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"So that's Greatwood?" Kiri asked, looking at the small town in the distance. "It's smaller than I thought..."

"You won't find that many big cities in Arlea," Khayal agreed. "Most of our kind are still tribal. The ones that aren't spread themselves into small towns. We've learned our lesson since Winterwrath."

That put a bit of a sullen mood on the party, as they looked over the city. They'd decided that, for the sake of convenience, they'd go around the city. One, it was faster. And two, it put them in less danger of discovery.

Luckily for the assassins, Ashdi seemed cool with it either way, simply shrugging and saying "I didn't really need to go to Greatwood anyways."

So now they were on their way to Treeline, sticking to one of the lesser-travelled roads. And It was on this road that they spotted the city itself, sitting like the centre of a flower in the forested valley.

"Is Treeline roughly that size, or..."

"Treeline's smaller," Kyl'e grunted, looking down at the city. "It's not much of a city. Probably just a town, actually. But it's not a tribe."

"Did you grow up in a tribe?" Kiri asked, tilting his head.

"Me? No. I grew up in the Assassin's Guild."

Kiri nodded, not really wanting to ask anymore questions. Kyl'e was nice, but he could be testy, and didn't usually have a want or appreciation for conversation.

Except for Tai. Kyl'e and Tai seemed really close, like brothers, and Kyl'e frequently consulted with the younger cat. It made sense if one knew the two; Tai could easily get along with anyone.

"So...we hitting the road then?" Tai asked, prodding the others into motion.

"Right," Khayal agreed. "We want to spend as little time travelling as possible. The sooner we arrive at Treeline, the better."

"Who knows how much time Kar'na has?" Kiri agreed. "Every moment we-"

Khayal's warning eyes cut him off before he finished, but it was too late already.

"Kar'na?" Ashdi asked, large caracal ears perking up. "He's in trouble?"

"Guild business," Kyl'e stated firmly. "None of your concern, merchant."

"No," Ashdi said, equally as firmly. "I think it is my business. I'm travelling with a group of assassins, who haven't shared their mission details with me. And that's fine, I wouldn't expect them to."

His eyes narrow.

"But on the other hand, I've noticed a lot of strange behaviour. For example, you pulled us all off the trail at a passing assassin patrol. And don't think I haven't overheard snippets of conversation, including the words 'treason' and 'Falskin'. I demand to know what's going on here."

His voice quavered slightly at the end.

"Like I said," Kyl'e growled warningly. "None of your concern."

"It very much is," Ashdi pressed on once more, noticeably nervous now. "I'm travelling with you, which makes it my concern. I can always head to the guards. If you're really Assassins, you won't kill me, since I'm an innocent. If you're common bandits...like I'm beginning to suspect...I was never getting out of this alive anyways."

His eyes betrayed fear, and Kiri felt a pang of guilt lance through his chest. Part of the reason for their silence in the first place was to keep the merchant safe, and here he was, fearing for his life. That didn't sit well with Kiri at all.

"Alright, Ashdi," Kiri said, stepping forth. "You want to know why we're out here? Well allow me to share you our story."

"Kiri..." Kyl'e warned, before Tai sharply drove his elbow into the older wolf's stomach, making him grunt.

"You know my brother is Kar'na."

"Supposedly," Ashdi said with a touch of bitterness. "I don't know what to believe anymore but..."

He hesitated slightly.

"I think you've always dealt straight with me Kiri. The least I can do is hear you out."

Kiri inclined his head in gratitude.

"Recently, a large Falskin army infiltrated our nations borders. They came to get two Falskin we were harbouring, to keep them safe from their father."

Ashdi's eyebrow crept up a bit, but he said nothing.

"My brother Kar'na went to stop the siblings from being taken, and got shot in the stomach by a poisoned arrow. He's..."

Kiri's voice caught slightly.

"He's dying. And the only hope is to find the Alchemist."

Ashdi stared at Kiri for a minute, before shaking his head slightly.

