The lizard did not slow after its brief hunt. Once the creature had swallowed the small animal and wiped its blade clean against the soil, it resumed its march through the forest with the same steady pace it had kept since dawn. Whatever task guided it forward had not changed. The interruption had meant nothing to it. Its posture remained upright and controlled, the long tail swaying lightly behind it with each step to keep its balance.

  Grub followed behind it carefully. He moved silently as his thoughts betrayed him. He couldn’t stop it. A feeling of dread sat within his stomach.

  The moment with the thrown weapon lingered in his mind far longer than he would have liked. For a single heartbeat he had believed the pursuit was over—that the creature had somehow seen through the trees and brush and discovered him. Even now, as he moved silently between the trunks, the memory of the blade striking the ground beside him replayed itself again and again in his thoughts.

  That was too close. Much too close. If he had been half a step closer to the undergrowth where the animal had been hiding, the weapon might have struck him instead.

  He forced the thought aside. If he kept the fear in his heart he would make mistakes. He couldn’t afford any mistakes.

  The forest gradually brightened as the morning continued to spread through the canopy. Sunlight filtered through narrow breaks in the leaves above, falling in pale beams that illuminated drifting moisture in the air. Droplets of last night’s rain still clung stubbornly to the branches, occasionally falling in heavy drops that struck bark or soil with a quiet tap.

  The smell of wet earth had begun to fade as well, replaced slowly by the sharper scent of warming wood and crushed leaves beneath the rising sun. If he wasn’t currently tailing a lizard soldier Grub might’ve thought it was peaceful. But he paid the calm environment no mind as he focused on his objective. Grub moved carefully through the trees, always keeping the lizard in sight when possible.

  The creature did not behave like an animal wandering through unfamiliar land. Every movement it made carried a quiet certainty. When the ground dipped unexpectedly, it stepped around the softer soil without hesitation. When thick brush blocked the path, it shifted slightly left or right to avoid the densest growth.

  It was an expert at crossing this route it seemed. That detail alone told Grub more than any track on the ground could.

  His injured leg complained with every longer stride he took. The burn along his calf still throbbed faintly from the rain the previous day, and the muscle beneath the bandage trembled whenever he placed too much weight on it too quickly. Several times he had to pause briefly behind a tree trunk, pretending to study the terrain ahead while the muscle settled again. His ribs were no better.

  Each breath pulled slightly against the damaged bone beneath the claw marks. Leaning too far forward tightened the skin along his side until it felt as though the wound might split open again. But the pain was manageable. He refused to take the chance of letting the pain consume him

  The forest floor began to change as they moved deeper along the route. At first the differences were subtle—small details easy to miss for anyone not paying close attention. Grass bent in consistent directions along narrow corridors. Patches of soil had been pressed flatter than the surrounding ground. Certain clusters of low branches had been cut cleanly away rather than broken by animals or storms.

  Grub crouched briefly beside one of the cut branches while the lizard moved ahead. The pale interior wood showed clearly where a blade had passed through it. The cut had been made weeks ago at least, perhaps longer, but it had not faded yet. Someone returned to these paths to continue clearing it for future use. It has probably been cleared more than once. He stood and continued forward.

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  The further they moved, the more signs appeared. A line of shallow tracks pressed into the soil where many feet had passed through the same stretch of ground. A small stone placed deliberately on top of another, the upper rock turned slightly to one side. Grub stopped when he noticed that one.

  At first glance it appeared natural. But the angle was wrong. He crouched slowly beside the stones and studied them. The upper rock had been rotated deliberately so that one pointed edge faced the direction the lizard had traveled. It was a simple marker that wouldn’t be too obvious. But obvious enough to complete its purpose. Anyone familiar with the path would recognize it immediately.

  Grub looked up toward the direction the lizard had taken.

  That meant this or maybe close by paths were patrol routes. A clear sign of organized movement

  Not just a single scout wandering through the forest. Others passed through here regularly. Grub could only wonder what this path was used for. And where it headed from and too. He rose and continued forward with even greater caution.

  Ahead, the lizard slowed slightly as the ground dipped between two low ridges where the soil remained damp from recent rain. Grub lowered himself automatically as the creature crossed the depression. The ground there had been churned heavily. Perhaps by people carrying heavy equipment or maybe some sort of moving locomotive? Grub couldn’t be sure of the specifics

  The lizard stepped through the depression without hesitation and climbed the opposite side of the ridge. When it disappeared between the trees again, Grub approached the disturbed soil carefully. He crouched and studied the prints buried in the dirt. Several prints matched the one he had been following. But there were others. Some deeper. Others seemed lighter. Different stride lengths. Different spacing. A handful of individuals at least—possibly more.

  He brushed aside a thin layer of leaves near one of the clearer impressions and examined the edge of the print closely. The soil had begun to dry along the outer ridges. Older than the track he followed. Which meant others had passed through here earlier. Perhaps earlier that morning. Grub’s pulse quickened slightly. Could they already been in territory?

  He rose again and resumed the pursuit.

  Ahead, the lizard paused briefly near a narrow ridge where the trees grew slightly farther apart. It turned its head slowly, scanning the forest with the same careful pattern Grub had already learned to recognize.

  It looked around slowly, examining its surroundings and trying to recall where to go. After a while the creature gave a small nod. Seemingly satisfied, the creature continued walking.

  Grub waited until the lizard disappeared beyond the ridge before moving again. He stepped carefully along the side of the depression rather than crossing through the center where his own prints would remain visible.

  As he climbed the ridge after it, something else caught his attention—scratches. Three long marks carved into the bark of a tree beside the path. It didn’t seem like it was made from normal animal claws. The marks were much too deliberate for that.

  Grub stepped closer and examined them. The marks had been cut with a blade. Three lines paralleled with each other. Each angled slightly upward. Yet another signal. He memorized the shape before continuing.

  The forest beyond the ridge felt quieter than the land behind him. The trees grew slightly thinner here, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground. The undergrowth had been worn down by repeated passage, leaving narrow corridors of compacted soil between the trunks.

  Grub spotted the lizard again ahead. The creature had not stopped. It moved steadily through the thinning forest, still heading northwest. Still following the same invisible line through the land. Grub continued after it, careful to keep distance while maintaining sight.

  The deeper they traveled along the route, the clearer the signs became. This was more than just a single path that this creature was following. It was part of a system.

  And with every step forward, the chances of encountering more of the lizard’s kind grew higher. Grub felt the tension building slowly in his chest as he moved between the trees. He had followed the creature this far without being discovered. But the deeper he entered their territory, the harder that would become. And eventually— Someone would notice the intruder walking their roads.