The arrow wound had taken its toll, the bandit the caravan guards were trailing could barely walk at this point. His skin was pale, eyes drifting in and out, struggling to stay upright and continue moving forward. Luckily for Malakos and his team, the man had taken aimed for a straight shot back to their base, as he was yet unaware of the pursuers and made no attempt at masking his route. The blood loss, exhaustion, and fear also explained the narrow focus and drive for survival shown by the runner.

Irrespective of what he wanted or hoped, the man never made it to his friends, as soon as the team tracking the man noticed the light of a campfire off in the distance, they moved to silence the now useless guide. With silent steps and skillful hands, Malakos came upon his target, both hands moved in unison, one taking firm hold of the targets chin, the plunging the dagger into his throat. The target had little chance to resist, it had taken mere seconds, and within a short timeframe he was dead, left sprawled on the forest floor, choking on his own blood before finally breathing his last.

The bandit’s base was situated in an old, abandoned quarry, a site that could not be found on the newest maps as it had been all but forgotten. Once this region was located on the outer bands of Myrmien, within its area of influence, a time before the expansion of the Jormani forest, what the locals refer to as the “dark forest.”

Prior to the expansion of Temrenos and its development into a bulwark against the encroaching forest, this region had some industry, a few villages, and areas like this quarry. Attacks by native tribes and later intermittent attacks by beasts emerging from the depths of the forest devastated the region. Villages were abandoned, industries shuttered, regions depopulated, all things that happened decades ago, more than enough time for many to forget that areas such as these existed within the reach of the Jormani forest.

“Appears that our mutual acquaintances are dug in, we will need to strike before the enemy force realizes the fate of their raiding party.” Malakos was quick to analyze the situation, they were currently unaware of the full strength of the enemy force. However, if nothing was done and they waited too long, the enemy could catch wind of their presence, they could not afford to wait too long.

“I concur, we will need to strike right away. Move in teams of three and clear the site room to room, try to take them alive, if possible, otherwise you can eliminate them. Act in the manner you believe to be necessary.” Malakos and his team jumped in fright, surprised by the sudden and silent appearance of the cloaked figure. Caderyn was observing the trio, showing little reaction to their surprise, as if he was naturally there the entire time.

“We will await the rest of the scout troupe, and Malakos a word of warning. I am expecting you to ensure the rest of the troops are aware of this when they arrive… Anyone who disobeys orders and engages in the looting of the hideout before every room is cleared will be killed on the spot for dereliction of duty. All will be expected to follow their orders, and if they survive the night while engaging in such acts, I will personally slit their throat. Am I understood?” The icy cold glare seemed to freeze the men’s bodies in place, they could only nod in agreement as the man disappeared in the direction of the bandit base.

The Scholar cloaked in shadows lay prone within a tree overlooking the abandoned facility. Much of the quarry was in disrepair, the outer areas abandoned and remaining so. The bandits appeared to have set up within the inner regions of the facility, the lights from candles or covered campfires illuminated wooden huts in the distance, closer to the open pit mine.

Upon careful observation one would notice a small cave, possibly an old mine shaft carved into the cliffside. This would have been used to explore for more minerals, and it is possible a minuscule vein of copper, tin, or any other valuable resource could be found. Were the bandits raiding the roadway to Temrenos for slaves to mine, or was there something else? From what could be seen, the outer areas did not seem to house any prisoners, no obvious cages were noticeable, although a couple of damaged carriages and wagons were noticeable near the entrance to the cave.

“Sorry I’m late, had to keep pace with the others, didn’t want to get lost.” Timeaus kept his voice low, speaking loud enough for Cadeyrn to hear as he swung up into the tree beside him.

“That isn’t a problem, let me give you a summary of the situation we find ourselves in. I presume that since you are here, the rest of the troupe has arrived.” Cadeyrn glanced down below, witnessing the movement within the underbrush. “The situation is this, the bandits have taken up position here in this abandoned quarry. I noticed around ten men in the inner and outer area around the open pit.” He pointed toward the open pit nearer the center of the facility and then the wooden huts scattered around nearby.

“There is an occasional three-man patrol, but it is irregular, and they will disappear into that hut in the distance for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. Occasionally some of the men on watch will join them. When that happens there are only around five on watch, they can’t cover the whole area, and some are swaying which tells me they are falling asleep or drunk. Either case will be beneficial for us.” Staring into the distance, the man could be mistaken for a statue or an oddly shaped branch with how little he moved.

“So, what is the plan, how are we to approach, and you have said nothing about prisoners. Are we to rescue them? Is that a risk you are willing to take?” Unable to wait for a response, he asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. After all, if their lord ordered them to risk their lives, there was little choice in the matter.

There was a slight pause, a delay that felt strenuous for those that were waiting for a response. “As to the question you all are anxiously awaiting, yes, we will be rescuing the captives if there are any. I presume they along with the gathered loot will be located in the cave at the rear of this facility. However, you are not to risk your lives, I’m sure Malakos has already explained some of the ground rules, so I do not believe I have to repeat myself.” Upon stating that the hawk-eyed man peered at the shadows below, watching as none spoke up and all withered under his piercing glare.

“Good, I’m glad you all understand and have been sorted into your teams. The plan is simple, upon my signal we will move in to eliminate the enemy, attempt to capture them alive, but do not risk yourselves. I want this done quietly, first the watchmen, then the ones in the huts. Alert the medical team if and when you discover any prisoners, we will help them if we can, but the priority is eliminating all targets outside the cave. Once complete we will designate those who will join me in assaulting the abandoned mine.” There were no questions, all four-teams present understood the task and had carried out similar operations in the past. Each member took what little time they had to ensure their weapons were in place and prepare any additional items required.

“Timeaus, we outnumber the enemy by only a small margin. Although it should not be a concern, no one is to underestimate our foe, act as if each enemy is a well-trained warrior with years of experience. Make sure all the others understand that too.” Timeaus nodded in response before sliding down the tree and disappearing into the bushes below.

It was always amusing how a man of that size could vanish into the background so easily, decades of hunting dangerous prey within nature and the battlefield had left their mark. Abilities Cadeyrn had come to rely upon, especially if a mere fraction of those capabilities were transferred over to the many who were trained under his watchful gaze.

In either case the operation would not be difficult for these men and women, but it was a chance for him, their lord to observe the fruits of their training. In addition to observing the group for signs of corruption, it functioned as a test to whittle away those unworthy to serve within the elite forces of Temrenos.