"A...stirring story, assuming it isn't a bald-faced lie. But still, why the secrecy? Kar'na is Khej's son, meaning that Khej would want to keep him alive more than anything."

"Khej didn't want to risk anymore lives,' Kiri said bitterly, ears dropping slightly. "Especially when chasing someone who might just be a fairytale. We...left without sanction."

"But...couldn't that get you banished from the guild?"

"Very much so," Kiri agreed soberly. "But if it means bringing back my brother, I'm up for it."

"And...and the others?" Ashdi asked, looking around at the group. "What'd you promise them for this foolhardy adventure?"

"He promised us nothing," Khayal said firmly. "We may not be as close to Kar'na as Kiri, but we're fellow Assassins. And Assassins don't abandon one another, no matter what the Grandmaster says. Our loyalty is first to our creed, and one of the tenets says 'Never abandon a brother.' And so we will not."

Ashdi winced, ever so slightly.

"I see," he said, tail swaying slightly side-to-side. "So, you're doing this for no personal gain...fully expecting to be kicked out upon return?"

The group nodded as a whole, and Ashdi shifted slightly.

"And this is the truth?"

"It's the truth," Khayal affirmed. "If you want to walk away now, Ashdi, we won't blame you. If you plan to report us to the guards...that's fine too. It'll only make our mission more difficult, but it will get you in the clear. You owe nothing to us after all."

Ashdi stared at the group for a minute, before sighing heavily, his tail swishing slightly behind him.

"I know what it's like to have siblings...and to have them in trouble. I'll stick with you."

"Really?" Kyl'e asked in surprise. "We tell you that we're fugitives on the run from the most powerful organization in Arlea, and you wish to travel with us nonetheless?"

Ashdi nodded. "Kar'na's my hero, Kyl'e. He saved the life of a friend of mine a long time ago. The very least I can do to repay that debt, is to come along. Offer what support I can. Though, if I'm slowing you down...you may leave me here too. I'll say nothing, I swear."

Khayal looked heavily at Ashdi, before smiling. "You've been good for morale, Ashdi. If you're game to keep travelling with us, I doubt anyone here would protest."

His eyes darted to Kyl'e as he said this, who gave a small shrug. Despite his original appraisal, Ashdi hadn't slowed them down in the slightest. In fact, the caracal'd even pointed out a few routes that cut valuable time out of their trip. If anything, Ashdi was actually a bonus to the whole trip.

"Then I will accompany," Ashdi beamed. "I thank you for the truth. And I will do whatever I can to see that this succeeds. You can count on me."

The smiles blossomed around the group, and Khayal twitched his head, indicating they should go. Not realising just how bitter that bald-faced lie had tasted on Ashdi's tongue.

The group travelled later than usual that night, with the moon having passed its zenith before a rest was called.

"Now that the truth is out there, we don't need to keep up a gentle pace for appearances," Khayal had explained. "We can afford to push a little more. And we need to too."

When they'd finally made camp, Ashdi had sat by himself in at the edge of camp, absently whittling, his thoughts ten thousand miles away. The group wasn't out here with some grand ideas of heroism clouding their thoughts. They were fully expecting to be cut from the guild and thrown away. But to them, it made no difference. They wanted to help Kar'na, even if it was against the Guild Master's orders.

The Guild Master's orders...

Ashdi set the carving down slowly, his hands going idle. His mission was to catch the fugitives and return them to the guild. But first, before the orders of the Guild Master, came the tenant of brotherhood. Kar'na was responsible for saving Tai, a feat Ashdi had tried to do himself, back when Tai was an urchin like Ashdi.

And now, Kar'na was in trouble. Wasn't it Ashdi's duty, more so than his orders, to save Kar'na if he could? No...

Ashdi shook his head.

Kar'na was dead. The Alchemist was a myth, and nobody could help save the White Wolf of Winterwrath. No matter their skill with fen or fern, the wolf was going to die. There was one...one...specific antidote that could save Kar'na. How could this Alchemist, if he even existed, know exactly which plant would be needed?

