11 Innocent Bystander (1/2)

Mina heard some snorting followed by the faint padding of hoofbeats on the still damp forest floor.

After a few whispered words, a loud neigh resounded before the horses galloped away.

From her peripheral vision, she saw the bandit's camp clear up except for her potential right hand.

Out of this world instinct. Check.

Mina's ear perked up, moving from side to side. Her whiskers stiffened and moved outwards. She looked towards the direction of the approaching footsteps.

Out of the darkness, she saw the shadow of a man wearing a sedge hat and two cloaked men trailed behind.

At the moment, a faint light descended on the forest, allowing her to see better. Her focus remained on the man heading the group whose eyes were concealed. He walked in long strides almost without making a sound, each gait precise but relaxed.

From the cover of darkness, Mina knew she was barely visible and she continued to view the man with curiosity. His heels hit the ground first and she observed his lip raise slightly on one side.

With the appearance of this new man, her head popped out of her cover to get a better look before the man got too close.

Clad in a black robe and trousers, the man would look like an apparition if he appeared before someone. Mina greeted the man with a high pitched meow.

The cloaked men bent their head slightly in her direction but the man with the conical hat was not distracted in any way. He continued on his way towards the bandit chief, walking past her.

She was ... ignored. Completely ignored.

She tried to make her way closer to the two men. Spotting a tree close to the vicinity she climbed up to get a better view. She wasn't much of a tree climbing expert but show found it easier to do in a cat's body.

Finding the best vantage point, she sat up, finding the most comfortable position.

She noticed his hand resting an object on his side. Her eyes widened as she yawned.

'I'll need popcorns for this scene.'

She assessed the bandit chief and the sedge hat man. Bandit chief had his feet planted firmly on the ground slightly apart, one foot placed slightly behind him, shoulders pulled back. His chin jutted upwards, his hands sitting on his side. His lips moved slightly.

”Jadon”

A few feet from him, sedge hat man stopped, raising his hand slightly. The cloaked men stayed behind, almost unrecognizable in the cover behind the trees. She saw his hat tilt towards the chief bandit, his eyes locked on the man in the clearing.

”Commandant”