The faded, brown, and corroded sign on the ground read “Franny Reese State Park.” They had left the imposing walls of Greystone Barony a half-hour ago, with the sun already high in the sky. The path to the Hud river led them through overgrown trails, where highland woods and thick, tall grass had reclaimed much of the park.

Countess walked at the front, her eyes scanning the path ahead, every muscle in her body tensed with the responsibility of leading her new team. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about being thrust into this leadership role. Doubts gnawed at her, whispering that she wasn’t ready, that she would fail them when it mattered most. But she couldn’t afford to show any weakness. Not now. Not here.

Lin followed close behind, his restless energy evident in the way he kept a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for any threat that might emerge. Vance brought up the rear, his eyes darting nervously from side to side, clearly uncomfortable with the wild surroundings.

Each had been given a pack with basic supplies. The “Mark of the Baron” turned out to be just a square piece of cloth with the Baron’s sigil emblazoned on it. Countess had been given a hastily drawn map to find the Baron’s contact inside the Forbidden Land, but she was sure she wouldn’t need it. In all, it wasn’t much. They all felt overwhelmed and underprepared.

“Absolute shit!” said Lin Hurst. “We’re being sent into a trap. I know it.”

“Whoa there,” said Countess. “I’ve known the Baron for a long time. He’s never deceived me or anyone else I know. The worst he’s ever done is left a detail out to save me from overthinking a mission. In hindsight, I never resented it.”

Countess hoped her confidence in the Baron would reassure Lin, but a part of her worried that she might be wrong. What if the Baron had made a mistake this time? What if she was leading her team into a disaster? She pushed the thought away, focusing on maintaining a calm exterior.

“What about you, Sherwood?” said Lin. “You’ve been quiet this whole time.”

Vance Sherwood said, “Please, just call me Vance.”

“Fine, Vaaaance,” said Lin. “What’s your take? You believe any of this nonsense?”

“I think there’s really only one thing to worry about.”

“And what’s that?” said Countess.

“We don’t know anything about these pagans. And I find it very unnerving that the Baron doesn’t, either. They hit the Barony, killed a lot of people… and almost killed the Baron, too.”

“True,” said Countess. “It was brutal and decisive, and it could have been a lot worse. If this had been a Saug invasion force and they had seized the HQ building—”

“Goodbye Yorke Kingdom,” said Lin.

“Just about,” said Countess. “All they had to do was stay. Claim the Barony as theirs.”

But they didn’t,” said Vance. “They came for the ring, then left, like the Barony had no value to them at all. That’s something to think long and hard about.”

“They did leave some people behind,” said Countess. “But it wasn’t an occupying force. When I interrogated one of them, they said they were left to ensure the main three could get away.”

Countess thought back to the interrogation, the fear in the pagan’s eyes, the uncertainty in his voice. What kind of enemy were they really up against? Could she protect her team from such a mysterious and deadly threat?

“And what about their weapons?” said Lin. “We don’t know what they are, or how they work. This is a huge exposure for us.”

“Look, here’s what I know,” said Countess. “I’ve been dropped into situations that I didn’t completely understand. Situations I thought were hopeless. I’m sure you have too.”

Lin and Vance nodded.

Countess continued, “But I trusted the mission team to give me the best intel and tools for the job. And I always came back alive. The Baron’s never given me a reason not to trust him.”

“Oh, come on, lady!” said Lin.

“You can call me Countess,” she said.

Lin grit his teeth. “Apologies. Countess. Can’t you see we’re being hung out to dry here?! These pagans took out a small army of the Baron’s elite guards. Walked through them like they weren’t even there. What chance do you think we have?!”

“I think…” said Countess. “That we need to go meet Hollymane. I think there’s a lot we still don’t know. And I think we need to stick together, and keep a level head about all of this. Because we’re about to go in… there.” She pointed to the ribbon of dark cloud which loomed above the tree line ahead. “And if the rumors are true—”

“Yeah,” said Vance. “That over there… the Forbidden Land… that’s death. We shouldn’t bicker like this in that place. Not even for a moment.”

They continued walking, and the silence between them grew heavy. Countess knew she needed to break it to foster some camaraderie.

“So, Lin,” Countess began, her voice steady, “how did you come to be an assassin?”
 Lin shrugged, not breaking his stride. “My orphanage, when I was a kid. Some kind of selection program for the intelligence service—”

“Wait,” Countess interrupted. “Do you know Oakfield Orphanage?”

“Oakfield?” said Lin. “No. I was at Rockport Orphanage.”

“Bracklaven! So we’re all orphans?” said Vance. “That’s… interesting.”

“Very,” said Countess. She thought about the implications. She thought back on her own life, and her induction into the intelligence service. It made sense that they would recruit from orphanages. They could monitor the children, watch them play, choose which showed resilience and potential. Countess herself was selected at a young age and moved to another orphanage. They were encouraged to play a certain way: climbing and sneaking and hiding. She loved it and liked to show off for the adults. And they encouraged her.

The team emerged from the dense forest and into a large open field with tall grass. When they were about halfway through, Lin’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the tall grass.

“There’s something hunting us,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Countess instinctively moved closer to Vance, her senses on high alert. “What is it?”

Lin didn’t answer immediately. He moved like a shadow, slipping into the grass without a sound. Moments later, they heard the unmistakable sounds of a struggle – grunts, a guttural snarl, and the swift, wet sound of a blade meeting flesh.

Vance’s face drained of color, his eyes wide with fear. Countess put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, though her own heart pounded in her chest.

A few minutes later, Lin emerged from the tall grass, dragging something large behind him. He approached Countess with a smug grin and tossed a massive head at her feet. The creature's head was grotesque, resembling a mutated dog with huge fangs and powerful jaws, its lifeless eyes still open.

“Done,” Lin said simply, wiping blood from his sword. “Child’s play. Literally. When I was at the orphanage—not my original one, but the fancy one—they used to send us out in hunting parties for these things.”

“What is it?” Vance asked, his voice trembling.

Lin shrugged again, sheathing his sword. “No idea. There was no official name for them. We just called them ‘Medium Uglies.’ There are others out there, but they won’t mess with us now. I took down the alpha, and now the rest have a free meal.”

“Medium Uglies?” said Countess. “Are there ‘Big Uglies’?”

“And ‘Very Big Uglies,’” said Lin. “That would be what we encountered in the carriage.”

Countess frowned, remembering. “Let’s keep moving,” she instructed, her voice firm. “And stay close. We’re not out of the woods yet.”