Embers as Bright as a Canopy of Autumn Leaves

His incapable team lay defenceless while he does all the work

Izuku feels the dread build up from his gut, like a snake twisting around its prey. His eyes dart around, from tree to tree as the adrenaline begins pumping through his body. The subtle shake of branches as shadows quickly blocks the sunlight from shining through the canopy of leaves before disappearing does not help in easing his steadily increasing heartbeat.

The mission was simply to scout the kingdom border for any suspicious activity, but things are quickly taking a turn for the worse as the shaking of leaves become louder and quicker. The wind blows through Izuku's wild curly hair and hits his face with a small sting. The sound of horses hooves digging up the landscape in quick, gaping strides and the sheer speed causing the wind to become even more forceful upon his skin, only provides a small hope of escaping his pursuers.

Most of the other guards on surveillance duty with him were lagging behind quite a bit.

'Shit' Izuku thought, internally he was conflicted. While he didn't want to get caught he also didn't want to explain to his superior why the rest of his party hasn't returned (also a small part of him didn't want his group to be harmed. Even though they're assholes.)

'If I slow down we'd all be caught but if I speed up the rest of my group will be caught.' Biting his lip in frustration, and never taking his eye's off his surroundings, he tries to figure out an escape that will ensure his and his parties lives.

'If I use my bow and shoot a warning shot will that scare them away or would that cue them to attack us? I could lead us off trail in an attempt to lose them in the forest? No, that would only work for me because of my green hair and light fabric clothing, as well as my horses brown coat. The rest of my party are dressed in clunky metallic armor and they have white or light coloured horses. Horrible for stealth. But, if I halt us to a stop will the pursuers be thrown off and face us head on. Probably, but even though my team has armor and weapons they aren't very good in an actual battle, so I'd be the one fighting them off while they'd sit around or become a liability or hostage. Ugh, why did I have to be stuck with a group. I can do just fine on my own-'

He was suddenly forced out of his thoughts by the signature sound of an object being flung through the air. As hard as he could he pulled on the reins of his steed causing it to rear up and turn towards the side, blocking the path for anyone else. The sudden action elicited the other guards to halt their horses evoking a similar reaction to their own mounts.

He turned his attention towards the ground in front of him and spots an interesting looking arrow barely impaling the soil just ahead if him.

The arrow has a stone tip and a sturdy looking stick as the shaft. The fletching is made of 2 red robin feathers and 1 blue jay as the index he guesses. Dusty red, orange and yellow-ish twine is holding all the pieces in place it seems. It looks like some sort of tribal arrow, unlike the metal tipped, wooden shafted and goose/turkey fletched arrows they have back at the castle. Huh, cool, but why would they have fired it now?

'Not to harm us, but to stop us from continuing on. This means they are either getting tired or see this as pointless.' Izuku mumbled under his breath. He needed to think of a plan and fast.

He barely registers the sounds of his team whispering worries to each other. Something like 'why did we stop' and 'whats happening'. He looks up and around the tree tops in an attempt to see what they were up against, only to find nothing.

A twig snaps from somewhere around them and echoes throughout the forest. Some of the men wailed and yelped but were quickly hushed by one another and bite their tongues in an attempt to silence themselves.

Izuku swiftly dismounts his horse and places his hand on the dagger he keeps on his hip, ready in case something jumps out at him, as he cautiously looks around for the attacker/s.