Drevas moved through the brush, silently and moving at a slow, but steady pace. He moved up to the one young ranger, Fulk. His one hand ready to pull his hair and leave his neck exposed, the other just his thumb. Fulk only saw the eyes of the fighter Gangjee go wide open, before he felt Drevas’s thumb slide across his neck.
After a sign of relief from Fulk, Drevas said, “You boys need another lesson it seems”, he said with a smirk on his face.
The moon hung low, casting an ethereal glow over the ancient forest. Drevas, the enigmatic figure shrouded in shadows, had convened two warriors beneath the towering trees.
Listen carefully
Drevas spoke in hushed tones, the air thick with mystery. “Fulk, Gangjee, in the realm of stealth, silence is your closest confidant. Speak not, but converse through gestures. Let hand signals be the unspoken language that binds you, unseen and unheard.”
Fulk nodded, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Understood, but how do we convey without words?”
Drevas, a master of subtlety, demonstrated a sequence of silent hand signals. “Learn to harmonize without utterance. In the shadows, this non-verbal dialogue becomes our shield.”
Gangjee, the other warrior, interjected, “And what of spoken words?”
“Spare words for whispers,” Drevas advised, “utter them directly into each other’s ears. Be concise and essential. Let not the winds betray your plans to the enemy.”
With a motion of cloaked grace, Drevas guided the warriors deeper into the forest, where the foliage became their ally.
“Camouflage is the art of blending,” Drevas shared. “Utilize branches and shadows to break the outline of your armor. Merge with the surroundings.”
Fulk questioned, “But how do we move unseen in the night?”
“In darkness, uphold light discipline,” Drevas responded. “Use red-filtered lanterns – enough to see but not to reveal.”
Walk with me
As they tread silently through the forest, Drevas continued the lessons.
“Step with caution, toe-first,” Drevas instructed, “to avoid betraying your presence with a twig’s snap. Muffle audible signatures – tape up buckles, quiet the armor.”
Gangjee sought guidance on scent. “Can we truly mask our smell?”
“Unscented oils, forest herbs,” Drevas advised, “let them cloak your scent. In the world of medieval warfare, even a hint of perfume can expose your whereabouts.”
In a moonlit clearing, Drevas turned attention to glint reduction.
“Metal glints, and glints draw eyes,” Drevas warned. “Conceal your armor with dark cloth, use anti-reflective coatings. Be invisible in the moonlight.”
Fulk inquired, “How do we employ the terrain to our advantage?”
“Choose battlegrounds wisely,” Drevas responded. “Seek refuge in hills, forests – avoid skylining. Let the earth itself shield you from prying eyes.”
The teachings continued, a silent dance of shadows in the moonlit night, as Fulk and Gangjee absorbed the ancient secrets of stealth, communication, and concealment. The forest bore witness to the birth of warriors, adept in the art of Drevas.
