Undercurrents in the Wind

The next morning, a thin mist shrouded the valley. Droplets falling from the leaves tapped softly against the ground. Ryan rose early, but instead of immediately beginning his usual intense weighted training, he first climbed the high slope to the north. From there, his view stretched out from the valley floor, letting him see the distant ridges and the pale gray band of mist to the south—the direction from which the soldiers had appeared yesterday.

The cool night wind had carried away the scents, leaving the valley clean and quiet. Yet Ryan had not fully relaxed. The smell mingled with a creature's scent in yesterday's soil still lingered in his memory. It was not a trace left by an ordinary beast. He knew very well that once such a smell appeared within the range of human activity, it meant greater trouble was slowly drawing near.

After returning to the valley floor, he changed into lighter gear and canceled the day's heavy-load plan. Instead, he began patrolling the forest and surveying the surroundings at a faster pace. He moved swiftly along the edge of the valley, ducking beneath vines and leaping over slick rocks. Every landing kept him in Zetsu, avoiding the notice of creatures in the forest. This sort of training differed from ordinary physical exercise. It was closer to real combat, requiring a balance between silence and speed.

After a careful search, he finally found several fresh traces to the northwest. They were not obvious and required close inspection to spot. Among them were a few small shoeprints, seemingly left by light footwear. The prints were extremely shallow, as though their maker was not very heavy. There were also marks on the bark where it had been shaved by a sharp tool, indicating that someone had used some kind