The rain broke in the early hours of the morning.

I had kept watch through the latter part of the night, the tips of my fingers felt cold and brittle as they stayed securely around the hilt of my blade. Stephan and I didn't say a word to each other during the entire trek. It was an improvement, to say the least. The lack of witty remarks and hostile snark made the chasm between us grow wider.

Maybe it should stay that way.

It probably was for the best.

Finding the bandits didn't take long. They were like giant, loud boars trudging through the forest without bothering to hide their tracks. They probably thought that they were deep enough into the woods.

Lucky for them, they could hoot and holler to the delight of their greedy little hearts. Unlucky for them, we heard them.

Stephan was behind me, my back pressed against his. He felt warm and alive, steady as a sturdy oak tree.

He met my eyes. I nodded back.

We can try to kill each other later but for now...I'd rather have these bandits strung up from the gallows or behind iron-clad bars.

I could feel the prickle of magic as we crept through the forests. We had left the horses behind. Right now, silence is our best weapon.

I could smell the bandits before I could hear them. The familiar stench of sweat, blood, and soot adulated my nose.

Stephan stopped just before the tree line, back pressed against the bark of a large tree. He pulled his sword of out his sheath slowly, pressing it to his side. And then he turned his gaze to me. I raised an eyebrow. He shifted his eyes over towards the clearing before meeting my eyes again.

There were several of them, sorting through the remains of a caravan. They had stolen it, letting it rot here while they moved its goods elsewhere.

I bent down, slipping into the tall grass.

"What are you doing?" Stephan hissed, trying to grab my cowl.

I ignored him and crept through the field, the blade of my dagger in my mouth.

My father liked to take me hunting. He said the best way to hunt was to observe a predator as it crept towards its prey. Then once you've learned how they hunt, you start hunting it. One day, he took me into the forest behind our manor. We crouched in the trees as a herd of deer came by. They grazed silently unaware that a pack of wolves had picked up on their scent.

My father had one arm around me and the other pointing to a large grey Wolf that circled the deer at the edge of the herd, its bright yellow eyes focused.

'Look there, Miranda,' he said, lowering my bow. 'Watch as they circle their prey. Wolves hunt in packs, they believe that numbers are their strength. When they hunt, they hunt as one.'

'But why is that one hunting alone?'

'Because it's strong,' he told me. 'It doesn't need the others. It can hunt on its own. Watch, as it takes its prey.'

And I did watch it. I always watched, even as a child death fascinated me. The wolf snapped its jaws once and charged at the unsuspecting deer, they went down as they collided, the deer landing hard as the wolf tore into its throat. The rest of the herd scattered and so did the other wolves, but this one stayed, enjoying its prize.

'You must be like that wolf, my girl. It is the only way to survive.'

I remembered staying back and watching the wolf from a distance, even when my father left the sun crept closer to the horizon. He didn't bother to watch anything else. He didn't know that the wolf ate the deer whole or that the wolf was never really alone. As soon as my father left, a wolf as black as midnight kept out of the forest and sat down next to the white wolf.

I felt Stephan pressed his body next to mine. His armour was gone, only leaving him in light chainmail.

"I thought you were going to stay in the shadows," he said.

"We have the element of surprise."

"They have a magic barrier," he said, pointing to a faint ripple in the air a few feet away from us. "The moment we cross it, we'll be torn apart like parchment."

I had counted ten of them when we scanned the perimeter. It was small compared to the parties of bandits I've met in the past. So much destruction from such a tiny group, it didn't make any sense. They must've been a much smaller branch, the main group hiding somewhere in the mountains where they could send out their cells with little hassle.

We were looking at a smaller piece of the puzzle.

If I wanted to know where the bandit stronghold was, I needed one of these bastards alive.

"If we retreat then they'll move their camp. Then what, my lord?" I nodded towards them. "I've spent the last few years destroying every bandit camp I've come across so that your people can travel the territory in peace. I won't let these bastards go."

"They'll kill you." he grabbed my shoulder.

"I'll kill them before they can get the chance," I said. "Will you help or not?"

Stephen glanced at the magical barrier, his brow furrowing. "Remember this, imposter," he said after a moment. "I'm the only one that gets to kill you. So whatever you do, don't die like some pathetic mongrel out there."

I nod. "I could say the same to you."

I started crawling again, this time with Stephan next to me. We were at the very foot of the barrier, small waves of magic rolled off of it. It felt like bees stinging my face and arms but I ignored it as my pendent grew warm against my chest.

"Now?' I asked, tensing my muscles.

"Now!"

Stephan left up from his spot, swinging his sword forward and breaking the magical barrier with sheer magical force. For a quick second, I was in awe before I rolled forward, charging behind him.

I hacked my sword into the first person I saw before they could even lift theirs and I felt nothing. I did need them alive but not all of them.

Stephan was ahead of me, fire dancing in his hand as he warded off a bandit. Flames danced in the air and his sword cut into their flesh, painting the grass red with their blood. I couldn't help but admire his efficiency.

I hissed as one of his fireballs soared past me, my knees giving out. The pain burned me to the very core. For a second, I didn't know where I was and what I was going. I didn't notice the bandit coming at me with a battle axe. Stephan slashed his sword down, missing my head by inches as it lodged in the bandit's gut. With a heave, he pulled it out letting the blood spray onto the grass at my feet.

"Get up!" He growled, grabbing me by my cowl and pulling me up. "Get up and fight, Miranda!"

