Dustin, Michelle, Jude, Kyle and a party of about a dozen Forbachean rebels crept through the utter blackness of the night, the low visibility rendering a noiseless advance difficult. The young prince's boots constantly crunched down on dry branches or rasped against fern leaves as he moved. The fact Michelle was able to maneuver with perfect silence ahead of him was as baffling as it was admirable.

By and by, the party came to a shallow river, and the wiry man at their head called the procession to a halt. After surveying the path ahead and consulting with one of his men in hushed tones, he called for the archers to nock arrows and stay put while watching out for any patrolling soldiers. Dustin gave Jude a reassuring pat as he snatched an arrow from his quiver and knelt beside a sturdy tree.

Being entirely unfamiliar with traversing the forest terrain, Dustin simply followed in Michelle's footsteps when the party leader called for an advance. There was no convenient crossing point, so the rebels would be forced to wade their way across the brook as quietly as possible. Dustin adjusted the angle of his scabbard so its tip wouldn't lick the running water as he crossed. Then he took his first steps towards the edge.

Given the superior leatherwork that had gone into the fashioning of his boots, no water seeped in when Dustin eased his foot down into the water. He mimicked Michelle's movement, gradually plunging his foot in so as not to cause a splash. So far, so good.

After Dustin had taken a couple steps pushing against the greater resistance of the flowing water, he glanced back to see Kyle had just stepped in himself. The wince on Kyle's face brought Dustin's attention to an unfortunate fact—his boots likely didn't repel water. After all, the use for that treatment would be nonexistent in the wildlands.

Each step increased the depth of the water, until finally the water washed by Dustin's knees. The coldness of the stream caused him to shiver, pulling his coat tighter around himself to compensate. Meanwhile, Michelle continued on effortlessly ahead.

But soon enough, about half the party had crossed the stream, and after determining no dangers lay about in the immediate vicinity, the party leader waved their archers on. Dustin watched as Jude and the others returned their arrows to the quivers and crept across the stream just like he had. A couple minutes later, all had reached the other shore, and after a moment to discuss with his men, the leader set them off again through the forest.

They meandered through the thick vegetation in what seemed a random path to Dustin, but the party leader seemed supremely confident he knew the way, so he would have to simply trust and follow the rebels' lead. In time, the group came to another stream, but this one was narrower, shallower, and had a crossing point where water trickled underneath a log sprawling across both banks.

Shortly after crossing the second stream, distant rustling sounds prompted the group to halt once more. Dustin's eyes struggled to pierce the treeline in the darkness and spot the source of the noise. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

Then Jude suddenly began creeping forward, and against the urging of the expedition leader, he nocked an arrow and quietly sprinted in the direction of the sound. The thwack of his bowstring followed, and a muted grunt preceded a heavy thud. Dustin's curiosity peaked.

"An Innutukian patrol, I would assume." Jude whispered upon returning to the group.

The expedition leader nodded. "Getting close."

So they worked through some more forested terrain, encountering two more Innutukian patrols along the way. The party's archers easily dispatched the soldiers before they could so much as spot anything amiss. Still, Dustin couldn't help but feel on edge.

Finally, the group reached a hill, and the party leader stated the Innutukian camp should lay on the other side. They spread out and crawled up the hill bit by bit, until finally, Dustin could crane his neck and peek over the brow. He faintly made out a few tents and a whole lot of sleeping men. A second more of squinting, and he spotted some horses standing around what looked to be a stake driven into the ground. One thing was for certain—there were quite a few more soldiers in the camp than Dustin had been anticipating.

He turned to Michelle and brought his lips near her ear. "I thought the scouts had said there were only a few dozen troops here."

Michelle gravely nodded. "This is far more than they reported. It's possibly an entire battalion."

Dustin glanced back at the camp and narrowed his eyes. "More soldiers means far more sentries. Will we be able to sneak past their increased security?"

"The commander makes that judgement. Until then, we wait and be quiet."

