finally placed it! You remind me of a caracal in the Master Assassin Council. Shadi is her name."

"You know my cousin?" Ashdi asked in surprise. "She used to live with us, back in Fangheart. Then, the one day, she just...left us. I saw her once, in the poor district. She was living on the street. The moment she saw me, she took off running, evading me in a back alley. I thought for sure that, after all this time, she was dead."

"No, no," Khayal said with a smile. "Shadi is still very much alive. She's a Master Assassin on the council."

"Well," Ashdi said, sucking some blood from his thumb. "I very much must visit her sometime. See how she's doing."

"You do look a lot like Shadi," Dakir commented, Kyl'e nodding in agreement.

"Hey," Ashdi shrugged. "Runs in the family?"

"You want a bandage?" Khayal asked, gesturing to the slice on Ashdi's thumb. The caracal looked at it and nodded.

"Yeah. It stings a little."

Khayal opened his pack and pulled out a strip of fabric, which he wound around the thumb. Ashdi flexed it experimentally.

"That'll do."

"And on that note," Kyl'e announced. "Food's ready. Time to eat."

Later, when everyone's bellies were full, Ashdi stood up with a yawn. "If you'll all excuse me, I've got to go relieve myself. I'll be back in a minute."

"Take your time," Khayal chuckled. "We're resting now anyways. Kyl'e, you got the first watch?"

"Sure," the wolf grunted, heading closer to the road. "I'll keep an eye out."

But Ashdi wasn't paying much attention, heading out into the forest. Finding a suitable spot, a good ways away, the caracal quickly took care of business, and was about to head back, when a strong hand quickly grabbed him by the muzzle.

"No screams," the voice warned. "No loud noises. Who are you?"

Ashdi shoved the hand off of him, and turned around, looking at the lithe wolf who had grabbed him.

"It's me, kinja," he scowled. "Open your eyes before you grab the first random person you see."

"Name," the wolf scowled.

"Shep," Ashdi said in exasperation. "We've worked together for almost a year now. It's me, Shadi."

"Shadi?" Shep asked in surprise. "How are you...you look like...I don't..."

Shadi rolled her eyes. Were all wolves this dense? Well, no, she knew the answer to that already. Kar'na was pretty sharp. Kiri was nice, but she wasn't quite sure of his intellect.

"It's kinda simple," Shadi explained. "You know what my unique skills were to get into the council in the first place?"

"Disguise and climbing," Shep answered. "So, you mean you disguised yourself to look like a male? Why?"

"Earn their trust," Shadi shrugged. "Khayal and I are the only caracals on the Assassin Council. If I'd come as a female, he'd have known immediately that it was me. This is to help me hide among them."

"But...but you even smell male!"

"I learned some tricks on the streets," she rolled her eyes. "Point being, I've got their trust. I know where they're headed."

"Where?" Shep asked, tail wagging unconsciously behind them.

"They're going to Treeline, unless Khayal's a better liar than I gave him credit for. I think they've bought my disguise hook, line, and sinker. Get a group out to Treeline. We want to take these ones alive."

"Wouldn't dream on killing them," Shep agreed. "They are fellow assassins. But now we've got a problem."

"What's that?"

"Ten deserted our Guildhall, eleven if you count the bandit. I count six here. That means five are missing."

Shadi frowned.

"They might've gone a different route. I'll see what I can find out from them. Maybe one of them will carelessly spill the beans. If I get any information, I'll find an assassin safehouse, and pass the information along there."

"Got it," Shep nodded. "I'll get a squad to Treeline."

"Good," Shadi smiled. "Now get out of here, before they find you. I don't want my disguise ruined."

Shep nodded, quickly disappearing into the forest, while Shadi/Ashdi returned t o the camp. Everyone seemed to be asleep, except for Kyl'e, who was out at the road, eyes sweeping.

"Goodnight wolf!" Ashdi called out softly.

"Night," Kyl'e returned.

Ashdi, scenting the subtle scent of wolf on her muzzle, lay down beside Kiri, hoping the younger wolf's scent would mask out the scent of Shep. Kiri turned slightly to look at her as she lay down.

"Goodnight Ashdi."

"Goodnight Kiri," the caracal returned. "May your mind walk with the stars."

Kiri grinned and rolled back over, and Ashdi lay his head down. Today had been good progress. Hopefully, on the morrow, she'd find out more. The details that Shep and the others needed to know.