'Three Serpents' Kraven thought.
He glanced around the area, it was suddenly too quiet and that could only mean one thing... They were not alone.
"G-Get off me!" Isadora's thrashing and whimpers snapped him out of it and he grinned loving this position of her trying to squirm away—so helpless and fragile but the burning look in her eyes could split things apart.
Isadora stilled as her cheeks flushed, feeling a hard steel below her abdomen.
"Stopping so soon?" he coaxed seductively.
Isadora gave him a look of disgust, she attempted to move again, more desperate this time to flee this unruly man.
The air suddenly grasped chills.
"That's enough, Isadora," he said in a serious tone catching her off guard, with such stern features, and she pondered what could be the reason. Something was amiss.
He leaned to her until his lips got to her ear. "Stay close to me if you want to live," he whispered.
"What?" confusion found Isadora's features, wondering what he was speaking of but suddenly hearing a twig snapping she cast her gaze above and a figure in a hood descended with a blade in hand aiming for the kill.
Kraven was quick to act, raising Isadora's hand and giving way so that the assassin landed on it, impaling them instantly.
Isadora watched wide-eyed as the dead body dropped on her, she couldn't comprehend anything and there was no time to think.
Kraven had already dragged her to her feet, took the dagger, and flung it toward a direction.
She would have half expected it to hit an aimless target but it pierced right into the chest of another, causing the limp body to drop to the ground.
Isadora rasped holding her chest to steady her thundering heartbeat.
"The third"
'There's more?!' she thought with wide eyes. An arrow came for Isadora's head but Kraven caught it before it could reach, her trembling eyes on the head of the arrow that would have taken her eye out.
"Enough with the games," Kraven said to no one but Isadora knew it was quite the opposite—though she could not feel any presence, he had a way of seeking them out.
Suddenly a clap could be heard and Isadora traced the sound and stilled when she found yet another hooded person squatting on top of a tree branch, a crossbow beside him.
"Wonderful, just wonderful!" The hooded man applauded before taking the hood off revealing his bald head with a runic tattoo drawn on top for which was a serpent eating its tail.
His milky eyes settled on them and Isadora realized then that this man was blind and yet he had such an intimidating aura identical to Kraven's.
"The olden gods are impressed by such a feat, Kraven," he commented with a smile.
"Aric," Kraven said. "I'm impressed you found me, possessing one of your men just for an audience with me"
'He's not blind?' she thought with a gasp.
"You left crumbs everywhere, it's unlike you, Kraven" Aric's eyes landed on Isadora causing her to flinch.
"Have you come for my head?" Kraven asked, bidding his chances.
Aric has been a cunning foe for five winters. He considered him a foe because he did not have the chance to kill him—he had an annoying ability to possess his huntsmen rather than face him in person.
"The ravenites are getting sloppy, making the bounty on your head boring to obtain, the extra gold on top will lose value"
"At least for you, come take my head and see if I'm easy"
A chill passed through Isadora and for the first time since Aric announced his presence, she cast a look at Kraven.
It was unusual and scary, from this angle the gray part of his eyes had an eerily glow and the grin plastered on his lips screamed bloodlust.
By instinct, she wanted to step away but her legs were frozen to the spot.
Aric chuckled, his milky eyes shifted back to Isadora and a newfound curiosity gripped him.
From the corner of his eyes, Aric spotted a flaming arrow coming for him. "Farewell Reaper, for our blades will clash soon" The body turned to dust and the flaming arrow hit the bark instead.
"Coward!"
"Alda!" Rav exclaimed to the Allfather. "We have to move, his presence is a ruse, more will come" he turned toward the two and paused.
Isadora was covered in blood with a dismantled appearance, looking like she wants to flee any moment. By far the worse he left her when scouring the area.
"You told me you wouldn't hurt her!"
Kraven chuckled, his amused demeanor coming back. "I did not, the blood is not hers, we were simply having fun, right, love?"
Rav wouldn't dare to ask for more answers, by his guess much had happened and the poor girl was now petrified because of whatever Kraven did.
He made a mental note not to leave her with him alone again.
"Aric said the gold has increased and something about crumbs," Kraven said.
"It seems what happened in Desire's Haven is known, the killing of the Jarlas too. And that was solely your doing" Rav pointed out, still aggravated by Kraven's poor decision he had yet to grasp. "Such recklessness shouldn't have happened"
"How else would I've taken, Isadora?" Kraven said, justifying his actions.
Rav sighed knowing it was no use arguing. "Shall we get moving then? Or should we wait for the Serpents? I'm sure going head to head with Aric huntsmen is boring for you" he glanced at Isadora. "She needs care and a moment away from you"
"Ouch," Kraven remarked, rolling his eyes.