Murg lay motionless beneath a thick patch of tangled bushes, every muscle in his body locked so tightly that even breathing had become difficult. Beads of sweat rolled slowly beneath the scales on his forehead despite the cool forest air.
The assignment had been painfully uneventful for almost two weeks. His duty had simply been to observe the southern approaches alongside his dire weasel, report anything unusual and otherwise enjoy the peaceful scenery stretching across the Evergreen Forest. More often than not, he spent his shifts perched high among the branches while his companion wandered the undergrowth sniffing for danger.
That peaceful routine shattered the moment the dire weasel's ears flattened. The beast had frozen without warning and its nose twitched frantically.
Then it bolted beneath the undergrowth and pressed itself flat against the earth.
