105 They didn't see that coming

Running through the sticky mud, I was the hare and the men chased. I doubled back and pulling my leather bindings off my hair, dropped down in the undergrowth and covered my face.

Little did they know, the hare had become the wild cat and she was now hunting them.

Two of the men ran forward. They were ahead of the pack but they'd lost sight of me. Slowing down in their chase, I watched as they silently spoke to each other. 'Good, these two are becoming a team.' I waited, biding my time until I could pounce with the rouge stick and mark them both.

They looked around, scanning the undergrowth. They failed to spot me. Their sense of smell was still underdeveloped; by rights the rouge should have given my location away, perfumed as it was. 'If that'd been Xin I'd be dead,' I mused to myself.

Two more arrived. The first two stopped them making a sound. I sank lower, watching, waiting. A wild cat wouldn't strike, she'd wait until they separated. I anticipated using the same trick.

They looked around but failed to see. As yet, they hadn't learned to heighten their senses in such a way as they were able to switch them up and down at will. I hoped if the fear ran high, their senses would sharpen.

One man stepped away from the safety of the group. Grabbing him by his face, I clamped down on his mouth and nose, then pulled him backwards into the undergrowth. Running the rouge across the front of his throat I ordered him to be silent and watch. He nodded.

Once more, I prepared. I waited, patience being the most important weapon. A second man noticed one of their number was missing. He failed to comment but separated himself from the other two.

In exactly the same way, he too was 'killed' and sat with red rouge across his throat.

That left two more. 

I waited.

They both looked nervous as they scanned their surroundings, but remained silent. Taking out my catapult, I fired a small pebble into the undergrowth. It bounced off a tree making a sudden noise. Both men jumped and followed the sound by turning their heads.

I leapt out of the undergrowth slit one throat and then the other in less that five heart beats.

They stared at one another in shock and grabbed their throats almost instinctively. Looking, their hand was red. They knew they'd been caught.

In hushed tones I explained the mountain cat principles of prey catching.

" So, now you are the predators, and the remaining six are your prey. Stalk them and 'kill' them, but don't give yourselves away, " I whispered, "stalk them, silently, keeping your senses keen and your heart rate steady." I looked round. They understood and were keen to try. " you're like baby cats, you'll make mistakes, but learn from them. Good luck. Happy catching prey."

All five of us went off. I listened for noises and instinct led me to one poor soul who's face told a thousand stories. He was scared out of his wits, his eyes darting one way and the other. Silently I walked up behind him and placed my hand over his mouth. I thought he would pass out, his knees sagged and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. I let him sink to the floor and smiled. "It's okay, take it steady. You're safe."

" But I saw some men I didn't recognise," he whispered, "they were laughing and joking at killing such softees."

I looked at him. "What were they wearing?"

" Battle armour. They had long, double sided swords and a small, round shield. I think they were Mu's men."

"Okay, you've done well." I patted his shoulder and gave the cry a mother cat would give her cubs, "drop down, hide, stay alert and silent, don't move." I hoped the men remembered the command.

I smiled at the young man crouching deep in the shrubbery. "How many?" He held up two fingers. "Well, it's time for momo cat to go hunting," I smiled at him, and with that, I was gone.

Second Master paced across the yard to Bǎo who was standing with his unit. Xin had arrived with her ladies in tow. They distributed what they had created and returned to their houses.

Xin looked around, "where Niao? She had ten men with her, training, any of them back?"

Bǎo shook his head. "They were raw recruits to the Twin Blades. If they've run into trouble, she'll have her hands full."

A distant growl vibrated in Xin's chest. She couldn't hear it but felt its power. Niao was stalking for real and she'd laid the cubs down.

"I've got to go!" Xin called over her shoulder, "she's in trouble and I know roughly where to find her." With that she took off, tying the wrist guards as she ran. She let out a call only Niao would recognise. "Where are you, I'm coming." She was rewarded with a low reply. "Yes, I'm coming." She knew exactly what to do.

Making panting sounds of a cat, she approached Niao, " I'm no threat" it said. She heard Niao grunt, she was close. 

Then she smelt rouge. She followed the scent.

I looked at her approaching as sighed with relief. I had no idea where the six men were and prayed they hadnt been intercepted by the two soldiers. The word softees ran round my head. I had a horrible feeling we'd lost some.

"Okay, where are the cubs?"

My jesture said I hadn't a clue.

"The Mu men?"

Again I hadn't a clue.

"Then we hunt." She had such resolve and a deep anger which was bubbling just beneath the surface. "Do we kill?" She looked at me. "We kill."

She growled and with that, the two of us went in search of two men who had strayed far too far from home. 

They would become fodder tonight. 

Second Master watched as Xin took off. Hao Yang's eyes followed her. In his heart he wanted to take off in pursuit as well, but work load stopped him. His heart went out, "find her Xin, keep her safe. My world would end if she wasn't in it."

Xin and I moved silently through the undergrowth. I heard a soft gruff from her, she'd found them. Following her sound I joined her and we crouched down, watching their every move.

"Easy pickings aye? Let's see what the ladies are like shall we?"

I felt Xin bristle. I held her back and grunted, 'not yet, let's see if there's more'.

We watched and waited. One more arrived. "You found anything?"

"Yeh. A really pretty young thing she was. Had her and then dropped her down the well."

One of the men laughed. 

I gestured the sign for darts. Xin nodded. I took one, she took the other two, her aim was exquisite and her speed, deadly.

One, two, three.....the sound of three darts rang out, the twang of the gut string alerting the men just as they received the death blow. Three men, three darts, all heavily laced with arsenic. 

They'd be dead very soon. 

They'd die an agonizing death.

Xin walked over to them. She smiled and opening a phial, forced more arsnic down their throats. She smiled sweetly, "a little present from the ladies you've abused. I hope you enjoy the journey."

One tried to grab her but she was out of range before he realised. She wiggled her finger, "naughty, naughty, I'm not giving you any more, I want your death to be slow and painful. I will watch whilst you foam at the mouth." She turned to me, " they have conveniently boiled some water for tea. Shall we have a cup and watch them as they leave this world?"

I smiled. She had a streak in her that was so very dark, it frightened me.

"May as well. Let me call the cubs."