Blinded by his eagerness to obtain supplies, Ziden began to walk in the direction of the fire. An irritable, disapproving snort from his horse reminded him not to be so hasty.
	"Eh. Sorry, Missy." Ziden wasn't all that sorry for forgetting her. His bond with the horse was nothing special, but his belongings were still of use to him. Everything he owned was wrapped snugly in a bundle attached to the saddle, and the last thing he wanted was for her to take off with it. 
	Taking hold of the reigns, he led her in the direction of the fire until he came across a cluster of trees. He tied the reigns to a sturdy, low hanging branch from one and pressed a hand to her muzzle as a warning. “Stay here,” he held a finger to his lips. “And keep quiet! You’ve gotten me into enough trouble lately.”
	Drawing up his hood, Ziden ducked into the shadows. He was alert to his surroundings, but didn’t practice caution until he was close enough to have a bit of visual as to who – or what, he was dealing with. Not only did the fire act as a beacon for him to follow, it illuminated the scene. 
	What he noted first was the fact that there was one horse. That usually meant one rider, which was perfectly fine by him. Due to his location, the rider was harder to see.
	As Ziden crept closer, he kept an ear out for any others late to the camp and proceeded to advance, fingers twitching for the knife concealed underneath his cloak. With every step, the aroma of something being cooked increased. Stew, from the smell of it. At least, that was what he hoped. The luxury of stew meant his unsuspecting victim had vegetables and water to spare. 
	The setup felt easy. Too easy. Ziden craned his neck back to see if he had been followed, but he hadn't. He still didn't have a good look at the horses rider, but he didn't care. He was impatient, and he had the element of surprise on his side. It was time to make his entrance.
	"Well, well..." twirling a knife in one hand, Ziden exited the concealment of the shadows, approaching the figure from behind. "Looks like I'm not the only one crazy enough to travel all alone out here. Hands where I can see them," he motioned with the knife for the figure to raise their arms. "I'll make this quick."