Other than Luke letting Jasper know the first man was two hours to the west, they hadn’t said anything since leaving the house. The night was bright with the light of the two moons full in the sky. The brothers crouched behind some bushes, watching as the blond Maj set his blankets up for the night. If they’d had any doubts about what they were about to do, it vanished at the sight of their mother’s necklace as the man pulled it from his pack. He let the chain dangle and smiled at the way the firelight reflected off of it.
Luke looked at Jasper who nodded. They stood as one. The man smiled in greeting as the men walked into his camp. Whatever he saw in their faces quickly wiped the grin from his face and his eyes widened with the fear that seemed to paralyze him. Luke took three long strides, pulling his dagger as he went. With one swift stroke, he plunged it into the man’s stomach all the way to the hilt. His scream was quickly silenced by Jasper’s dagger as it slipped across his throat.
They let the man drop to the ground, wiped their daggers down, and put them away, all the while listening for any indication the man might have had a companion. When no one appeared, Jasper went through the Maj’s pack. The only thing he found was the chain. Without another word, they headed north like ghosts in the night.