As if on cue, the downpour began to subside. Droplets thinned, pattering less against leaves and soil. A hush fell over the forest, broken only by the occasional drip of water from sodden branches.

Drakon wasted no time. He grasped the branch Lucian had found and then set to work.

Using the crude stone knife he'd fashioned, Drakon began stripping the bark from the branch.

Lucian watched, fascinated. "So, you're gonna tie that knife to the end?"

"That's the idea," Drakon replied, not looking up from his task. "Hand me some of that bark, will you?"

He gathered the discarded strips of bark, passing them to the older man. Drakon worked swiftly, using the flexible bark to lash the stone knife to one end of the branch.

"There," he said, holding up the makeshift spear. "One down, one to go."

"Wait, you're making another?"

Drakon nodded, already searching the ground for another suitable rock. "Can't have you running around unarmed, can we?"

It took less time to fashion the second weapon. Soon, he held two crude but functional spears, one in each hand. He passed one to Lucian.

"Here, test it out. See how it feels."

Lucian took the spear, hefting it. It was heavier than he expected, the weight unevenly distributed due to the stone blade. He adjusted his grip, getting a feel for the balance.

"Go on," Drakon urged. "Give it a throw."

The boy spotted a dead branch hanging from a nearby tree. He took aim, drew back his arm, and let the spear fly. It wobbled slightly in flight but struck true, embedding itself in the wood with a satisfying thunk.

"Not bad," the old man said, nodding. "This'll work just fine."

Lucian jogged over to retrieve the spear, yanking it free from the branch. As he returned, he asked, "So, what's our next move? We've got weapons now, but those kids still have all our stuff."

"We need to track them. Figure out where they've gone."

"Track them? How? The rain washed away any tracks they might have left."

"I don't know. That might be very difficult to do, especially at night time."

"That's why I'm going to teach you. Come on, we've got some thieves to catch."

Drakon moved through the forest, his eyes scanning the ground and surrounding vegetation. Lucian followed close behind, trying to mimic the older man's attentiveness but feeling frustrated.

"I don't get it," he grumbled after they'd been walking for a while. "How can you possibly know where they went? Everything looks the same to me."

"That's because you're not looking closely enough. Here, let me show you," Drakon crouched down, gesturing for Lucian to do the same. "See these leaves?" He pointed to a patch of disturbed undergrowth. "They're pressed down, but not from rainwater. Someone walked through here recently."

Lucian squinted at the leaves. "I guess I can see that. But how do you know it was them and not some animal?"

"Good question. Look at the pattern. It's too wide for most forest animals. And see how it's repeated? That's multiple people walking in a line."

As they continued on, Drakon pointed out more signs: broken twigs at about shoulder height, indicating someone pushing through branches; a tuft of cloth caught on a thorny bush; even the occasional footprint preserved in a muddy patch.

"Fuck me," Lucian muttered, shaking his head in amazement. "I never would've noticed any of this stuff."

"It takes practice. But once you know what to look for, it becomes second nature."

They pressed on, Drakon occasionally stopping to examine something more closely or to explain a particular clue to Lucian. The younger man found himself growing more observant, starting to spot signs on his own.

"Hey," Lucian called out, pointing to a nearby tree. "Is that what I think it is?"

Drakon moved closer, inspecting the trunk. A small piece of bark had been scraped off, leaving a pale mark on the wood. "Good eye," he said, nodding. "Someone brushed against this tree as they passed. We're on the right track."

As they continued their pursuit, Lucian's curiosity got the better of him. "Where'd you learn all this stuff anyway? Was it that merchant you mentioned earlier?"

"No, this I learned long before that. My father taught me when I was just a boy, younger than you are now. He was a hunter, used to take me into the forests around our village."

"Must've been nice. My old man never taught me shit."

Drakon glanced back at him. "Well, I'm teaching you now, aren't I? Pay attention, and you'll pick it up quick enough."

They walked on in companionable silence for a while, both men alert for any signs of their quarry. Suddenly, the old Spartan held up a hand, signaling Lucian to stop.

"What is it?" he whispered, tightening his grip on his makeshift spear.

Drakon pointed to a small clearing ahead. "Look there. What do you see?"

Lucian peered through the trees. "Is that... a dead rabbit?"

"Good. Now, what does that tell us?"

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"Well... it wasn't eaten by a predator. The body's still intact. So... someone killed it?"

"Exactly," Drakon said, moving closer to examine the animal. "Killed by an arrow, and recently too. Our young friends have been hunting."

"Which means they're probably nearby, right?"

As if in answer to his question, a thin tendril of smoke became visible above the treetops, not far in the distance.

Drakon's eyes narrowed as he spotted it. "There," he said, pointing. "That's them. Has to be."

"So what now? We just walk into their camp?"

"No. Now we scout. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with before we make our move."

The duo crouched low in the dense underbrush, their bodies tense as they edged closer to the camp. The smell of woodsmoke grew stronger, mingling with the earthy scent of the forest.

"Remember," Drakon whispered, "not a sound. We're just here to gather information."

Lucian nodded, focusing on placing each foot carefully to avoid twigs and leaves. As they drew nearer, voices became audible - young, exuberant, and completely unaware of the two men closing in on their position.

They settled into a spot behind a large fallen log, close enough to see and hear the camp without being spotted. Lucian's eyes widened as he took in the scene. The group lounged around a small fire. Their stolen goods were piled haphazardly nearby, including Lucian and Drakon's packs.

"Can you believe how easy it was, Mira?" a lanky boy with shaggy hair was saying. "Those two didn't even put up a fight."

