* * * * *
Ristil leaped from his horse, landing lightly on his toes. He bounced up and down a few times, stretching his legs, then hoped to his feet. There was nothing better than a long ride in the morning. He loved the feeling of the blood rushing through his veins, the wind through his hair, and the cool air in his lungs. He even enjoyed the feeling of his mount, its muscles flexing, the deep breathes and the sound of the ground as it raced by beneath them. He knew he could attribute his love of nature to his elven heritage, but he liked to think that if he had been completely human he would have the same esteems. He had been cooped up in that city for far too long. I need to get out more, he told himself.
He stood and stretched his arms in the air, watching the others do the same. When the tingling sensation faded, he turned to his saddlebags to grab a few bites of dried meat and perhaps a nibble of cheese, but as he eyes swept the ground, he noticed something odd.
Just a few feet in front of him, to the side of the trail, he saw strange tracks, as if someone or something had jumped into the road and then quickly hopped away. They looked like shallow brush strokes, as one would make with a paintbrush, albeit a heavy paintbrush. It was very faint and if he were not an expert tracker, he would have missed it.
Ristil’s eyes immediately scanned the area and his hand went to his scimitar. He saw the strange tracks all around him, leading further and further down the road. It was as if whoever made them kept jumping away, trying to get ahead of whoever it was they were tracking, which was most likely his party.
“What is it?” Brask said. He had finally noticed his tracker’s defensive stance and he saw the urgency on Ristil’s face. Years of working together had taught Brask that when the half-elf was on edge, they had all better follow his lead.
Ristil quickly looked over the area, searching the trees, bushes. and any other place that could conceal an assassin. That was when his eyes fell to the back of the group and saw that one of their party was missing.
“Where’s that damn kid?!”