He shoved my sword into my hands and pushed me into the fight.

I fell into the fray with abandon. The blood lust was a familiar thing. Tempting and challenging at the same time. It was easy to swing my sword in graceful arcs as if I were dancing in a ballroom rather than a clearing full of bandits.

Time slipped through our fingers like water. The bandits were difficult to fight against but once we cut down the strongest of them, it was easy to pick the rest off one by one. By the time we finished, only three of the bandits remained from the original ten.

Stephan was breathing hard, bracing on his sword that pierced the ground. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead despite the cold.

It was unusual to see him so winded.

I knew it wasn't physical exhaustion. Stephan was reliving his moments on the battlefield, I could see the palpable fear in his dark blue eyes. He wasn't seeing me, he saw something else entirely.

It was strange to see him like this.

I've had my fair share of nightmares. My first year in Florentia had me screaming every other night as I relived my downfall.

I stood at the edge of the riverbank, watching carefully. The remaining bandits were tied up and unconscious. I didn't have to worry about them sneaking off.

The goods on the other hand. That was good to be a hassle to transport.

Stephan got up, pulling his sword out of the ground before he whipped his head around to look at me. I was underneath the shade of a birch tree, waiting for him to finally notice.

His features contorted into a scowl. "How long have you been there?!"

"An hour," I responded, glancing up at the sky. The sun was creeping too close to the horizon for my comfort. "Maybe more."

"You should've said something."

I glanced at the bandits who were still tied up. "I had it handled."

He stalked up to me, his face contorted in rage. "How much did you see?" I said nothing, even as he towered over me. "Answer me!"

I felt the rough bark of the tree dig through my damp clothing. Stephan had one arm braced above my head and another hand on the hilt of his sword. His dark blue eyes were as dark as the river, bearing down on me as he heaved heavy breaths. I could smell the scent of death on him. He smelled like me too.

I tilted my head up. "Do you dream of it too?"

"You never answered my question from the night before," he responded instead. "Who trained you?"

I opened my mouth to answer when I heard the sound of thundering hooves. I shoved him away,  my blade at the ready as I waited for the next wave of bandits.

Instead, I saw soldiers in all black armour, galloping towards their master with the flags of the region mounted above them. I should be pleased by the reinforcements but I couldn't help but wonder if they would kill me, mistaking me for a bandit.

"Captain," one of them said. "Forgive us for being late. We were dealing with the other bandits."

Stephan sheathed his sword. "It's alright, soldier. Get these useless sacks of shit out of here and make sure they're locked up securely." He glanced at the bandits I had tied up and then at me. "And make sure that this one gets a horse."

"I want to question them," I said.

"You will," he told me. "After we get back."

"Together?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Of course," he said. "I don't like it either but this concerns the territory. This concerns both of us now."

"How generous of you, my lord."

I bow from the waist and leave him with his men, exploring the camp. I find nothing unusual, just the goods that were stolen and some crates full of cheaply made weapons. I pick up one of the swords, testing it before throwing it back in with the others. I needed to make sure this got back to the manor in one piece, I had a feeling that this metal might be the same one from the mountains.

Only a blacksmith could tell. I knew of metals and swords but when it came to forging them, I was lost.

I found another crate just outside a crudely pitched tent. The lid was half open and the contents spilled across the ground. I picked up a black dagger from the ground, inspecting its hilt for something to identify its owner.

I've never seen something like this before. It was sleek and well made, the blade so thin it copied probably flat skin from bone with precision. Its hilt had no jewels, nothing to make it hard to hold.

Overall, very functional. Nothing like the horribly made swords from earlier. It was a good blade to kill someone with. I just...didn't know who it belonged to. A dagger could be used for anything, from self-defence to ornamental decoration. In all my years, I haven't seen anything like this.

"Did you find something?"

Stephan's voice brought me out of my thoughts. Unlike before, he looked better. That haunted look in his eyes was gone. He regarded me with a glacial coolness until he saw the dagger in my hands. He recognizes it. That fact makes me both excited and wary.

I hold it out for him to see. "Do you know who it might belong to?"

"It's an obsidian blade," he said, curling his lip up at the sight. "They're not very common."

"Merchants don't trade things like these," I said. "They like iron and steel, I haven't heard of them selling obsidian."

"You shouldn't keep the blade," he said. "It's bad luck."

"That's fine." I tucked it away, making a note to find Saris later. "I'll just add it to my collection."

"Why doesn't that surprise me."

"I like shiny things."

"My father spoils you."

"You know he doesn't." I sighed, walking next to him. "It would be a waste if he did."

"You're a strange being, imposter," he said, mounting the horse that a soldier brought him. "I think I have you figured out one moment and you make it more complicated for me within the next."

I smiled slightly, just enough to give him an air of amusement. "For someone who is my enemy, you seem too preoccupied with me."

"Because I want to know the person who'll die by my blade. It's just manners, that's all." He said. "I've ordered my men to give you a horse. For the time being, they'll help clear the camp and prisoners. I'll see you later."

He darted off like an arrow into the woods leaving me alone. His men went on as if nothing had happened. I doubted they would follow my orders. It was easier to let them do as their master bid them to do. Either way, it didn't matter, the job would be down by nightfall.

I glanced in the direction that Stephan had sped towards, noticing how his armour and men blended into the shadows.

Maybe if we weren't enemies, we could've been friends.

What a pity.

-.-.-

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