Chapter 6 – Hunter in the Dark
With my sharpened senses and muscles ready to burst into action, I stayed completely still. Angel slowed my heartbeat and reduced energy consumption from my vital functions. The silence around me was absolute—almost unnatural. Every sound in the forest—the distant snap of a branch, the whisper of the wind—was amplified in my ears.
The five scouting riders moved carefully, spreading out in a wide search pattern. Since I had run in a straight line during my escape, I now found myself right in the center of their sweep—the most dangerous place in the hunting ground. They didn't know if anyone had survived, but they searched with the precision of experienced trackers.
Seconds stretched like minutes. The rider in the center—he looked like the leader—rode slowly until he stopped just beneath my hiding spot. He lifted his torch, and the light danced across the trunks and roots, casting warped shadows all around him. His eyes scanned every nook, every scar in the bark.
I knew this was my only shot. When he looked up, I jumped. Time seemed to slow. I came down with a brutal, clean strike that sliced through the air—then through his neck. His head rolled into the undergrowth, and his body dropped with a dull thud. Not a single sound from him. But the horse wasn't so quiet—it reared up and bolted, panicked by the sudden loss of its rider.
The noise was enough to alert the others.
No time to waste. I rushed to the nearest tree, taking cover behind the rough trunk while Angel calculated enemy positions.
"Three are moving toward you," she said with robotic calm. "One remains by the body."
My breathing was shallow. I slipped between the trees like a shadow, heading in the opposite direction of most of them. I avoided one of the patrolling riders, waiting for the perfect moment. Silence wrapped around me like a cloak. I could hear him. Feel the vibrations in the ground with every step of his horse.
I waited... and when his silhouette passed beside me, I sprang. A direct stab to the heart. The blade pierced flesh and bone with a solid, dry sound. The rider collapsed from his horse. I landed beside him, holding my breath. The horse just blinked—confused, unmoving—like it knew silence was the only way to survive.