The man was on approach towards yet another stranger. Perhaps he should be questioning why this road was so popular today. Sure, it linked the two nations, but it was not a highway by any means. However, his one-track mind kept him focused on the task at hand. He slowed his pace significantly, but coming to a quick and complete stop with such weight and momentum was much too difficult.
"Yes! Tell me where she is! Did she follow the trail?"
It was only after he just passed the man that he was able to halt completely. His tone was hurried and impatient. He needed the answer right away.
Hearing the man's voice, the woman quietly rolled over in the underbrush. She watched the two, still as the trees that surrounded her. Her gaze was averted only for a moment when a single beam of light glinted off an item at her feet. There was gold, fallen out of a crude sack during the impact. There was even more inside, judging by the look of it.
Good luck, the woman thought. She may have needed this. Should she get out of this alive, perhaps such treasure could help her build a new life. She refrained from taking any though. The woman was waiting for the coast to clear.