By the time they decided to execute their master plan, dusk was approaching. The waning sun stretched their shadows, and the golden light would catch even the slightest glimmer of a blade. It wasn't the ideal conditions Alicia had been hoping for. Truth be told, she would prefer to wait until night had swallowed them completely, but she supposed it would have to do. The trek through the forest had been perilous enough when they could see where they were going. The gods only know what had been lurking in their burrows, waiting for twilight to cover the world, waiting to strike.

She'd insisted she was capable and ready, waving their concerns away with a dismissive hand and sly smile, but it was all through annoyingly gritted teeth. She would never admit it, but her shoulder was still in agony from where that royal bitch had sunk her teeth into it. "Never let them see you're vulnerable," Monique had said firmly as she'd applied ice to the bruises on Jayda's blackened face. "Never show weakness, my girls, because that's when the monsters will get you."

When she was a little girl, the monsters had always been dragons or beholders or things that go bump in the night. That seemed so silly now.

The pain may be there, but the show must go on, Alicia repeated to herself over and over as she and Janus prepared themselves for their endeavour. She honestly surprised her that the cat was taking it so seriously. Compared to his constant playing the fool and never-ending sweet-talking, his silent and dutiful manner was a refreshing change. A change that she was happy to take full advantage of, albeit while it lasted.

With Bella's aid, the most tactically inclined of their mishmash posse, they came up with a plan. She and Janus would scale the tallest wall, hiding along the battlement until they found a dark, secluded corner. From there, they would wait for a passing patrol and then pluck them from the ground, slitting their throats before they could cry out. They would need to be quick and as efficient as a master assassin; the plan relied on it. While it would be challenging to execute, it wasn't beyond her level of expertise, but that wasn't where her apprehension came in.

No, it was the new addition that had her doubtful. They could drop the corpses of the first two back to the group without any issues, but the wrinkle came from the third goblin, the one they needed alive. Even if no one had noticed the two missing patrollers, they would somehow have to grab the goblin, heave it over the wall, as a struggling weight no less, drop it to the others, drag it back up the hill and shove it headfirst into the bag of holding all without it calling for backup or fighting back.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Janus said dryly just before she smacked him.

Then as if it couldn't possibly get more convoluted, they found out they would be down a set of hands.

"I fail to see how this could be less important than some silly creature," Alicia had snapped. "We need all hands for this, which includes you."

Hel had simply shouldered his bow in response. "You heard Mez; she doesn't just want a goblin. The only creatures we've found so far that are infected are animals and beasts, and those we brought back were so rotten she couldn't do anything with them! I saw fresh deer tracks on the way in. If I snare one, I can bring it back alive. Maybe then Mez'll be able to tell us something new."

"Do you need any help?" Bella offered.

The young man shook his head. "No offence, but I don't think you guys know all that much about hunting. Nah, you'll just slow me down. I promise I'll be as quick as I can, though."

That had been two hours ago, and the half-elf had yet to reappear, so the rest of the group had decided to carry on without him. Besides, he wasn't exactly going over the top.

The tabaxi and the elf prepared quickly and quietly. Neither of the pair wore particularly clunky armour, with the cat never using it in general. Still, Janus chose to abandon his axes, staff and javelin that he was somehow carrying on his person to the care of Aldrich. The latter he cheerfully threatened with clawing his eyes out if there was so much as a scratch on his stuff. How exactly Janus would notice the slightest dent beneath the dried blood and viscera clinging to his weapons was beyond Alicia entirely. Perhaps his eyes really were what he boasted them to be?

With all but their essential gear stowed away and a final scan for prying eyes, the two broke from the trees and tore towards the walls at a full sprint. For a moment, Alicia allowed herself to be impressed by the speed and grace of her ally. His footfalls were utterly silent in a way that made even her expertly trained, muffled steps sound like an army marching towards the ruins. In fact, if he hadn't of been stood beside her, she doubted she would have even known he was there at all.

On the other hand, scaling the wall was another matter entirely, one that Janus utterly decimated her in. To her defence, it wasn't exactly like Alicia had built-in hooks right at her fingertips. At one point, that stone she grabbed hold of snapped loose in her palm, and for a terrifying moment, she felt herself plummeting towards the ground. But Alicia needn't have braced for the impact. A moment later, a hairy paw had encircled her wrist, and Janus hauled her the rest of the way up the wall and onto the crumbling, but thankfully stable, battlements.

