Kael hid the body again. There were still three sentries, unmoved by the death of a comrade until now. He needed absolute silence. He waited for the men to change guards and, with a broken body and eyes that no longer glowed, silently did the same with two more—clean, harsh blows that wouldn't attract attention. A faint sound of bones breaking on the damp earth, and two more shadows trapped by the night.
He then took back the map—the real one was tied to the leader's belt; the fake, duly prepared, would remain there to be found. He opened it again, memorized the route and the confluence points where the three groups should reconnect. There were nearby references to "Moon Stream" and a "stone marker with a broken plaque"—both familiar places: Kael had passed those points when he escaped from prison and knew that near the stream there was a turnoff where the trail narrowed and vegetation covered almost everything.
