The edge of the looming forest just beyond the encampment on the northern shore gave off a haunting presence. It sent chills down the spines of the youthful ARO members. Shadows reached out to each one of them with desperation as if the shadows themselves were trying to escape the clutches of the forest from whence they came. The silence was unsettling as well. No chirping, no sounds of small animals scurrying up trees. Nothing could be heard in the belly of the woods.

Elucard peered through the seemingly endless forest before signaling for his men to follow his lead. He, Elisa, Lear, Calsoon, and Timber leaped into the trees and made their way jumping lightly from branch to branch. The others followed silently on foot.

The Watchers trekked slowly through the thick forest, scouting a suitable path for the army to march through. The one that stood out was an old merchant route that had seen little travel over the recent years, but the ground was visibly worn. The trees had been cleared away to make room for horses and wagons. As far as Elucard could tell it passed through the forest and led into the mountains. Their mission seemed to finish without conflict and they made preparations to report their findings to Ashmer. Elucard signaled for those following him in the canopy to drop down to meet the ground squad.

Wiccer took a knee before taking a sip from his water skin. It was cool on the forest floor, but exceptionally dark without the presence of the sun. However, the strange forest toyed with his body. His chin and nose were numb from the cold autumn air and his eyes could not quite make out the far off figures of those ahead of him. He was the only one in ARO that had to work extra hard to train his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The Elves, Kanis and the yikahti were genetically gifted when it came to low light vision. They could easily see their surroundings in the dark. If he had only taken more than just three months of training with Elucard, his eyesight may have been more attuned. Although his skills had greatly risen to meet the challenges that Elucard had put before him, his eyesight was still a weakness. One, he would soon realize, that would cost him dearly.

“Where’s Lear?” Wiccer said confusingly as he finished a quick head count.

Elucard stared blankly back at the trail towards the camp, “He took the rear. Who was adjacent to him?”

Calsoon piped up, still befuddled as to how Lear could be by his side one minute and gone the next, “I was; although I am at a loss as to where he went.”

Wiccer was reminded of the lessons Avren had given him about this exact scenario. A squad leader was to do head counts regularly. Those keeping the rear were easily taken captive. It was exceedingly dark in this forest. Was Lear snatched up by a Black Rabbit or was he merely lost? He knew that there was a possibility that the ARO was walking into a trap. His troops needed to keep a clear mind and not panic.

“We–” Wiccer started.

“Split up in pairs,” Elucard spat, quickly interrupting Wiccer, “Stay in the trees. Look for any sign of Lear and show no mercy if you cross paths with the enemy. This has Rabbit scum written all over it!”

“Belay that order!” Wiccer said sharply. He glared at Elucard who narrowed his eyes back at Wiccer, “Now is the time to think clearly. We’ll get picked off one by one if we don’t move in a pack. We have a better chance of survival if we stay together.”

“Wiccer, do not forget I know the Rabbits better than you. We’ll cover more ground if we split up!” argued Elucard.

“I appreciate your wisdom here, Elucard. However, don’t forget your place. I out rank you and the ARO is under my command.”

There was a moment of harsh silence between the two.

“Your inexperience is going to get them killed,” spoke Elucard finally.

“Hold your tongue, sergeant,” spat Wiccer, grimacing from the sharp remark.

“You’re still thinking like a Cloak. When Cloaks underestimate Rabbits, they get killed,” continued Elucard.

“I said hold your tongue, sergeant!” commanded Wiccer, his voice clearly rising.

“Have you learned nothing from me? At least learn from your brother’s deat–”

Wiccer lashed out with a ruthless backhand across Elucard’s face, silencing the cold hard truth that Elucard was treading upon. The former White Cloak stood over a sneering Elucard still on the cold forest floor. A resounding gasp followed by murmurs erupted from the onlooking ARO members.

Wiccer was breathing heavily, and slowly realization of what he had done set upon him. Finding his composure, he directed himself to his unit, “Stay together, keep an eye on each other. Search the forest for Lear. Don’t let the Rabbits separate you.” Wiccer waited a brief period as he saw no response or movement from his men, “That’s an order!” Wiccer barked.

Elucard watched as the troops vanished into the shadows of the forest before eying his former rival slightly spitefully. Wiccer offered Elucard his hand to help him up to his feet.

“I’m sorry,” said Elucard after he brushed pine needles and dirt off himself.

Wiccer’s face was still sour, “You’re in the military now, Elucard. You will listen to my orders or I will see that you are back in chains and in a cell.”

“I shouldn’t have brought up your brother,” said Elucard, ignoring Wiccer’s threat.