Alicia took a moment to catch her breath and peer down onto the goblin encampment from their fresh viewpoint. She couldn't pick out any more of the little terrors but could certainly pick out the ugly, lashed together lumps of wood and metal they were calling "weapons". They would be no match for her daggers and Janus's claws, but Alicia knew how people acted when they were cornered. She had seen time and time again how the other girls in the brothel had become wildcats once they realised their clients weren't just looking for a good time.

"So," Janus whispered from her right. His flaming amber eyes blazed against the blackness of the night. "What's the plan here? We doin' this as an ambush or a hunt?"

Alicia scanned the darkened shadows and flickering torchlight. She knew better than to go hunting, although it would be a damn sight quicker. "We have time," she said eventually, "we can't make mistakes; we're too deep into enemy territory. One slip up, and we'll have an army against us. We should wait to see where the patrol routes are, find a corner where we know they'll pass by and then strike. We need to do this together, or it won't work."

To that, Janus did something that made Alicia's blood boil. The little brat smirked.

"What's so amusing to you?" she snapped.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that that's a bit rich coming from you, darling. Now I may not be a smart cat, but my memory ain't half bad and if I recall correctly, the last time we were in a situation like this, "working together" wasn't exactly in your ideology."

That goddamned owlbear! "Will you ever let me forget that? It was a mistake!"

"A mistake that almost got you ate sweetheart, but I get it. You come from a world where it's every man, or woman for that matter, for themselves."

"And you don't mister 'I-rip-peoples-arms-off-for-the-entertainment-of-others?'"

"Okay, maybe not so much in the arena, but you gotta remember I wasn't born in there. I'm from a charming little dustbowl called Nsaba. It's barren, hot, and it's got monsters from your worst nightmares plodding around like it's no big deal. It wasn't an easy life; you're all but one meal from death at any moment, but so long as you've got your allies at your back, you've no reason to worry."

"What's your point?"

"My point, my dear, is like it or not, you're no lone wolf anymore. We're part of a pack now, and the only way we're seeing this right to the end is by sticking together."

Any retort that Alicia could've possibly come up with died on her tongue. She kicked herself for it. Damn it! Damn it all to hell! Why did he have to be right? Even before she'd started killing her clients, she had always had to fend for herself. After sharpening her blades, despite the other girls turned a grateful blind eye, they had pushed Alicia to the edge of the circle for fear of what would happen if she got caught.

Truth be told, it did prove useful after Royce Fletchmond's guts stained the silk sheets red. The last year had forced her to be more independent than ever, and as foolish as it sounded, she had expected to slip into this new role just as quickly. The truth was like jumping into a stormy sea. In the end, all Alicia could do was hope she could learn to swim before the waves swallowed her whole.

Alicia readied herself for the inevitable taunting or snide remark from Janus.

"C'mon, I think down there would be a good spot to hide. Besides, this place gives me the heebee jeebees, and Aldrich wants to skin one of the little bastards. Let's not keep him waiting, eh?"

Alicia blinked in surprise but said nothing even as she followed the tabaxi down the wall and to the darkened nook he'd spotted. Interesting. How very interesting indeed. Alicia was very familiar with Janus's type, or at least she thought she was. All flash and ego. But there was something else there, something deeper, something hidden far beneath the pure white teeth and styled fur.

He wasn't the only one hiding something, oh no, the others were all possibly drowning in secrets, but they at least all matched her expectations. The traumatised runaway, the tomboy seeking recognition, the stuck up stickler for the rules and the loner with something dark in their past, but Janus? Hmm, now that one was a puzzle, and one way or another, Alicia knew she had to solve it

Once carefully hidden, it was simply a matter of waiting. They allowed the first patrols to walk by, carefully timing the gap between each duo, and they were always in pairs. That would undoubtedly make snagging the one for Mezur a little trickier, but that was a bridge they'd have to burn later. For now, they had, well, maybe not bigger, but certainly more fish to fry.

The patrol they chose was the first one that had passed them, and to say they didn't know what hit them was an understatement, to put it mildly. Alicia darted forwards, putting her years of experience to use, seizing the wretched creature by the throat with one hand and clamping the other over its toothed maw. The goblin squirmed, fruitlessly trying to nip at the palm of her hand before Alicia drew her curved dagger over its throat. It struggled for just a moment before falling limp in her grasp, blood rapidly darkening her leather tunic.

Janus's too was dispatched with admirable efficiency. It took a few more moments to die, what with the cats claws not being as long as her knife, but the three matching grooves did their job eventually. It also let loose a truly terrible smell. It was simply foul, like...rotting meat...

