Slowly, they emerged.
One by one, figures peeled away from the shadows of the forest, stepping into the faint glow of Jacob's burning torch. The darkness seemed reluctant to release them, clinging to their forms as though they belonged to it.
Jacob's breath caught.
His eyes widened, nearly bulging from their sockets as the men came fully into view.
They were large—hefty, rough-looking men with long, tangled locks spilling over their shoulders, many of them crowned with worn sailor hats. In their hands, swords gleamed faintly, gripped with the ease of men who had used them far too often.
They said nothing.
They didn't need to.
Violence hung around them like a second skin.
Then Jacob noticed him.
The one who stood apart.