But...if there was a chance...shouldn't he help?

The caracal absently chewed his lip, mulling his thoughts over in his mind. This was a moral quandry he'd thought he'd squared himself away from. He hadn't expected to once again fall into doubt about his own mission.

A lone howl drifted in the distance, and Kyl'e and Kiri's ears stood straight, catching the haunting notes.

"Anything important?" Khayal asked from the fire pit.

"Not for us, no," Kyl'e shook his head. "It's a howl of meeting. Probably for a local wolf pack. Unless they're mounting a war party to attack us, we'll be fine. Though, it's strange..."

"What is?" Kytra asked, sitting up on his bedroll.

"Well, if my memory serve me correctly, there should be no wolf packs in this area. Also, there is no scent of wolves on anything. If this were pack territory, they'd be marking stronger than this."

"Maybe they're new?" Ashdi suggested with a shrug.

"Doubt it," Khayal said, shaking his head. "Odds are more likely on it being bandits, staging a rendezvous. We'll post a double-guard tonight."

"Well, if it's alright with the rest of you, I'll take first watch," Ashdi shrugged.

"Me too," Kyl'e agreed.

"Right," Khayal nodded. "You two've got first watch. Kytra, you good with me for second?"

"Sure," the young otter affirmed amicably. "I've got no problems."

"Tai and I will take the last watch," Dakir said firmly.

"What about me?" Kiri asked, looking around. "Did you all just forget about me? I'm capable of standing watch too."

"I know you are, kid," Kyl'e grins. "You got the luck. You get to rest the whole night."

"Why didn't you just designate me to a first watch, instead of taking one yourself?"

"I got itchy," Kyl'e shrugged with a smile. "I jumped the gun and chose a preferable watch. Don't worry about it, Kiri, get some rest."

Kiri stared at Kyl'e for another second before nodding his acceptance. "But I get a watch tomorrow. It's no fair if you guys shoulder all the weight."

"No worries," Ashdi yawned. "You can have mine."

Kiri chuckled slightly, laying down beside Kytra to get some rest.

"Goodnight."

"Night."

And with those simple words, the camp settled down, Kyl'e going up a tree to keep watch there, while Ashdi began to walk around the camp's perimeter. He didn't trust Kyl'e's reasoning for volunteering for first watch. The wolf was undoubtedly planning something.

But the assassin stayed in his tree, giving no indications to a plan. Which made Ashdi even _more_suspicious. Eventually though, business needed to be taken care of.

"Kyl'e," Ashdi whispered. When the wolf looked down, Ashdi pointed to the trees. "I need to relieve myself. Can you keep the watch?"

"No problem," Kyl'e agreed quietly.

With the wolf taken care of, Ashdi sliped away from camp, heading deeper in the woods. She'd heard the call of meeting earlier and recognized the howl. Kyl'e was right; there were no wolf packs in this area. That was Shep, calling for her to meet him.

Ashdi sat down by the edge of the creek, knowing that Shep would contact her when ready. Sure enough, it wasn't long before his wolfish eyes appeared on the other side of the creek, accompanied shortly by the rest of him. He studied the caracal for a minute.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," he said at last.

"Your signal was dangerously subtle," Shadi warned, dipping her flask in the cool water of the creek and taking a quick drink. "I wouldn't have paid the howl any attention, were it not for Kyl'e."

"Something to pay consideration for at his trial," Shep noted drily.

"Must there be a trial though?" Shadi asked, her reflective eyes surveying Shep. "They're trying to do the right thing, as mistaken as they may be."

"Meaning and method mean very different things," Shep countered. "They're trying to do the right thing, but at what cost? They defied the Guild Master. They broke orders. And in doing so, they put themselves at risk, and broke the chain of command. Without the chain of command, why do we even _have_a Guild Master? No, they must be made an example of."

Shadi bit her lip, looking back slightly towards the camp.

"I know that this is hard to do," Shep said, his eyes softening slightly. "It feels wrong to be turning on your fellow assassin. Remember, they're the ones who turned first. Though you're going to hurt them, it'll be for the good. Like disciplining a child."