“Just drop it,” said Wiccer, flatly. He shook his head and proceeded in the direction of his men, “Let’s go find Lear.”

***

The members of the ARO hustled through the woods with adrenaline coursing through their veins and determination burning in their eyes. The Rabbits had one of their own and they would pay dearly for such a brazen action.

Up ahead of the pack, Trek raised his fist to signal the group to stop. Each ARO member moved to face a separate direction, keeping eyes on each other’s blind spots. Their hands gripped their swords with anticipation.

Rulan crept up beside his brother, careful to stay within the shadows. He looked up at the surrounding trees, sweat beading down the side of his face despite the cold air. His eyes were wide with strain and worry. His mouth had been parched since Wiccer’s outburst.

“Trek, did you find something?”

Trek looked curiously at the scratchings on the trunk of a tree not too far in the distance. He narrowed his eyes as he followed the markings on the trunk upward and gasped as he saw the quick movement of a shambling blur in the tree’s branches. Before he could piece the image together, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and he yelped in shock. He fell backward from the invisible force and writhed in the dead leaves that blanketed the forest floor.

Trek’s vision blurred and his hearing was muffled by his own constant shouting. He heard an array of voices coming from all around him.

“Essie! I need you over here!”

“Find cover, find cover!”

“Where is he? Did anyone see where the arrow came from?”

Trek felt a desperate tug on his cloak as he was swiftly dragged behind a tree. The soothing voice of Elisa who was steadily calm during the calamitous time lulled him.

“Fret not, young one. All will be fine. Your sister in battle is here.”

Reassuring as Elisa’s words were, the pain was unbearable. He was sure the arrow tip had been coated in some type of poison or burning agent. Grunting and breathing hard, he shakily inspected the wound and confirmed his theory. His skin was corroded around the arrow shaft. He continued to scream in agony.

Essie shoved her face into his, “Trek, you need to get a hold of yourself. We need to know where the shooter is. You saw something and you need to point it out for Timber.”

Another familiar voice came after Essie’s, “Aye, in which tree did you see the marksman?”

The sound of his comrades’ voices could be heard over the thud of arrows penetrating wood and dirt all around him. Trek heard Timber muttering to Essie, “It’s no use, Es. Trek’s out of this one. If we could flank that general area, I could find a good shot to deal with the marksman. We’re all pinned down here. The situation is fucked.”

Elisa took out and polished a grimy mirror the size of her palm. Timber raised a brow annoyingly, “This isn’t the time to apply makeup, sweetheart.”

Elisa smiled and winked playfully. Carefully, she guided the reflective glass around the cover of the tree, using it to view everything behind her. Despite her best efforts, the mirror did not give a clear picture. A well placed arrow shot the mirror out of her hand.

“The marksman is about twenty yards ahead of us. There’s a cluster of about three trees over there. The archer is well hidden, even from my shadow elf sight,” reported Elisa, frowning.

Essie nodded as she broke the shaft protruding from her brother’s chest. She examined the wound as best she could, “Timber, Elisa, this arrow is in deep. He needs medical attention that I can’t give him here.”

Timber took off her cloak and propped it onto her bow. She poked it the opposite side of where Elisa attempted her mirror trick. Within seconds the cloak was punctured by several arrows.

“Can’t get a clear shot with this kind of suppression,” a frustrated Timber said cursing under her breath.

Essie waved to get the attention of her other brother and Blayvaar who were behind a dirt mound across the way. Rulan watched as Essie made a series of hand gestures and nodded, understanding the code. He quietly relayed the message to Rulan.

“Trek needs serious medical attention,” Blayvaar said with urgency hanging onto his words.

Calsoon slowly crawled under the ferns until he reached Rulan and Blayvaar. Rulan moved slightly over to make room for Calsoon to share their cover. Calsoon arched his back to peer over the mound, “Ah, so that’s what’s keeping us pinned down,” he said with a thin, amused smile.

Blayvaar took a turn to peep over the mound but saw nothing, “You see something, Calsoon?”

Calsoon nodded as he drew a dagger, “The archer is covered in heavy camouflage but my eyes are too sharp to be fooled.” Calsoon scribbled a drawing in the dirt using acorns as their own position and pebbles as Timber, Essie, Elisa’s and Trek’s position. He marked an ‘x’ where he spotted the marksman.

“There isn’t a way to get this information to Timber without giving away that we know where the enemy is,” Rulan said as he came to the painful conclusion.

“Calsoon, where are Wiccer and Elucard?” Blayvaar asked, trying to formulate a plan.

“A very good question, friend. Elucard spotted a Black Rabbit in the shadows behind us and took off as if Dhalamar himself were on his heels,” Calsoon chuckled to himself amused by the imagery, “Wiccer followed after him.”

