The further Nora traveled into the oak grove, the more it seemed to press in on her. She was used to trees—she'd longed to escape into them not a week earlier—but there was something distinctly different about walking into them with the intent of encountering bandits.

Dyasen and Hexis walked a ways ahead of her—or maybe 'prowled' was the better term. They both had a way of moving that barely rustled the grass. In this case, it wasn't really helpful, given the bright sunlight that the loose oak leaves did little to shield them from. However, Nora still found it impressive, and wondered yet again whether she was out of her depth here.

"Oi!" a gruff voice called from ahead. "Is there someone there?"

Dyasen turned around, giving Nora a questioning look. She responded by staring at him like a deer caught in torchlight.

Shrugging, he turned back around. "Yep!" he called back. "Lovely day to be outside, isn't it?"

"Why would you respond?" Nora hissed at him.

"They already spotted us," Hexis said, nodding toward the trees ahead. Nora looked where they'd indicated and saw someone cautiously picking their way toward the group.

As the person got closer, Nora made out a short but muscular man, with a few wisps of beard and the same type of clothes Nora was used to seeing in the more rural part of the Empire. A single knife and a worn coin pouch hung from his belt.

"You looking for something?" the man asked as he neared the group—not confrontationally, but he was definitely wary.

Again, Dyasen turned to Nora, but this time it was clear what her job was.

Here goes. "What are you doing here?" she asked the stranger, using her ERA and trying to sound authoritative.

"I'm planning to take some of the supplies from the wagons on their way into the city," the man answered immediately.

Well, this is easier than expected.

The bandit's eyes widened as he realized what he'd said, and a hand flew to his mouth.

Nora wasn't sure exactly what else they wanted to know—she realized should have asked Jade while they were planning—but she figured it was best to get as much information as possible. Thinking of another question, she asked, "Are you working with anyone?"

"Yes," he responded, looking increasingly panicked.

She took a deep breath, trying to think of what else they needed to know.

Drawing his knife, the man charged straight at her.

Nora's legs stiffened. She watched the knife swing back and forth in his hand as he closed the distance. Move, stupid. Move. She stumbled backward, raising her hands as if they could stop the blade.

A crisp ring cut the air, and then a dagger shot into her vision, catching the knife dead. A white-gloved hand swept the man's arm behind him, twisting it up behind his back as the other hand spun the dagger and rested it at his throat.

Hexis' copper eyes met hers over the man's shoulder. Their face was set with calm concentration, but when they saw her look of shock, it stretched into a small grin.

Nora's eyes honed in on the sharp blade at the bandit's throat. It stayed perfectly still, but looked like it could hurt him with so much as a twitch. A shiver traveled down her spine.

"Are you going to ask your questions or not?"

She looked up to see that Hexis' smile had faded at her reaction.

"Oh." She glanced at Dyasen, who was shifting his gaze between the two, looking uncomfortable. His sword hung loose in his hand; she hadn't even heard him draw it. When he saw her looking, he gave her a nod of encouragement.

Turning to the bandit and ignoring Hexis, she asked, "Are you working for anyone?"

"Yes. We were hired by House Avarrys of the Second Court." He'd given her more information than he strictly had to there, but a lot of people did that when they didn't understand how her ERA worked. The knife at his throat probably helped as well.

"Avarrys?" Dyasen muttered. "Well, that's unexpected."

There was a faint rustle somewhere to the side. Nora glanced in that direction to see Jade and Kynar approaching; Jade was dragging someone behind her by the collar of their shirt.

Nora turned back to the bandit and saw him looking in the others' direction, though it looked harder with the way Hexis was holding him. "Is that one of the people you work with?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Let's wait for them to get here," Dyasen suggested.

Nora breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back, running a hand through her hair.

"Hi, guys," Kynar greeted them. "Find anything out yet?"

"They're working for a noble house," Nora told her. "It was..." She glanced at Dyasen for help.

"Avarrys," he said. "From the Second Court."