"They are not children," Shadi answered firmly. "They're assassins. They know what they're doing."

"Listen," Shep sighed. "If this is going to be too much for you, we can pull you off the case. Ambush you on the road as bandits or something. A team is assembling at Treeline. We don't need you to keep tabs on them."

Shadi thought about it for a second, before shaking her head.

"This is my mission. I must see it through to completion."

"That's it," Shep beamed. "That's the resolution I was hoping to see. Now, I must get back. Good luck, assassin."

With that, the older grey wolf disappeared into the trees, leaving Shadi alone at the creek. She sat there, observing the water for a minute, before standing up and turning to head back.

"Who was that?" Kyl'e asked idly when she'd turned around, making the caracal nearly leap out of her skin.

"Kadjul!" she exclaimed, remembering at the last second to mask her voice. "You scared the fur off of me."

"You look alright to me," Kyl'e retorted. "The wolf. Who was he?"

"He was a local," Ashdi said, making a lie up on the fly. "You're right. It's a new wolf pack, and this was one of their scouts, come to see who we were."

"Really?" Kyl'e asked, his eyes expressing his doubt. "Packs only speak in Wolvish. You know Wolvish?"

"Tu romin cos'e," Ashdi said warily.

"Tu romin'a cos'e," Kyl'e corrected. "Not bad. Alright."

He bent down at the water, lapping some with his tongue, while his canteen dipped in as well, swiftly filling with water.

"Wait," Ashdi said, mind going panicked for a second. "You left the others with no one on watch? They could be in trouble!"

"Relax," Kyl'e assured her, pulling his face from the water. "I woke Kytra and Khayal up for their watch before coming out here. It's time anyways. I wanted to talk to you."

Ashdi nodded, his stomach dropping. He was right, Kyl'e had asked to pull the same watch to talk to him.

"What about?" he asked as casually as he could.

"Your continued travel with us," Kyl'e answered, looking hard at Ashdi. "We're taking a big chance with you. Know that I'm not objecting, as I believe you're genuine. We're trusting you with our very freedoms to keep your mouth shut. Our lives, if you will."

He held up his hand, which was missing its ring-finger.

"I've devoted my life to the guild. To be cast off from it would be crueler than cold death itself. But I believe you and so do the others. I just wanted you to know how much we trust you."

"Thank you," Ashdi mumbled, the guilt hitting him like a tidal wave. "It means a lot."

"It means a lot to Kiri that you're sticking with us," Kyl'e grinned. "He's glad to have you along. Helps keep his mind off his brother."

He looked up, scanning around the creek.

"You can head back. I'm going to stay here and run a quick scout around. Go get some rest."

"Right," Ashdi agreed, picking up his canteen, before turning to head back. "Rest."

Ashdi could almost taste the guilt as he headed back. Without even meaning to, Kyl'e had stabbed a knife deep into his gut, and twisted the blade. The guilt tasted as bad as his first kill, so many years ago, in self-defence in a back alley.

And he supposed that's what he was doing. He was killing these assassins, just as sure as he would have if he'd used a knife.

Only this time, it wasn't in self-defence. This was a murder.

Morning dawned fairly fast, it seemed, despite Ashdi's restlessness of the night. Of course, the sun hadn't actually dawned by the time they were back on the road, but it felt close enough. Their objective today was to get to Treeline. An arduous task, but possible if they put their mind to it. They'd been on the road for only a few hours before the incident struck.

The road they'd been travelling on had been well-maintained to say the least. But as they'd gotten closer to Treeline, the more and more abandoned it had become, a ripe place for bandits, preying on the few travellers who would dare to traverse this road.

"I don't like it," Tai confided into the still air. "This place seems like a trap."

"It does," Khayal agreed quietly, his keen eyes searching the treetops for an ambush.

"Do you think we're in dan-gah!"

