As she neared the center of the forest, she could hear the voices, faint at first, then becoming louder as she neared the small campfire. She peered around the trunk of a large tree, seeing the men sitting around the fire, ale tankards in hand and laughter ringing out in the chill dusk air. She knelt near the ground and listened to the conversation.

"Did you see the looks on their faces? Sheer terror I tell you, they likely shit in their pants on the spot!"
the man in front of her said. He was a huge man, his neck nearly the size of Anah's thigh, and his hands large enough to cover her entire face. He laughed with a deep rumble that shook the earth. His eyes danced merrily as he picked through the treasure at his feet, lifting a necklace of heavy gold to look at it appreciatively. He dropped it back into the pile and took another drink of his ale.

"It was magnificent, by far the best one to date. A very wise pick this one was, Cartell." said a slightly smaller man, sitting with his back to Anah, his red hair hanging to the middle of his back, slightly smaller than Cartell, yet just as formidable. Anah took a few steps backward, and then stood, turned and walked away from the fire.

As she walked away from the fire, her mind worked quickly. If she were to take these two out, she would have to use her slight size and her agility to the utmost of her ability. She could not afford to let either get ahold of her, or it would be all over for her. She had one chance at surprise, yet saw no way to eliminate both at the same time, so she decided to use the element of surprise to eliminate the larger of the two and save the hand to hand combat for the red-head. He seemed slightly less of a gamble than Cartell, yet she still did not discount him solely on his size. He was large, yes, not as large as Cartell, yet she could not count on him being a lackwit, she had to assume he had a brain and knew how to use it. She reached to her belt, feeling the cold of the dagger she kept sheathed there. She had one chance to take out Cartell quickly, if she missed, she might likely have signed her death warrant. She silently reminded herself not to be so foolish as to take contract on two men at a time in the future. She walked back across the woods, and crouched down to wait for darkness to settle in fully, drawing her sword silently from her sheath, and examining the blade carefully. She ran her finger down the blade lightly, feeling the sharply honed edge beneath her finger. She smiled appreciatively, and resheathed the blade.

Once the sun had set, Anah made her way back to the small encampment, careful not to make a sound. She crouched low to the ground, keeping under cover of darkness. She peered out across the ground, the light of the fire winking in the night playfully. Cartell and his companion sat near the fire, drinking and laughing heartily. Anah slipped the dagger from her sheath soundlessly, and weighted it in her hand, then turned it to hold it by the tip. She stood straight, darkness concealing her from the men near the fire. She knew she had but one chance for surprise, and again cursed her lack of ability to remove both at once. She shook her head slightly, and looked again to the men at the fire. She aimed carefully, cursing under her breath, and let loose the dagger. It sailed through the night soundlessly, and stuck in the forehead of Cartell. His eyes widened in shock, his mouth moving woundlessly, as he slumped over and fell into the fire circle. His companion blinked twice, as he stood and looked around him, shock apparent in his wide eyes. He unsheathed his sword as he glanced around him into the darkness. Anah had moved behind a tree, and waited for him to step from the light of the fire before unsheathing her sword, a soft hissing sound alerting the man to her presence. He turned on his heel, crouched and ready as he called out into the darkness. "Who are you, face me like a man, coward, or is stealth your only virtue? Come out and fight!" Anah stepped from behind the tree, sword winking in the firelight, her eyes flashing dangerously as she faced him. He let loose a hearty laugh, as he looked down on the small woman facing him, a merry light dancing in his eyes. He eyed her from head to toe, and one could hear the thoughts forming in his mind. Anah held her ground, sword held at the ready, determination set in her eyes. She faced her opponent and spoke in a deadly whisper, "You will die this night, brigand, for the crimes you have committed against society, and against the commoners of this town." She raised her sword as he laughed once again, and snorted at her in derision. "You think to slay me, little one? This should prove an entertaining evening. Once I have bested you in battle, I shall behold the treasures you hide beneath your trousers. " He grinned wickedly as he raised his sword, moving in a circle to his right, keeping his eyes on the slight woman before him. Anah had anticipated a formidable opponent, yet she had been unprepared for his size. Seated at the fire he seemed smaller, less than the huge Cartell, yet standing before her, he loomed near to the same size of a grizzly bear. Anah gripped her sword and steeled herself for the battle. She had little advantage in her small size, and her agility should prove another advantage as well. His strength would be a problem, should he get ahold of her, so she resolved to keep her distance from him.

The first strike of his sword against hers nearly unblanced her, and she dug her feet into the ground to keep from falling backward. She blocked his next thrust, and moved quickly to the left, bringing her sword down and in to strike at his stomach. She heard the fabric of his tunic tear as the tip of her sword caught him just above the belt. She danced back lightly, and raised her sword again. Blood trickled down her arm where he had landed a blow to her shoulder, and she could feel it stiffen slightly as she moved, wincing in pain a she brought her arm up to strike him again. It seemed an eternity they had been fighting, one moving in to strike, then darting back to block a strike. Sweat beaded lightly on her forehead, and she could feel the chill night air against her damp tunic. She jumped to the right to avoid another swing of his sword, and felt the tip brush her thigh. She cursed and lunged toward him, landing a hit on his knee, then swinging her sword up to catch him across the cheek. She moved back quickly as he swung at her fiercely, very nearly slicing her in half. She sucked in her breath and bent slightly forward, reaching her sword out to block his swing. She knocked his sword away from her and caught his wrist with the tip of hers. She began to feel the fatigue, and knew that he must be feeling it as well. She knew she had to end the fight now, or perish at his hands. She moved in closer, and swung two handed at his left leg, striking him just above the knee, slicing clean to the bone. The giant staggered, then fell to his knees, as she raised her sword once again, this time aiming for his neck. She gripped it with both hands and let loose with all her might. She caught him between his jaw and his collarbone, the sword slicing halfway through his thick neck, and stuck there. She watched as he fell sideways, hitting the ground with a dull thump. She let go of the sword as he fell, and sat down hard on the ground, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

She sat there for a few minutes, regaining her breath, then she stood up and walked to the corpse. She set her foot against his massive chest, grasping the sword with both hands, and pulled it free. She reached down and wiped it clean on his shirt, and replaced it in her sheath. She then walked to the corpse near the fire, and pulled her dagger from his forehead, wiping it clean and replacing it in the sheath . She then began to gather what they had stolen from the village. She wrapped the gold and coins in a cloak and tied it at the corners, slinging it over her shoulder, and walked away. As she left she glanced back to the two corpses, and shook her head as she walked off into the night.