“Dammit,” cursed Blayvaar, “We’re on our own, boys.”

“What’s the plan, Blayv?” Rulan asked.

“You and I will run to Timber and your sister’s position, acting as decoys while Calsoon flanks the enemy and takes them out,” Blayvaar said, leaning a heavy shoulder on the still smiling Calsoon.

Rulan measured the distance between the two points, “That’s about three seconds of distraction, Calsoon. Does that give you enough time?”

Calsoon grinned from ear to ear, his pearly teeth almost shined in the darkness, “My friend, there is nothing to worry about. It is a fine day and I am in high spirits.”

Rulan shook his head, perplexed by Calsoon’s response, “I suppose it’s good that one of us is.”

Blayvaar turned from his back and knelt into a sprinter’s knee, “Let’s pray to Father this all goes right.”

“Or, whoever,” shrugged Calsoon, cheerfully.

Blayvaar and Rulan dashed out from the cover, ducking as arrows whizzed past their heads. They ran, their hearts beating wildly in their chests and slid into position next to their comrades. Breathing heavily, Blayvaar frantically tried to spot where Calsoon was, but could not find him.

Timber tried to follow Blayvaar’s gaze, “What? What is it?”

“Calsoon. Do you see him?”

Timber shook her head and then moved to the other side of the tree, quickly waving her hand out in the open in an attempt to draw more fire. But nothing happened. The wolf carefully poked her head around the trunk and began to crawl to a neighboring tree. She nocked an arrow as a figure approached from up ahead, a dagger drawn in both hands.

“Calsoon?” Timber called to the shadowy figure.

Eyes golden like an eerie moon shinned in the night before flashing to a familiar icy blue. Timber furrowed her brow in slight confusion before seeing Calsoon emerge from the darkness, “Calsoon, you startled me.”

“Forgive me, friend,” Calsoon said, elegantly bowing in apology, “I took care of our troublesome acquaintance.”

Timber looked beyond him, “Did you keep him for interrogation?”

“He had very little to say. I do know where they are keeping our cat, though.”

Timber looked back toward the others.

“Go help them with Trek, I will be fine on my own,” offered Calsoon.

Timber looked back to Calsoon, but was surprised to find he was already gone.

***

“Elucard we need to go back! Our men are pinned down and need our help!” Wiccer shouted ahead of him to Elucard as the two dashed through the forest with explosive energy.

Elucard ignored Wiccer, blinded by rage from who he saw in the shadows. His mind was clouded from any rational thought, but he was dead sure he saw Baines.

Wiccer burst with an extra spurt of speed to grab Elucard’s shoulder and spun him around to face him, “I don’t know what you saw that made you take off and abandon your men in their time of need, but we have to go back now!”

Elucard’s eyes darted beyond them, his lip arched up in a sneer. They were not alone.

“Did you hear me? I sai–” shouted Wiccer before Elucard gagged him with a hand.

“Quiet. He’s here,” whispered Elucard. Elucard swung his head around and threw a pair of daggers into the shadows behind him. He listened to the silence before he heard a vile snickering echo in the trees around them. From behind one of the trees appeared his former teacher, Baines.

Wiccer drew his blade as did Elucard. However, Elucard still searched the surrounding woods.

“What is it, are there more?” Wiccer asked, still focused on the threat before them.

“Where there is Baines, Ridge is close to follow,” Elucard whispered sharply.

Baines’ snickering quickly halted, his smile vanished from his face. He looked hard at the masked and hooded figure in front of him, “Alanna’s bow! Is that you, Elucard?”

Elucard lowered his mask to around his neck, his magenta eyes sunken with pure hatred.

“You’re supposed to be dead! What game is this?” Baines exclaimed, his voice louder. His eyes were wide and face was pale as if he were looking into the eyes of a wight.

“I’ve come back from the brink of Alanna’s grasp to finish what I started!” Elucard snarled as he stepped forward.

“We Rabbits are the ones that will clean up your mess!” Baines said, smiling snarkily as his eyes jolted upwards.

Elucard had mere moments to look upward and even less than that to tackle Wiccer out of the way as Ridge rained down, driving his sword into the ground.

Elucard roared as he viscously lunged at Ridge, slashing upwards, but hitting only air. Ridge side-stepped and spun around with his own attack. Elucard met the attack with a clashing block and pushed forward with enraging power. Ridge grunted, unable to hold firm as his feet slid back across the dirt.

Elucard broke the test of mettle and thrust forward, puncturing his enemy’s side. With a savage kick, Elucard threw Ridge flying backward into a tree. Ridge clenched his teeth, calling for aid from his Blade Brother, but found that he was already pre-occupied with Elucard’s partner.