Ashdi never finished his question, as a piece of greenery he'd mistake for a loose vine tightened around his foot, flinging him into the air. A chorus of whoops and shouts echoed the capture, and the bushes rustled with the sounds of incoming hostiles.

"Ambush!" Khayal shouted, drawing his weapon. "Everyone, defensive positions!"

Weapons snapped to the ready, as twenty or more raggedly-dressed individuals emerged from the woods. Bandits to be sure. Too many for the assassins to fight off by themselves.

"Run!" Ashdi shouted to them. "Get out of here!"

"We can't leave you!" Kiri shouted back, his ears laid flat in nervousness.

"Yes you can! Get out of here!"

"He's right!" Kyl'e snapped. "We're outnumbered! Fall back!"

The assassins made a hurried retreat, leaving Ashdi hanging upside-down from a tree, with about half the group of bandits below, leering up at him.

"Look what we've got here," one sneered. "A caracal, all alone. Deserted by his friends. Poor kitty."

They all laughed, and Ashdi struggled.

"Cut me down, and I'll show you what one cat can do to a group of vermin!" he hissed.

"You're a bold one," the leader noted. "Who are you cat?"

Some of the fire died in Ashdi's eyes, and he slumped slightly. "I'm a nobody. Just a common trader, travelling with friends up north. Please, just let me go."

"Can't do that," the one wolf shrugged. "You might be worth something. We'll at least be having a rummage through that pack of yours."

With a suddenness that surprised Ashdi, the vine was severed, and he plummeted to the ground. A swift club to the head sent him to unconsciousness before he even got up.

It was at least a few hours before the caracal clawed his way into wakefulness. He was hanging from the ceiling by his arms, his feet bound together below him. A few bandits milled about the room, the damp feel of the cave permeating his fur.

With a start, Ashdi looked down. Clad in nothing more than a firm chest binding and a pair of shorts, he was revealed to the world as a she. Luckily for her, the assassins weren't here. And nor would they be coming.

"Well, well," the leader said, shifting on his crate and approaching the caracal. "The kitty finally awakes. You're one interesting kitty, you know that?"

"Let me down and I'll show you how interesting I can be," Shadi spat.

"Hardly," the bandit leader scoffed. "We're not letting you down any time soon. See, when we removed your gear, we found something of interest on you..."

He moved behind her, and Shadi shifted, attempting to face the individual, but he disappeared from sight.

"This right here," he said, a claw jabbing the small of her back. "The assassin symbol. You're one of them, cat."

"And what's that to you?" Shadi demanded.

"Ransom," the bandit said, Shadi practically being able to hear the leer in his voice. "The guild will pay a pretty penny to get one of its members back, won't it?"

Shadi remained silent, and the bandit leader laughed.

"When we first found out you were female, we were simply expecting to have a bit of fun. That's out of the question now, since we need you intact. Consider yourself lucky, assassin. Some of my boys have lost family to the likes of you. They wanted to kill you. I, however, value money."

"You're vermin," Shadi hissed.

"Maybe. But we're the ones in power here. Come on boys, let's eat! We'll feast properly tonight, and send word of ransom in the morning."

With a resounding cheer, the group exited the room, heading out the door.

"One last thing!" the leader called back. "Don't even think of trying to escape. The guards out here lost family to the assassins. I'd hate to see what they'd do to you."

With that, the door slammed shut, leaving Shadi alone in the dark.

"Ashdi."

Shadi shifted, eyes opening wide. Her nightvision enabled her to see the young wolf emerging from one of the crates on the left side of the room. Those crates had been brought in by the bandits earlier, since it was apparently going to rain later. The smell of the food in those crates had been driving her insane.

"Ashdi, is that you?"

"Kiri?" Shadi asked in surprise. "What're you...how did..."

"Shh," Kiri whispered, putting a finger to his lips. "We tracked the bandits here and Khayal devised a plan for getting you loose. We snuck in through these crates."

"We?" Shadi asked in confusion. From another crate, a loud grunt was heard as a grey-furred hand forced its way between the slats, snapping one of the flimsy boards. Soon, the rest of Kyl'e followed the arm out, and he spat viciously.