Jade raised her eyebrows, then pushed her capture in front of her and held the woman's hands behind her back. "Do you know what or how much they're hoping to take?" she asked.

Nora shook her head and turned to the bandit being held by Hexis. "What and how much were you hoping to take?"

"Whatever we can grab easily, really," he replied. "We try to go for valuables, but we can never look for too long. Lord Avarrys just said to cause trouble."

"Same answer from you?" she asked the woman in front of Jade.

"Yes," she answered.

Nora looked at Jade again.

"Names," the woman prompted.

"Right." Turning to the first bandit, she asked, "What is your name?"

"Moras."

"And you are?" she asked the other.

"Lenna."

"And what are your four friends' names?"

Moras listed four names.

"Excellent," Jade said, then dragged Lenna over to Hexis and Moras. "Dyasen, would you take her for a second?"

Dyasen nodded, hurrying over with sword still in hand. He grabbed Lenna's arm with his free hand and twisted it backward in the same way Hexis had, holding her steady. Nora wondered whether they'd learned that hold as part of their job, and if so, whether she would too.

"Do either of you know who I am?" Jade asked, positioning herself in front of both bandits.

Apparently, she didn't need Nora to ask the questions anymore, so the girl stepped to the side.

Both bandits shook their heads.

"Ever heard of House Osylisci? First Court?"

This time, they froze.

"Sheer Zenaryx will know your names and descriptions by evening," Jade told them evenly. "She will also know of Lord Avarrys' involvement, so he won't be able to defend you. I suggest you find your friends and leave ZeSarys before anyone needs to get the guards."

After a moment, she nodded to Dyasen and Hexis, who released the bandits. They backed away warily for a few seconds before bolting into the trees.

"Will that work?" Nora asked Dyasen as the group started back toward the road. Hexis and Kynar were in front of them, with Jade taking up the rear.

Dyasen shrugged as he sheathed his sword. "If it does, great. If it doesn't, the city guard will be on lookout for them. We'll tell them to patrol this area a bit more heavily for the next few weeks."

"Oh." She frowned. "Couldn't they have done that in the first place?"

"Oh, probably, but some bandits have grown rather numb to the city guard." After a second, he added, "But generally, Miracca would have only sent one of us—two at most—to do this. The main reason we're all here is to evaluate how you work with us. Which I think you did well, by the way."

She let out a breath. "Thanks."

As they reached the road, Nora noticed that Hexis was being considerably quieter than they had on the way there. Every now and then, Kynar glanced at them, then turned back to the road, fidgeting with her red curls.

I'm not going to feel bad for being uncomfortable around a literal assassin. Still, they had saved her from the bandit, and it didn't feel right to leave that unacknowledged.

"Hexis?" she called.

They turned around, regarding her evenly.

"Thanks for saving me back there. I didn't mean to freeze, but I did, and..." Her voice died off, not sure what to add.

They pursed their lips and nodded. "You know, I do like to help people when I can."

She took a deep breath, nodding back. "For an assassin, you seem to be a decent person," she admitted.

Hexis paused, looked down, and then flicked their eyes to hers for just a second. "Thanks." They turned away and started down the street.

Nora was about to follow when she felt a hand roughly grab her shoulder. She was spun around and came face-to-face with Jade. "Wha-?"

Jade leaned forward until her face was inches from Nora's, a cold look in her gray eyes. "Don't ever call them that again," she said in a low voice.

Nora drew in her breath, heart pounding. "What, an assassin? That's what they labeled themself as, I was just-"

"And that doesn't need any reinforcement. Is that clear?"

She swallowed and nodded.

Jade regarded her for a long moment, then pushed her away, spinning and striding after Hexis, who was now a good distance down the street.

Nora furrowed her brow at the bodyguard's back. Isn't 'assassin' literally their job title? she demanded silently, wishing she'd had the courage to ask the woman directly. And anyway, how was I supposed to know? She let out a long breath, closing and opening her fists, then started off after the others.