At that, Dustin quieted down and attempted to lay patiently on the slope. He continued watching the Innutukian camp all the while, and indeed, about ten soldiers remained awake while their fellows slept. Those troops paced slow circles around the camp with what appeared to be crossbows in their hands and short spears strapped to their backs. The camp's security was not only increased, but also more dynamic than what he had heard at the rebel base.

Sure enough, the rebel commander called the members of his party down to the bottom of the hill, and he drew them close so he could speak as quietly as possible and still be heard.

"I think it's risky." he said, first in Forbachean, then in halting Alcontean, "If we get discovered, we'll all die. Not much doubt. So our objective is changing. We're not here to raid for supplies, but to gather intel. Spread out quietly and hear what you can. Reconvene here."

At once, the rebels scattered like ants. But while the other rebels had each gone off on their own, Dustin stuck at Michelle's side, and Jude and Kyle also stayed close. They headed toward a cluster of bushes uphill, but a stone's throw from where they had previously peeked over the edge.

"The commander explains himself more fully in Forbachean." Michelle whispered as they made their way toward the shrubbery, "He thinks these Innutukians are several smaller forces gathering together for a bigger mission."

Dustin raised an eyebrow. "Bigger mission as in...?"

"An attack on our stronghold is likely. It's the only fixed location we hold that they know about."

"So...we're listening to confirm if that's true?"

Michelle lowered herself to her hands and knees as they approached the slope. "Basically. Earlier, I see two archers on a log on the edge of camp. If they converse, we listen."

Dustin and the others followed Michelle's lead and crawled up the hill until they reached the bushes. Then they spread out a bit to find individual cover. Dustin, Michelle, and Kyle remained laying down as they crept closer to the brink to peek through the brush, but Jude took up a kneeling position farther back, clearly prepared to provide cover fire should anything go awry.

Sure enough, Dustin reached the top of the hill and found himself able to peek around the leaves of a thick fern to see two bearded archers seated on a log at the edge of camp. Their bows lay at their sides, however. The two men's hands were currently occupied in weaving, oddly enough. Whether the incomplete textile squares in their laps were intended to be flags, blankets, or something else, Dustin couldn't tell.

After listening for a bit, he picked up that they were murmuring to one another, but then disappointment set in. Of course they wouldn't be speaking Alcontean; they clucked quietly at one another in Innutukian. Much good Dustin's listening would do if he couldn't understand a word they said.

But he still continued keeping his ears peeled just in case. Dustin did surprise himself with how much information he could still pick up just from body language, tone of voice, and inflection. Though he lacked a few inches of height compared to his comrade beside him, the man on the left spoke with greater authority. His partner sounded like he was disagreeing at points, but at every turn was forced to defer to the other's judgement. Dustin found it ironic that the man who sat taller and whose voice seemed older was the one who submitted so often to another.

Dustin only stayed a few minutes before carefully backing off to descend the hill. He'd hardly learned anything besides incidental information on two specific soldiers, so much help he'd be to the rebellion. Before long, Kyle joined him at the bottom, and when Michelle finally descended, Jude took up the rear. They headed in single file back to the rendezvous point.

As it turned out, Dustin and his companions were the first to return to where the rebel commander awaited. Michelle saluted as they approached, then took a seat beside him, presumably to report her findings.

"My understanding of Innutukian is poor." she said, earning a nod from the commander, "But from what I was able to pick out, two archers boast of a 'certain victory' for the Empire. They also speak something of 'the sorcerer gaining his prize'."

"Ken-Malé's menace may be with them." the commander said, "That is valuable information. Anyway, my right hand man is fluent in Innutukian. Anything he hears will be invaluable."

Michelle nodded and fell silent. With a shrug, Dustin, Kyle, and Jude settled down around the commander and awaited the other rebels' return. No food would be stolen tonight, but information on enemy movements was perhaps even more important. Only time would tell.