[i]CRACK! Crack... crack...[/i] The sound bounced gently from tree to tree, echoing only a few feet into the forest.  Josephine heard it.  She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes forward as her hand moved from its resting spot on her hip sheath calmly to the blade.  Her free hand removed her hood as she peered through the moonlit woods before her.  The sound came from a tree, some paces forward and to the right.  The woman waited a few moments, listening closely for another sound, rustle, or motion; the twig's impact with the ground was the final noise.  She let out a slow, calming breath.  Nobody would have followed her - they hadn't all through town and the guard didn't see her leave.  So she was left with a small handful of options: something was watching her from the trees, human or otherwise, or she was as paranoid as her master.  The latter was certainly more likely, but she had to be sure.  Her gaze moved to the source of the original sound.

A split second later, she was brandishing her blade as her eyes met the shadowed man in the tree.  There was no mistaking that silhouette, even if she couldn't see their features.  He wore a bow with arrows on his back - was he going to try to attack her from above?

"Get down here, coward.  High ground is hardly an advantage if you're dealing with me," She spat venomously.  As the moonlight struck her face, he might have been able to spot the glint of black scales on pale skin around her neck and the red in her eyes.  Her glare spoke for her at this point, only four words, [i]Give me a reason.[/i]

From farther down the road, the sound of a rattling cart could be faintly heard rumbling closer.  Josephine's eyes narrowed as she slowly side-stepped more into the trees, though her gaze remained fixed on the bowman in the tree.  She would have let him speak if the sound of splintering wood and the baying of terrified horses hadn't split the night air more forcefully than any broken twig.  The wagon would be turned over, Josephine wondered if the drivers had the wherewithal to unhook their steeds or if they would make a failed attempt at their own escape.  They wouldn't last more than a few moments, and it would take more than that for her to arrive.  A blood-curdling screech assaulted her ear drum for an extended moment - the unmistakable cry of a Grimm.

"I hope you've got a good reason for watching me, because you're about to find out how well you can stand up against Grimm," She said quickly, turning on the ball of her foot and taking off toward the sound.  These beasts always had a way of showing up at the worst times - she supposed an arrow to the back would be one way of finding out the man's loyalties.  It wasn't ideal, but maybe he was as bad a shot as he was a sneak.