I dodge over to the side and for the first time since stepping foot on the mountain range, i step off the path in order to hide behind a half dead tree. So far i have yet to have any troubles crossing the mountains and i figured i was stressing too much before but it looks like in the final leg of the journey the threat i was worried about managed to become reality

  “Nox can you find them, i need to know their numbers, how far they are and in what direction”

  “Ha! Too easy”

  According to Nox he cant move too far from me with his soul projection but he can still go around 100 feet before any problems may arise, that includes into the air to get a birds eye view.

  “They are about 75 yards north east, 6 of them hiding behind that rock formation, one with a bow, one with an axe and a shield, the others I cant see their weapons under their cloaks but I'm willing to bet they'll have swords and daggers.”

  Nox gives me even more information than I asked for and a plan starts to come to mind.

  “Nox, give me a heads up when the archer is about to shoot”

  “Got it” he nods

  I take a deep breath to calm my nerves then step out from behind the tree and beeline it for the large rock to my right.

  “He's about to shoot!” Nox yells and I drop to the ground in a slide to make it behind the rock as Nox continues.

  “Bad news, the others are spreading out and moving this way, I can see their weapons now, 2 swordsmen, one with dual short swords and another with only a dagger.”

  I glance around the rock and see 1 off to my right, it's the one with the short swords. I draw my knife from my belt and grab it from the blade side. I may not be good up close but ive been throwing my knife and nailing squirrels with it for as long as I can remember. My father always said that a knife could be recovered and reused but an arrow can rarely be reused so why waste them on small animals like that.

  As the man passes behind a large rock I throw my knife for where his head would be once he comes out and as he passes the rock the nearly 2 pound knife digs into his temple as he falls over dead on the spot.

  I take a shaky breath as it sinks in that I just killed a person before a determined look appears in my eyes, if they don't die, I die. I don't have time to worry about anything else. I take a step out of the rock and run to the rock the man's body lay at

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  “Down!” Nox yells as the archer peeks out from the rock to fire another arrow

  This time when i hear nox yell i jump back as the arrow hits the ground in front of me where i would be if i dodged like i did last time. Then I dash forward to make it behind the rock, I grab the man's corpse by his leg and pull it behind the rock too before I grab anything I can use. I manage to get my knife back and grab one of his short swords for good measure.

  “Ren, you got one heading straight for you, it's one of the swordsman”

  As the swordsman steps out from behind a bush he's shocked to find the corpse half laying out from behind the rock before shouting.

  “Damnit! He killed number 4” letting the others know to be careful before approaching the corpse slowly.

  As he gets to the rock I'm behind I suddenly dash out the other side and up behind him, throwing my knife directly into the back of his neck before diving behind a bush and an arrow flies over my head.

  I look at the knife buried in his neck as he gurgles blood on the ground, his spine is severed so he can only sit there as he dies. I decide to dash back to the rock I was at previously and grab my knife, ripping it out of the back of his throat as I run past.

  “Nox, where are the others”

  “2 to your left, the other swordsman and the shield bearer. They decided to stick together since the guys shout and 1 more on your right with the dagger, the archer hasn't moved.”

  That archer is the biggest threat so I decided to take out the dagger wielder before making my way to the archer and ignoring the other 2 for now. I dart back behind the bush then crawl over to the other side where there is a large dead tree that I stand up behind.

  “The archer's bow is already drawn, he's waiting for you to run out” Nox’s voice rings out.

  “Of course he is” I sigh

  I run out from behind the tree then turn and jump back behind it as the arrow flies behind me then pivoting back I run for a sandy wash, sliding down into it.

  Peeking over the other side I can see the dagger wielder, he'll have to cross this wash so I get to where it would be best for him to cross and hide along the wall under some overhanging rocks and dirt. It only takes a few minutes before he is over me and jumps down to get across, I'm behind him now and I lunge out with the short sword stabbing him through the back. As he feels the blade pass through him he turns and swings out, managing to cut a shallow slash across my right shoulder before falling to the ground, dead.

  The cut stings but isn't deep enough to be a problem, it'll only take about an hour of cultivating to heal. Turning to the north east I move up the wash closer to the archer, I can just barely make out the rock formation from over the bank of the wash and use that to keep track of where i am while moving.

  I need to close the distance with the archer, it would be best if i can get behind him and take him by surprise so i walk up the wash till im about 20 meters behind him and a few dozen meters to his side. I crawl out of the wash then I silently walk closer to him like I practiced every day while hunting, taking cover behind rocks and dead trees just in case until I'm only about 10 meters away. I ready my knife but as i step out a rock under my feet shifts making a scraping noise and causing the archer to turn toward me