"I hate fruit," he snarled, hopping out of the crate. "Don't worry Ashdi, we're here to get you out."

She watched Kiri get close and frown up at her. "Ashdi, you look...different..."

The caracal was going to deny it, before Kyl'e lit a torch. There, the jig was up.

"Ashdi?" Kyl'e asked in surprise, stepping forwards slightly. "You're...you're a-"

"Girl, yes," Shadi sighed, slumping slightly. The jig was up. "I...I am."

"Why didn't you just tell us from the start?" Kyl'e demanded, a harsh tone of accusation in his voice.

Shadi's head snapped up at the tone in his gaze, and she glared at him.

"Do you know how hard it is for people to take you seriously when you're a female?" Shadi demanded. "Or how hard it can be to survive? I took this guise on to survive."

Kyl'e seemed taken aback by the snap in her tone, but he nodded.

"Fair enough. We'll be having more words about this when we're out of here."

He drew his knife and severed her bonds in one quick movement. Shadi fell to the floor, where she began to untie the bonds holding her feet together. When her feet were free, she hopped to her feet.

"I don't suppose you happen to have my clothes, do you?" Shadi asked, feeling slightly exposed.

"No," Kyl'e said, shaking his head. "Sorry. We'll give you a spare outfit when we get back to camp. Right now, the guards are passed out drunk, and it's our best opportunity."

"How do you know they're passed out?"

"Well...I don't," Kyl'e admitted. "But this was Khayal's plan, and I trust him. If they're not, we'll fight our way out. They'll be extremely tipsy, at the very least."

Shadi bit her lip as she considered Kyl'e's words, but she nodded shortly. These _were_bandits, who thought they'd just won a major haul. The first thing any self-respecting bandit chief would do would be get roaringly drunk. He'd practically admitted as much on his way out the door earlier.

"Right. Do you have any weapons?"

"Just stick close," Kyl'e said, shaking his head. "Leave the fighting to the assassins."

Shadi nodded, and the wolf bent down to the lock, picks already in hand. His nimble fingers began prodding the mechanism.

Kiri shuffled beside Shadi, and the caracal turned to look at him.

"I...I never guessed," he admitted. "But...I don't think you should hide it. You're very pretty."

Shadi felt her ears warm at the unexpected complement, and she smiled at the young wolf.

"Thanks Kiri. I'll...I'll consider that."

With a snick, the lock popped open, and Kyl'e slowly opened it, peering out into the hall beyond. A small smile touched the corners of his lips.

"Coast is clear. Let's go."

Though there would be at least some bandits who would not be knocked-out drunk, the majority were out cold. This would be easy enough.

"Glad to have you back, Ashdi."

"Glad to be back," Ashdi agreed, keeping her head low at Khayal's questioning stare. "And before you ask anything, I can explain."

"Don't bother," Khayal said, shaking his head. "The evidence presents itself. I've been told how difficult it is for females to make their way in the world. It's a survival strategy, right?"

Ashdi nodded.

"Then that's that. You don't need to explain yourself."

Tai came forwards with a set of clothes about Ashdi's size, and the caracal gratefully put them on. Dressed again, she turned to the others.

"Why would you come back?" she asked. "You've...you've lost valuable time!"

"We did, yes," Kiri agreed. "But we couldn't leave you behind. You'd have been killed!"

"And you're our friend, Ashdi," Kytra agreed. "We wouldn't simply leave you behind. That's not what friends do."

"Right," Ashdi said, gut twisting again. "Friends. We are friends."

Khayal nodded, patting Ashdi on the shoulder. "Good news for us, the bandit lair is on our way. We're about half a day's walk from Treeline. We'll make it by noon tomorrow."

"So soon?" Tai asked in surprise. "That's great news! We'll ask around for the Alchemist, and see if we can find a cure. Kar'na's counting on us."

"But for now, we need to rest. Ashdi, you get to relax tonight, after your abduction. We'll all do double watches."