The pair shared a worried look but silently agreed to say nothing. After all, they had more pressing matters to attend to, and as Alicia knew all too well, it wasn't the killing that was the tricky part. It was getting rid of the damn body that always caught people out. Thank the gods that goblins rarely got fat. And that Alicia has the wisdom to bring a rope.

It was challenging and tedious, but with Janus perched atop the wall, hauling the corpses with all his might and Alicia keeping a careful watch out for unwanted attention, they successfully managed to dump their prizes. Alicia caught a glimpse of an armour-clad woman and a very happy dwarf hopping excitedly from one foot to the other between the gaps in the stone.

"I worry about that dwarf," Alicia muttered once Janus was within earshot.

"I think we're a bit past that," Janus replied.

The elf smirked. "Perhaps, but at least he can't get this next one, which we need to find somehow."

"Tell you what," the tabaxi swished his leopard-like tail like a wand, "I'll stay up on the wall, and you stay in the shadows. When you find a loner, cause a distraction, and I'll grab it from above."

"Sounds like my sort of plan."

So she stalked through the ruins, hood raised to cover her shock of white hair, slinking through the shadows with effortless ease like she was part of the very darkness itself. Rather annoyingly, all the goblins seemed to have unanimously decided they were done for the night as there wasn't a single bloodthirsty menace to speak of. More than once, she found herself glancing imploringly up at the golden figure scurrying above her.

They were almost at the centre of the ruins before they found their first goblin, and Alicia had to do a double-take at the sight of it. It was sitting alone by a darkening fire with its back to the assassins. It was slowly turning what appeared to be an engorged rat on a rusted spit. It was beyond thin, skeletal, in fact, with its hair lanky and thin with grease. But that wasn't surprising, and neither were the bruises coating its yellowish skin. No, what got Alicia was the smell, the same smell she had picked up on when she had slit the throat of the other goblin. It was also eerily similar to the repellent odour of the rotting spider.

But Alicia saw no other candidates, so this skinny little freak would have to do, but she still readied herself. If this goblin was infected, it would be stronger than usual, and getting the jump on it would be no easy feat. Alicia waved up to Janus and pointed to the lone figure. He nodded and crouched down low so she could only just make out the top of his head in a way that couldn't help but remind Alicia of a shuffling pre-pounce house cat. It was pretty adorable, actually.

Drawing her dagger, Alicia crept forwards. She treaded carefully, inching closer and closer until the goblin was within range. She knew she couldn't slit its throat, but the butt of her knife would undoubtedly make an adequate bludgeoning device in such a pinch.

She had just got close enough to the goblin, certainly close enough to take a few deep breathes of its noxious fumes. Alicia desperately fought the urge to gag, but as it became brutally obvious, she hadn't been quiet enough. The flat head whipped around with enough speed to make her step back in alarm and cry out in elvish.

The goblin didn't wait for her to regain her bearings and pounced on her, tackling Alicia to the ground. As it took them down, Alicia could only think, "How the hell is this thing so strong?" before her thoughts were overwhelmed by the goblin trying to sink its teeth into her neck.

Instinct was the only thing that threw her arm up in time to take the brunt of the blow, but the goblins fangs still tore through her bracers and into her flesh. Alicia screamed through gritted teeth as the blood poured from the wound. Realising she was still gripping her dagger, she smashed the hilt against the goblins temple, its fangs realising from her arm. She then drove her knee into its gut, and the goblin was sent sprawling.

It rose jerkily to its feet before Alicia even had time to sit up straight. It lunged once more, and Alicia braced for another impact just as the tiny form crumpled like a concertina under what could only be described as a golden blur.

Alicia pushed herself upright. Her heart began hammering in her chest as the sound of shrill voices started to erupt from seemingly everywhere. "We need to get out of here! Quickly!"

Janus was almost a foot taller than Alicia and, by extension, nearly twice the height of the goblin. Still, he was clearly fighting to keep the goblin pinned beneath him. It scrabbled and fought, lashing out like a wild animal. Janus was having to keep his face out of range to avoid losing an eye.

"I think I figured that!" he puffed and gasped for breath. "Grab the rope! We need to bind this little shitbag before his friends show up!"

Alicia moved as quickly as she could to bind the ropes around the writhing body. In any other situation, she might have expected Janus to remark how good she was with knots. Still, the goblin had just made another pass at his throat, and he had more pressing matters on his mind. The ordeal took less than a few seconds, but now fires were lighting, and the distant voices were now growing in volume to a chorus of battle cries.

"Janus!"

