Following someone who didn’t want to be tailed was difficult, especially when working alone.
Far from being discouraged, Alena turned around and paralleled Niles on her current street. When she reached the cross street she had just passed, she looked left and saw Niles coming straight toward her.
She didn’t see any flash of recognition in his eyes, so she blended into a group of customers outside a food stall and waited for him to pass. After a few moments, she picked up his trail again.
They walked another two blocks, and Alena found herself grateful the weather was nice outside, encouraging crowded streets. Alena was a bit shorter than most girls her age, so she was hard to spot in a group.
Niles ducked into a shop and Alena walked past, glancing in as she did. Niles bowed to the owner, then stepped into a small room behind the main shop.
This wasn’t the Niles she expected. His face didn’t have any of the pride he’d displayed so openly at the academy.
Bayt’s worries seemed more likely than ever, but Alena couldn’t shy away from the challenge. Was this new student finally a match for the skills she’d developed over the years? Her heart beat a little faster at the possibility.
Alena went into a shop across the street, keeping an eye on the room Niles had ducked into. When he emerged, she almost dropped the fruit she pretended to examine.
Niles’ well-made clothes were gone. In their place he wore a tunic even more ragged than her own. He bowed to the shopkeeper one more time, then stepped back onto the street.
Alena remembered the fear in Bayt’s eyes when he had spoken of the Arrowoods. Reason told her it was wisest to leave Niles alone. He had training she hadn’t expected and was clearly trying to lose any pursuers. But it had the feeling of a daily routine. She didn’t think he was aware of her. He just didn’t want to be followed.
She didn’t care much about Bayt’s offer of a reward. She had plenty of money.
But she hadn’t had a challenge in months.
Alena put the fruit down and followed Niles.
He was good.
Niles took several unnecessary turns, sometimes walking around the block and sometimes just doubling back on his path. Alena hung far back from her classmate. She didn’t take risks. If she lost Niles today, she could try again tomorrow. Patience rewarded victory.
As near as she could tell, Niles never noticed her.
It was the most difficult task she’d attempted in recent memory. Her heart beat faster and her palms were damp. She had a smile on her face.
This was fun.
Niles’ path led him to a section of town Alena hadn’t expected to visit. It wasn’t the worst part of town, which was far to the west, but it was a rundown section. The buildings here were in various states of disrepair, and most of the citizens who lived in the area were the empire’s wage earners, the citizens who did the work required of them by law and earned just enough to live.
Their lives could be worse. Everyone had food on the table and a shelter over their heads, but little else.
As evening approached, the streets became quieter. Workers returned home from their day of service and families sat down to eat.
Fortunately, Niles found his destination before the streets emptied too much for Alena to follow him.
He looked both ways before entering, and Alena’s gut told her this had been his destination the entire time.
Alena looked up to the rooftops. With the streets emptying out, she couldn’t stay on the streets unobserved much longer. If she wanted to watch the building, the rooftops were her best bet. Better to hide out of sight than try to blend in.
Alena found a potential spot on a house across the street from the small one Niles had entered. She made herself light and climbed up the wall with ease. Once she was on top she settled in to watch.
She didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. Bayt had been willing to pay for any information. Perhaps the location of this place would be enough. But she figured she could watch for a while, see if she saw anything interesting, then report to Bayt on her way home.
Alena had been waiting for a while when she saw the door to the building open. A man stepped out, slightly taller than Niles. The family resemblance was easy to see, though. Alena guessed she was looking at Niles’ father.
She felt a chill go down her spine as she looked at him. Niles had been a mystery, but there were no questions about this man. He moved with a cold precision, every movement calculated. After a single heartbeat, Alena knew there wasn’t a chance she could follow him successfully. Niles was the student, but this was the master.
The man stood outside his door for some time. Alena slowed her breath, wondering if he was listening for the presence of observers. No normal person could have heard her from so far away, but she had heard stories of martial artists who had honed their senses to an incredible degree. Just looking at this man made her believe those stories.
Eventually, he left, so silent and quick Alena almost didn’t believe he’d ever been there.
Alena made no movement. Something about that man had frightened her, and she didn’t plan on leaving the safety of her rooftop until she was absolutely sure he was gone. And when she left, she fully planned on heading out in a different direction. She didn’t want to risk even a chance encounter.
She watched for a while longer, but there was no further activity from the house. Alena could see silhouettes moving inside. One was probably Niles, and another looked to be his mother. Based on what she could see, it looked like this was where the Arrowoods lived.
Why had Niles worked so hard to disguise his movements? And why did a named