Ashdi nodded, agreeing with the caracal's assumption that she was tired. But when she'd lain down and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep, it eluded her.

Sleep eventually found the young caracal, and morning arose without incident. They packed up early and hit the road again, heading at a brisk pace towards the north city. Eventually, they crested a hilltop, revealing the town below them.

"There it is!" Khayal said excitedly. "Treeline!"

"We'll be there in no time!" Kyl'e said, his tail moving in a half-wag. "If this Alchemist is real, he shouldn't be too hard to track down."

"No, he shouldn't," Khayal agreed. "They'll undoubtedly have heard of where he lives. But we might have to grease a few pockets."

"Eh," Tai grunted. "We've got the coin."

"No," Ashdi said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at the caracal, whose resolve wavered for a second at their collective stares.

"What?" Khayal asked.

"I said no," Ashdi repeated, looking down. "Don't go to Treeline. It's not safe."

"Not safe?" Tai repeated. "What do you mean?"

"It's a trap!" Shadi snapped, a few tears flashing into her eyes unbidden. "It's a trap. There's a group of assassins waiting in the town to take you into custody."

"And just how do you know this?" Kyl'e asked, his tone icy and cruel like a razor's edge.

"Because I'm a spy, that's why," Ashdi confessed finally. "The Assassin Council sent me to recover you. I'm not who you think I am."

"Shadi," Khayal hissed. "Of course, I should've realized. I nearly _did_realize. When you were revealed as a female, it should've clicked. Female caracal with a talent for disguising herself, capable of flawlessly mimicking the other gender."

Kyl'e growled, pushing Shadi back into a tree, drawing his knife and putting it to the caracal's throat.

"That night at the river...you were talking to an assassin weren't you?"

"Master Shep," Shadi agreed, fear entwining with the guilt in her chest. "He was following us too, and I...I sold out your destination."

Kyl'e's growl was from deep in his throat, and Shadi briefly wondered if Kyl'e would break the tenants and kill her on the spot.

"You're nothing but a slimy traitor," he growled. "We trusted you Ash...Shadi. We thought you were our friend."

"Please," Shadi said, attempting to move in Kyl'e's grip. "I was just following orders! The orders of my guildmaster!"

Kiri pushed Kyl'e aside, and the wolf staggered, releasing Shadi who, without any support, fell down on her rear. Kiri knelt down to her level and Shadi couldn't meet his gaze, worried about the damnation she'd see within.

Kyl'e's scorn, she could tolerate. Khayal's disappointment was harder, but still not impossible. Kiri's soul-rending gaze would tear her apart, she knew.

He surprised her, however, by gently taking one of her hands in his own.

"Why tell us now?" he asked, his voice betraying his hurt. A few fresh tears joined the conglomerate in her eyes.

"Because I care," she whispered, still refusing to meet Kiri's gaze. "I saw the heart of this team. I read between the lines for your mission. You really want nothing more than to help Kar'na. You're following the tenants."

She shakes her head.

"And all while I followed wrong orders. Khej should be here himself! This is his own son."

Kiri said nothing, but he kept his grip on her hand. She found the touch strangely comforting.

"You played us like fools," Kyl'e said bitterly. "For fools we were, to think you were one of us. One of our friends."

He spat in her direction.

"I'll not allow you to twist my emotions anymore. Whatever game you're playing now, you can drop the façade."

Shadi shuddered slightly, looking at Kyl'e, then Khayal, before finally levelling to Kiri. The young wolf's eyes betrayed a deep hurt, but another emotion lurking within. Sympathy?

Impossible. He wouldn't be sympathetic to what she'd brought on herself.

"Do with me as you will," she said finally, turning to Khayal. "If you plan to...kill me and leave my body here in the woods...do so. That's more than I deserve. But just...make it quick."

"That would prove us hypocrites," Khayal scowled. "We came out here to save an assassin's life. Not just take another's. Your death does us nothing. Do you think so little of us Shadi?"

Shadi shook her head.

"But anger is unpredictable. If you wished...I was...I don't know."

