Agrisu was walking at the head of their little column. Elrik walked a little faster, to try and catch up with him.

They were walking along a narrow path through the woods, in the pre-dawn light. They’d broken camp early this morning. All around them the trees rose up into the sky. The scent of damp earth was heavy in the air. The green of the forest around them glistened with morning dew.

Elrik had put together a few things. They were in a hurry, Agrisu’s people. Elrik didn’t know if they were running from something - or to something - but they were not wasting time on their journey. Every day, Senu, the huge one, and Sakka, the sour-faced spearman seemed to gain just the least amount of tension.

The woman, Yena was worse. Yena was a client, a source or a contact, Elrik wasn't sure. Whatever it was this band was doing out here, she was a big part of it.

Yena was a new member to the band. Elrik could see it in the Senu’s gentle humor petered out into awkward silence when she was came close. He could see it in how Sakka’s face became even more pursed when she spoke to him. Both seemed uncomfortable with her.

Agrisu never seemed affected, of course. His aggressively cheerful bonhomie never seemed to waver.

The thing was - Elrik didn’t fully understand how or why he was here - whatever this place was. He didn’t know who his allies were, or if he even had any. Did someone bring him here? Was this some cosmic twist of fate?

What he did know was that asking too many questions was a surefire way to tip his hand. So he kept his mouth shut, and hoped he’d pick up what he needed to know eventually.

But now things had changed.

Elrik hurried up to the head of the group - where Agrisu was marching.

…

Elrik sidled up to Agrisu, and whispered the best he could with his limited understanding of the language

"Surprise - ahead. I think.. Maybe, we have a surprise. Ahead”

“Surprise?” Agrisu didn’t stop but kept walking. Somehow, he seemed to take Elrik's sudden ability to speak the language in his stride.

Elrik didn’t know the word for ambush

“Uh.. There might be someone ahead. I think. Waiting for us. Bad surprise.”

“Ahahaha!”, Agrisu gave a boisterous guffaw and put an arm around Elrik, pulling him close - as if they were sharing a joke. Elrik was confused. Agrisu seemed unfazed that the dumb mute in his band was suddenly speaking fluently.

Agrisu didn’t slow down, his arm keeping Elrik walking apace. He spoke in a low friendly undertone, as if sharing a joke, “Don’t slow down. They might be watching, yes? This surprise, this ambush - How do you know this?” Agrisu whispered low

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Elrik’s mind raced as he traced his thoughts.

“Bent grass fifty paces back - an hour old. A branch shoved behind another. A few other things. There’s a clearing coming in a few minutes, good place for an ambush.”

Agrisu nodded as if sharing a joke, but didn’t slow his pace. He whispered again, “Yes. I see some signs. I was not sure. You see other signs. Now I am sure.” He nodded again sagely, still walking.

“Be ready. When I give the sign, get to cover. Wait, then double back to me in no less than three hundred heartbeats. You understand?”

Elrik tightened his grip on the spear Yena had given him. The shortsword from the cave was strapped to his thigh.

“Yes” he kept walking

Agrisu whispered, “Good”

Then he turned, taking his arm off Elrik, and shouted loudly “Let’s go our ways awhile! I am going to go say hello to some friends!”

Like magic, a heartbeat after Agrisu shouted, he disappeared from the path and into the undergrowth.

Elrik turned to look behind them.

Senu the giant seemed to have vanished as well, just dropping his supplies to the ground. Sakka, the spearman cursed and dove into a thicket a minute later.

Yena seemed confused - if this was a code - she hadn’t been told it. She put things together in a split second and started running in the other direction.

Elrik didn’t pause himself - and did what Agrisu told him to - raced into the undergrowth.

…

Elrik’s mind raced as he made his way through bushes and thickets.

The forest was too thick to ambush someone. Good cover, but your quarry could disappear in a second. No place for a kill-box. They were headed for a clearing though. An ambush coming from behind - from behind the cover of the dense forest - just as they walked into a clearing. Yes, that was an excellent kill-box.

From the signs he’d seen - the ambushers were ahead of them. The ambushers would wait for Agrisu's little band to break from the cover and enter the clearing. Then when they were right in the wide open, right in the kill-box, the ambushers would strike from cover. Simple but effective.

With how recent their tracks were, they wouldn't have had time to lay traps... Elrik hoped.

Then.. to ambush the ambushers, you’d have to double back on them as they were doubling back on you. Their best bet was surprise - the ambushers didn’t know that their prey knew.

Move quickly off the path they would expect, then come back in a wide circle.

Elrik raced away from the path they were on for full minute, as fast as he could. Then he turned and doubled back.

His brain was still processing.

What was he doing? He’d never seen the little band fight, but he could tell they knew how to handle their weapons. A month ago, Elrik had never seen a sword his whole life.

If they were dead though, then so was he.. That campfire had been the first good thing to happen to him since he got here. Hell, it was the first good thing in his life in three years.

[Tree tops are unlikely places for ambush archers. A machan or a hunting blind takes time to install and set up.]

They would have heard something by now, and split up, hidden themselves.

Elrik slowed down as he approached the trail. He started carefully creeping through the undergrowth, trying to be as quiet as he could.

He was now coming up on the path as it opened up into the clearing.

There was nothing for it. His options were to hide and hope Agrisu’s people found him first or to look around and hope he just randomly walked one of the ambushers before they saw him.

Elrik tried to breathe quieter and crept closer.

Suddenly, what seemed to be trees just ahead of him wasn’t trees - but rather a figure in brown leathers, holding a bow. The man was looking away and to the path - he didn’t see Elrik.

Elrik raised his spear in both hands. He didn’t dare to breathe. As he did, the bowman turned his head to see Elrik, eyebrows raising in surprise.

The bowman seemed to stare at Elrik, a careful expression of concentration on his face.

Then in one smooth motion, he turned his body, drew his bowstring back to his ear, and loosed the arrow.