The tabaxi grabbed the package and threw it over his shoulder like a sack of flour. "I'm ready! C'mon!"

He grabbed her hand, and the pair sprinted as fast as they could towards the walls, all while the goblin thrashed and kicked and squirmed, trying everything it could to get free. Over the sound of blood pounding in her ears, Alicia swore she heard feet behind her, and sure enough, as she glanced quickly over her shoulder, there they were. Great, she thought irritably, the cavalry's here.

Thinking quick, she shoved her hand into the pouch on her belt and scattered the contents behind her. She grinned as she heard the first goblin plummet face-first onto the cracked flagstones, a grin that only spread wider as the second and third thud followed swiftly. Ball bearings, you gotta love 'em.

It wasn't much of a distraction, but it bought them enough time to reach the wall. Janus shot up first, leaving Alicia with the struggling mass. He threw down another line of rope, and Alicia worked quickly to attach the goblin to it. The tabaxi vanished for a moment and then something that sounded worryingly like, "Look out below!"

Alicia jumped back just in time as the goblin shot into the air, its panicked shrieking only drowned out by an earth-shattering crash from the other side of the wall. But she'd have to worry about that later because she had a slightly more pressing issue on her hands, and its name was approaching goblin horde.

Alicia scrabbled up the loose stone, which seemed like it was crumbling under every touch. She was about halfway up when her heart jumped to her throat, and a claw tugged at her ankle. Desperately she dug her fingers into the moss and dirt while simultaneously trying to drive her foot into the evil-eyed face beneath her. The goblin snarled and licked its lips, white froth dripping from blackened gums. Black? Why were they black?!

"ALICIA!"

She stared upwards, wondering stupidly why the wall seemed to be above her all of a sudden. Then came the dawning realisation, and Alicia swung herself clear, her wounded arm screaming in protest as it took her full weight. The stone hurtled past her, skimming the edge of her cloak and slamming straight into the face of the goblin who'd grabbed her.

To say it was turned to paste was an understatement, but Alicia was beyond the point of caring about the little fucker. With renewed determination, she hauled herself towards Janus's outstretched paw, grabbing it mid-jump. He dragged her up the rest of the way, and now they were both stood on the top of the battlements shaking and gasping for air.

Alicia peered down both sides of the wall at the two opposing scenes. On one side, there was a gaggle of six goblins, all sadly still alive, except the one that now resembled nothing more than a puddle of blood and various chunks, and attempting to crawl up the uneven stones after them. On the other side was a group of multiple races, including a previously missing half-elf, all wearing suitably stunned expressions and with a writhing bundle of rope at their feet.

"Evening Hel!" she called down cheerfully. "So nice of you to join us!"

"Wha' in the name of Moradin have you been doin' over there!" Aldrich yelled.

Janus hopped back as an arrow almost buried itself in his leg. "No time for that now! Get it into the bag! We need to get out of here!"

The others seemed to pick up what the hurry was from the sounds of screeching and clanging weaponry. By the time Alicia and Janus had hopped down, and Alicia noticed the stone Janus had used as a rudimentary pulley system, the bag of holding was stretched as wide open as it could go. Alicia dashed forwards to help Hel keep the thing open. At the same time, Janus added to the combined strength of Aldrich, Bella and Carnate to try and shove the goblin headfirst into the bag.

She couldn't help but stare in shock. Even with the four of them, the goblin struggled and thrashed, once actually throwing Bella clear off her feet. Another arrow rained down from above. It bounced of Carnate's armour, but it wouldn't take long before their luck ran out.

But it prevailed for just a moment longer as, with one final colossal effort, the four pushed the goblin fully into the bag. Hel moved like lightning, slamming the flap shut and throwing the strap over his shoulder. Just in time, too, as this time a dagger sunk into the ground, inches from the back of Alicia's boot.

Bella stared up at the enemies on the wall and cursed loudly enough to make a sailor blush. "And that's our cue! Get to the horses! We're better taking our chances with the woods rather than this lot!"

"That's the best idea I've ever heard!" Hel responded as he streaked up the hill towards the treeline.

Pausing only to grab Janus's hand once more, the party dashed as fast as their legs could carry them with the horde close on their heels. But even as she went, even though her muscles were burning, Alicia found herself smiling. As she followed Janus up onto his horse and the dim twilight was swallowed by the never-ending black of the woods, the smile turned to laughter, victorious helpless laughter that mixed wonderfully with the deep rolling laugh of the tabaxi in front of her.

So- she thought to herself as the wind and twigs snapped through her hair and raked along her skin- this is what adventure is supposed to be.