Wiccer ducked and slid a half-circle around Baines as the Rabbit slashed into the air. Wiccer plunged his sword forward but only grazed his enemy’s side. Baines grabbed Wiccer’s sword arm and flung him forward.

Wiccer tumbled over the forest floor and twisted to land back on his feet, adjusting his cloak that wrapped around him.

Baines twirled his sword in his hand, calling back to his Blade Brother, “Red and black assassins. It looks like Elucard found a new clan.”

Ridge kicked Elucard away from him and wiped blood from his mouth, “Is that what you’ve been up to these last four months? Joining another clan of assassins?”

Elucard lunged into Ridge, jutting his elbow into Ridge’s chest, following with a swerving slice. Ridge stumbled backward as Elucard finished his attack with a roundhouse kick that sent him sailing into the trunk of a tree.

Dazed, he called out for his Blade Brother, “Baines, I need you!” but there was no answer.

Now, seeing he was alone with an Elucard fueled with vengeance, Ridge stepped forward from the tree, his blood smeared on the bark. He gripped his sword’s handle and rushed forward, slicing at his opponent.

Elucard was drowning in his malice for his former clan, but he was extremely focused. He would not allow his anger to be his folly. It drove him, but did not rule him. Defending with lightning fast reflexes and a well timed parry, Elucard made short work of Ridge, pushing him back into the tree again and impaling his blade into the Rabbit’s shoulder, pinning him to the long trunk.

Ridge grimaced in pain, and desperately looked for Baines.

“Focus on me!” Elucard ordered, grabbing his chin.

“Baines, my Brother! Where are you?” Ridge called out in fear.

Elucard glanced over his shoulder spotting a victorious Wiccer wiping his blade over the corpse of his former teacher. Smirking, he turned his attention back on his prisoner, “You have info I need.”

“Elucard! Is he still alive?” Wiccer called to his companion, “Tie him up and we’ll bring him back to camp.”

Elucard narrowed his eyes and brought his mouth to Ridge’s elven ear, “Who killed Jetta?”

Ridge smirked, “A one track mind, eh Elucard?”

Elucard twisted his grip sending a spurt of extreme pain blazing into his captive’s shoulder. Ridge roared in anguish.

“Who killed Jetta?” Elucard asked again, no change or fluctuation in his voice.

“I-I h-hope the answer to that question brings you more pain than what I’m suffering from right now!” Ridge spat, saliva dribbling from his lips and off his chin.

“You want to see pain?” Elucard hissed. He drew a dagger and with the same motion drove it under Ridge’s ribs, twisting the blade wickedly.

Ridge cried out in sheer agony before Wiccer could wrestle Elucard from him, “Enough! You’re going to kill him!” Wiccer ripped up Ridge’s cloak and attempted to stop the profusely bleeding wounds. But the damage was done. Within moments Ridge was dead.

Wiccer pulled the sword from Ridge’s body and threw it between Elucard’s feet, “What was that? What is wrong with you?”

Elucard took his sword and sheathed it. He walked past Wiccer in a dark silence.

“Answer me!” Wiccer tried again.

“I caught a second set of tracks a little ways back here. Lear is this way,” Elucard replied, deflecting Wiccer’s questions.

“We need to be on the same level here. We’re at war with Estinia! You’re going to get us killed with your petty feud!”

Elucard stopped in his tracks. Without turning to Wiccer, he repeated his response, “This way. Lear is this way.”

Wiccer opened his mouth to pursue his original question, but decided against it. He knew Lear was the bigger priority at the moment and his questions for Elucard would need to wait.

Following Elucard through the forest, the two were surprised to find a scene of recent bloodshed as three Black Rabbits were strewn about, daggers in their chest, and throats slit. Untying a clearly shaken Lear, they found Calsoon.

“Calsoon, did you do all this?” Wiccer asked in amazement, stepping over the bodies as Elucard inspected the handiwork.

“Indeed, dear captain,” Calsoon said, amused with himself.

“Impressive, Calsoon,” Elucard said, taking pouches of shuriken and any daggers he could find off the corpses.

Calsoon grinned with satisfaction.

Wiccer checked Lear for any wounds, but found none, “Can you walk?”

“This yikahti would just like to get this day over with, Captain.”

“I think we can all agree with that,” Wiccer sighed, looking back at Elucard.

Elucard caught Wiccer’s gaze. He stared back darkly. Helping to shoulder an exhausted Lear, they all made their way back to camp. A long and dangerous day was behind them, but they knew even grimmer times lay ahead.