Kithleigh Nightmane had always been small, even for a halfling, but she’d learned to use her small size to her advantage. Her quick hands and sharp wit had always been a source of pride—though she rarely showed it. In the village of Oxbow Landing, where every stone had a tale and every tale a shadow of its own, Kith found that the fewer people noticed her, the better. She’d spent her days sneaking through the back alleys, taking things that weren’t hers, and disappearing before anyone noticed. No one ever suspected her—a youngling from a respectable tavern-owning family, with little ambition beyond keeping the business profitable.

But that was before the fire, and the letter.

An old, crinkled piece of parchment that had seen better days appeared at her door. Smeared with ink, it looked like it’d traveled through storms and across great distances. Kith held it with trembling fingers. She recognized the handwriting.

Kithleigh,
The letter began in an elegant, yet firm hand:
Your presence is required. Time is short. Do not waste it.

At the bottom was the familiar symbol—a silver crescent moon entwined with a serpent—a mark Kith knew too well. The seal of the Hidden Hand, a network of spies and assassins operating in the shadows of the kingdoms. Since the fire, they’d hunted her, tracking her every movement, trying to recruit her into their ranks.

Kith had always refused. The Hidden Hand was not a group she wanted any part of. They were dangerous, ruthless, and manipulative. Yet, a previous letter spoke of a debt she’d never fully understood, one that lingered ever since the tavern caught fire, killing her family. Kith’s father had warned her to stay away from them, but had never explained why.

Now, it seemed, time ran out.

Kith had no intention of answering the summons. She slipped out that night, packing only the essentials—a few valuables, a blade, and a heavy dark cloak—and set out into the woods. The dense forest bordering the Landing had always been her sanctuary. Her feet knew every hidden path, every private nook where she hid from prying eyes.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting its silvery light through the trees, branches rustling in the late autumn wind. The leaf-covered ground rasped beneath Kith’s boots as she crept deeper into the forest, breath visible in the cold air.

Her heart raced; she pushed her unease aside. She’d lived her whole life in the margins, never quite fitting in with society. The idea of freedom was a powerful one, and in the woods, Kith felt that pull stronger than ever.

But that night, something was different. It wasn’t just the letter. It was a sense of being watched, the unsettling presence of the unknown just beyond the reach of her senses. Kith stopped, sharp ears straining for any sound—anything out of place.

Wind whispered through the trees, and for a moment, Kith thought she heard a faint crackle in the underbrush. She spun around. Nothing. No movement, no flicker of shadow. Only the forest.
Instinct told her to keep moving, but the disquiet gnawed at her gut. It wasn’t paranoia. This was far more tangible. Someone, something, followed her. The thought sent chills down her spine.

Kith knew the forest well enough to understand danger could lie anywhere. It could be a beast lurking in the dark, or a rival hoping to make quick coin off her capture. Worse yet, a Hidden Hand operative tracked her, waiting for the right moment to strike.

She picked up her pace, weaving between the trees, keeping low to the ground. Her mind raced, considering her options. She could double back, lose herself in the thick bramble, or climb a tree and wait for whoever was behind her to make the first move.

A twig snapped. Kith froze, eyes darting to the side, searching for the source of the sound. A figure emerged from the shadows, moving swiftly but silently. Another halfling, but his face was unfamiliar—sharp features shadowed by a hooded cloak. Steel glinted at his side.

Kith’s hand instinctively moved to her belt, fingers grasping her dagger hilt. Before she drew, the stranger spoke.

“Going somewhere?” A low, smooth voice held a hint of amusement.

Kith’s heart skipped a beat. She recognized that tone. The stranger wasn’t a threat—yet—but he was no friend, either.

“Not your business,” Kith said, her voice steady despite her rising dread.

The halfling stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “It is. The Hand doesn’t take kindly to those who ignore their calls.”

“Then why don’t you go tell them I’m not interested?” Kith said, mustering bravado she didn’t at all feel.

The stranger grinned, a cold, knowing smile. “I’m afraid you don’t have that luxury, Kithleigh. You’ve been marked.”

He lunged forward. Kith had no time to react. She ducked to the side, dagger flashing out. The stranger was faster, twisting his body with inhuman agility. Her blade missed its mark by a sliver.
They danced through the trees, a blur of motion, each trying to outmaneuver the other. Kith’s heart pounded as she fought to keep her footing on the uneven ground, but the stranger’s speed was unmatched.

“Why now?” Kith asked, gasping. “Why chase me into the forest? What do you want?”

“I’m not here to kill you, Kithleigh,” the stranger said, his voice calm. “I’m here to offer you a choice.”

Kith hesitated, her dagger poised to strike. “A choice?”

The stranger stepped back, hands raised in mock surrender. “The Hand is offering you the opportunity to join them. No more running. No more hiding. Power, wealth, and the respect you’ve always craved. All it takes is one word.”

Kith’s thoughts whirled. The idea of power and respect tempted her, but it came with a steep price—one that included her family’s death. The Hidden Hand would never let her go free. They would use her as they saw fit.

“I don’t need your kind of power,” Kith said, voice bitter. “I don’t want your respect.”

The stranger’s eyes darkened. “Then you’ll never be free. Not from them. Not from what you owe.”

Kith’s pulse quickened. The weight of the words settled on her like a stone. A debt she’d never understood. Family secrets she’d never been told.

She backed away, eyes narrowing. “I’m done with your games. I’ll find my own path, thank you.”

The rogue’s eyes glinted, but there was no malice in them. Only something far colder. “Then run. But remember, Kithleigh Nightmane, the Hidden Hand always finds what it’s looking for.”

With that, the stranger melted into the forest, vanishing like a shadow.

Kith stood in silence for a long moment, panting in sharp bursts. Her hand clenched around the dagger. She didn’t lower it. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but one thing was clear: the life she’d known was over. Like it or not, the family’s past would chase her.

She turned, treading deeper into the forest. The path ahead was uncertain, and the dangers of the world beyond Oxbow Landing loomed large. But for the first time in her life, Kith felt free.

The Hidden Hand could chase her all they wanted. She’d keep running—into the unknown, into the forest, where shadows hid her secrets and moonlight lit the way.