Alongside those who are sinful.

Chapter 6

"It will do. I can make a drawstring pack." Decided the man. He took to stealing some large handfuls of smoked meat, surrounding them with many potatoes. He then grabbed a few greens, consisting of what looked like spinach and lettuce, placing them on top of the meat. Then, he moved onto the fruit and vegetables, grabbing apples, broccoli, and many other items that he recognized. He then bundled everything up nicely, drawing it shut with some of the string that was used to hang the meats.

It was secured enough that he was satisfied with its strength. He put on Katya's bag, feeling the weight of the meat as he settled the pack on his back. He then took the other bag and a few more straps, hanging it on his front to balance the weight. It was acceptable, and he knew he would be able to move at a decent pace with it.

"Just not as quickly. But...what about you?" Pondered Dietrich, looking at the corpse on the stone floor. He cocked his head, deep in thought.

"I cannot leave you here. You will spoil all of this good food if they do not find you. Or, perhaps, maybe I should make sure they find you." Thought Dietrich. A grin began to form as his thoughts ran wild.

This was a perfect opportunity for the bandits to know that there was something hunting them. Something methodical and meticulous. Quiet and lethal.

Something that they had never encountered before.

Dietrich grabbed the corpse of the felid. She, after a very quick inspection, was surprisingly lightweight. Before he went on with his plan, Dietrich took the time to study his prey up close for the first time.

To begin, these "people" were much shorter than the average human. Dietrich stood at a towering six foot and three inches, with an extra from his boots. The one he held in his hands could only have been four and half feet tall at most.

They resembled cats almost on a one-to-one scale. Eyes, ears, muzzle, and all matched to the felines of Earth. They were digitigrade beings and held almost all of the same traits as their counterparts back home.

Paws, claws, and tails.

Dietrich grabbed her "hand," pushing down on the pads with a thumb. The claws came out and he inspected them. They were quite sharp and he made a mental note to not get slashed by them.

He inspected the hand a bit further, noting the four long fingers and thumb laid out much like his own hand. Yet, the digits were a bit shorter and stubbier, and had fatter finger tips to fit the claws and pads.

Dietrich felt that he had spent enough time prodding the corpse of a bandit, so he grabbed some excess string and fashioned a noose out of it. He looked it around the bandits neck and tightened it. He then made sure his exit was safe and stepped outside, tossing one end of the string line over a jutting edge of the shack. He then hoisted the bandits body up as his sign.

Once he assured himself that the body would not fall by checking the string, he began to run the same path he used to get in. It took him all the way back to Katya completely undetected, who was patiently waiting for him in the brush.

"Well...you're a natural at the very least, Dietrich. I'll give you that." Said Katya. She offered to take her bag and Dietrich obliged, giving it to her. They then began to head off to their previous nights sleeping zone, hoping for a good meal at some point.

XXX

Dietrich woke up with the sun once again. He was liking the ability for his body to sleep in and recover. Physically, the war had taken quite the toll on his body. Even though he was of a young age, he knees and ankles had taken a considerable beating over the course of the six year war. His back, thank goodness, still felt normal even after an almost too close call with a landmine.