The girl who'd first confronted them - Mira, apparently - snorted. "Of course they didn't, Talos. That's why we pick our targets carefully."

"Still," another girl chimed in, "it was pretty funny watching that young one's face when we surrounded them. Looked like he was gonna piss himself!"

Lucian bristled at this, but Drakon placed a calming hand on his arm.

"Focus," the old warrior mouthed.

Their attention was drawn to a stocky boy rifling through one of the packs. "Hey, check this out!" he called, pulling out an ornate dagger. "This looks valuable."

"Nice find, Kyros," Mira said. "Add it to the pile. We'll divvy everything up later."

As the teens continued to chat and sort through their loot, the two learned more about the group. Mira was clearly the leader, her word carrying the most weight. Talos seemed to be her second-in-command, often backing up her decisions. They also picked up a few other names - Lyra, Nico, Dion.

"You know what the best part is?" a girl Lucian hadn't caught the name of said. "Those merchants by the crossroads. They're so predictable. Always taking the same route, always at the same time."

Mira nodded. "Exactly. That's why we hit them last week. Easy pickings."

"And that family traveling to visit relatives in the next village," Kyros added. "They barely put up a fight when we jumped on them."

The group laughed, sharing more stories of their exploits. Lucian felt his anger rising again at their casual discussion of theft and intimidation.

"Cocky little shits," he muttered under his breath.

Drakon gave him a warning look before turning his attention back to the camp.

"Alright, everyone," Mira called out. "Let's get some food going. Nico, Lyra, you're on cooking duty tonight."

As the group bustled about, preparing their evening meal, Drakon tapped Lucian's shoulder and gestured for them to retreat. They crawled backwards slowly until they were far enough away to stand and speak quietly.

"So, what's the plan?" Lucian asked, stretching his cramped muscles. "Are we taking them on now?"

"Too risky. They outnumber us, and they're armed."

"Then what? We can't just leave our stuff with them."

"We wait. Once they're asleep, we make our move. We'll sneak in and grab Mira. With their leader as leverage, the others will fall in line."

"Kidnapping? Isn't that a bit... extreme?"

"We're not going to hurt her. But these kids need to learn that their actions have consequences. This might be the wake-up call they need."

"Alright, I'm with you. But what if something goes wrong?"

"Then we do what we must. But let's hope it doesn't come to that. For now, we wait and watch."

As the night wore on, the campfire dwindled to glowing embers. One by one, the teens retired to their bedrolls, until only the soft sounds of slumber filled the air.

Drakon nudged Lucian. "It's time," he whispered. "Follow my lead and stay low."

Lucian nodded and they crept towards the sleeping figures. Drakon motioned for him to circle around to Mira's left while he approached from the right.

Suddenly, Mira stirred. Lucian froze, holding his breath, but she merely stood and began walking towards the treeline. Drakon caught Lucian's eye and jerked his head, signaling to follow.

They trailed Mira at a distance until she stopped and fumbled with her belt. Drakon held up a hand, halting Lucian. Mira lowered her pants and squatted. The sound of her urinating seemed impossibly loud in the quiet night.

Drakon leaned close to Lucian's ear. "Grab her now while she's distracted."

"What? She’s peeing."

"Do it."

Lucian hesitated a moment, then lunged forward. However, his foot caught on a root, sending him sprawling. He landed, his face mere inches from Mira's exposed ass, still urinating.

Her eyes locked with Lucian's. Even in the moonlight, he could see her face flush crimson.

Mira opened her mouth to scream, but Drakon was already in motion. He clamped a hand over her mouth and wrapped an arm around her neck, squeezing until her eyes rolled back and she went limp.

Drakon lowered the girl's unconscious form to the ground and raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You're not some kind of pervert are you? Waiting for a peek?"

Lucian quickly scrambled to his feet, his own face burning red. "No! It was an accident. I tripped."

"Yeah, right. I also have an ‘accident’ when I see a woman’s naked body, except it’s not."

"I swear by Zeus I didn’t mean it!"

"Let's just get her tied up before she comes around. And try to keep your eyes to yourself, eh?"

Lucian bit back a retort, his embarrassment warring with indignation. He knew the truth, even if Drakon didn't believe him. He just prayed to the gods that Mira would be more understanding when she woke up.

——

Mira's eyes flew open, panic setting in as she realized she couldn't move or speak. Her muffled sounds of distress were cut short when Drakon's face appeared before her.

"I'm going to remove the gag," Drakon said. "If you scream, it goes back on. Understand?"

Mira nodded.

Drakon peeled away the cloth from her lips. The faint scent of damp earth mingled with her breath as she gasped for air.

"What the fuck do you want?"

The old man stood up. "It's simple. We want our belongings back. The ones you and your little gang stole from us. Our horses too. That's all."

"That's not going to happen. You can't just-"

"You don't have much of a choice," Drakon cut her off. "You're tied up, and we could easily leave you here for the wolves. Is that what you want?"

Before Mira could respond, Lucian returned to the small clearing where they were holding her. Mira's eyes narrowed as she spotted him.

"Great, the pervert has returned," she spat.

Lucian's face flushed red. "I'm not a perv! What happened was an accident, I swear!"

"Screw you. You just wanted to see me naked!"

"Enough," Drakon interjected. "This isn't getting us anywhere. What's it going to be, girl? Your cooperation in exchange for your freedom, or should we start walking away?"

Mira glared at both of them, weighing her options. After a tense moment, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I'll tell my group to give your stuff back. But this isn't over."

"Good choice. Now, let's go have a chat with your friends, shall we?"