"We should tie her up, at least," Tai suggested. "Throw a few chains over her and leave her at the side of the road."

"More than she deserves," Kytra said venomously.

"No," Kiri said, finally releasing Shadi's hand as he stood up. "She comes with us."

The silence was so complete, that a ladybug couldn't've snuck up on the group without them hearing it.

"What?" Dakir finally asked. "You're wishing her to come with? Kiri, that's a terrible idea!"

"Hear me out," Kiri growled. The group seemed taken aback, as this was the first time any one of them had ever heard that sound from the mild-mannered wolf. "Shadi may have been a spy, but now she's an actual traitor. She told us what the guild's plans are, allowing us to avoid the problem. She betrayed the guild, and disobeyed orders to help us. Haven't we all done the same? Is she not one of us?"

"None of us tried to sell Kar'na's life to the guild," Kyl'e pointed out.

"Kyl'e," Kiri said, turning to the wolf. "I've heard you discuss Kar'na. He was a monster at one point. To you especially, as he nearly killed you. And yet, here we are; on a mission to save his life."

"That's different," the wolf scowled.

"How?" Kiri demanded. "How is it different, other than the fact that I'm related to Kar'na. Shadi did something to hurt us, now is our turn to forgive. Let her redeem herself."

Shadi looked up at Kiri, still not quite believing what she was hearing. Kiri was advocating..._forgiving_her? That made no sense.

"Is she worth it?"

"Was Kar'na?"

Kyl'e stared hard at Kiri, who refused to back down. Eventually, Kyl'e gave one flick of the tail.

"Do not expect me to be civil," he snapped. Tai looked at him in confusion, and then back to Kiri. Kyl'e never backed down.

"Kiri," Dakir attempted, one last time. "Look at this through a lens. Shadi is a master manipulator, one of the best the guild has. Look how she's played you so far. This could be another game of hers, playing on your weak side, leading us straight into an ambush. You're not only putting yourself at risk by trusting her, but all of us."

Kiri pursed his lips and nodded.

"That's...that's why I'm not going to ask all of you. I trust Shadi. But you're right in that she could still be a spy. So I'm going to go with Shadi. You can all surrender to the guild, and explain that this was my idea. It will lesson Khej's anger."

"But what of Shadi?" Tai finally asked. "I...agree with you, Kiri, in that Shadi seems genuine. But if she is, consider this: she's in just as much, if not more trouble than we are. She told the guild's plans. She allowed us to get away. Are you going to force her to come too?"

Kiri shook his head. "Something tells me she wants to come anyways."

"Yes," Shadi said quietly, getting to her feet. "If...if you're genuine...I would like to come. I've made your job so much more difficult. Allow me to make it right...if I can."

"I'll come too," Kytra cements. "You're not dropping me off here. Not that easily."

"Me too," Tai agrees. "You're the real deal Kiri. Someone needs to watch your back. And besides..."

He smiles hesitantly at Shadi.

"Shadi saved my life, once upon a time. I say that makes us pretty much even."

Shadi's ears perked up, and she smiled broadly.

"If you're going, I'm coming too," Kyl'e stated firmly. "You'll need me along."

Khayal and Dakir both remained aloof, the two caracals surveying the group. Finally, Dakir shook his head.

"I can't come," he said. "Someone's got to buy you some time. I'll make for Treeline, see if I can throw the assassins off. The rest of you, get to the Alchemist. You're Kar'na's last hope."

"Hold up," Khayal said, shaking his head. "You think you'll trick the entire ambush that we've fallen for the trap with just you? No, you need another hand. I'm coming too."

Dakir smiled at Khayal.

"The more the merrier."

"You're really going to do this?" Kytra asked.

"You bet yourself we are," Dakir grinned. "This'll be fun. Watch over yourselves and get back to the guild alive. We'll see you at the trial."

"And may Warrior's Luck bless your path," Khayal added, turning towards the town.

"And to you," Kyl'e assented. "Let's go. We need to find a myth."