Checkmate

The Board

I knelt and examined the forest floor intently, then inhaled deeply, wrinkling my nose a little at the familiar stench.

Pursing my lips, I let out a low, quivering warble, a songbird's call. At once, I heard a slightly higher pitched tweeting. 

I focused my eyes back on the forest floor, following the debris trail to the edge of the grove and beyond, into the trees.

I heard a rustling behind me and turned just as Jax jumped down from the trees, landing a few inches from me.

"They were here." I said, gesturing at the tell-tale scuff marks I'd found. 

"Well if that didn't give them away, their scent would." Jax said, waving one hand in front of his nose. "Unmistakeable pong. When do you suppose any of them last had a wash?"

"Just be glad their hygiene's suspect." I reminded, as I indicated the trail. "Or else, we'd be weeks behind them, not days."

"Small mercies." Jax bent down to pick up a trampled substance, examining it before throwing it back. "And they might realise their mistake any time and cover their scent."

"Hopefully not before they take us to the ringleader." I said, as we followed the trail out of the grove. "They're heading north again." 

"My turn on the ground."

He overtook me, eyes fixed on the trail, while I did a quick jump up into the tree cover and followed him, hopping from branch to branch, scanning the territory below as I did and keeping a sharp lookout for more signs of our quarry as well as for any stray wildlings or people. The last thing we needed was trouble with any of the local tribes. We weren't on Clanlands any more, we hadn't been for a long time now.

We were tracking a small group of Rogues who had been causing a bit of trouble at the border settlements, particularly near Pendragon. Ordinarily, this would be in the Guard domain, but  the Guard had called us in because they'd been convinced something else was going on.

So were we. These Rogues were surprisingly organised, striking with precision and timing, careful to avoid witnesses or leaving evidence. They were nonviolent and nonconfrontational, slipping away whenever those situations arose, and seemed to be looking for something, if their targets were anything to go by. Naturally, it had stirred our interest.

So Jax and I had watched and waited. 

On their next foray, we hadn't rushed to catch them, we had simply watched and followed.

Which is when we'd learned that they were definitely looking for something - we hadn't yet discovered what - that there were more groups out there - and that there was someone organising them.

And here we were, following them, hopefully back to their base, as they took us through the heart of the largest forest in all the Clanlands and the only one not under any Clan's jurisdiction. 

This was Clenlevin, a good three weeks from our Clan's territories, home to a number of Exiles, NonClan folk and forest tribes, known as the Clenlevinate. I'd met some of the latter before, even knew the current Adanta or leader, but this was their territory, not ours, and I preferred caution. I didn't want any of their poison arrows near me. 

It didn't look like it would be an issue for too long, though. The Rogues had been weaving their way through the forest and were approaching its northern-most border. We'd soon be out of Clenlevin.

The trouble was, we'd also soon be in another Clan's territory. 

Clan Krevin.

I wasn't sure what was worse, the Clenlevinate or Clan Krevin's Border Guard.