Shou

Shou silently slipped from sturdy branch to sturdy branch in the dense canopy with as little effort as most dragons put to flying a cloudless sky. His eyes roamed the broken darkness for intruders casually. It was rare that another would come into these woods, knowing the guard that was placed was a fantastic deterrent, but it was still possible.

A scream in the distance caught all of Shou's attention and he turned his head towards the river, his eyes narrowing as he weighed his options. He could leave and investigate, but that would leave a hole in the defenses. He carefully plucked his bow from his side and readied the string as he considered the woods around him. They were quiet, but normally so. If someone was around they were a far sight better than the normal dragon who bumbled about in the canopy or on the ground.

The scream sounded again, more desperate than before. Shou instead paid attention to a flicker of shadow ahead on the ground. A Mirror, based on the size and distinct prowl, was edging this way. Shou let his teeth bare in a feral grin as he set an arrow to the string. It had been a long time since someone had challenged his domain, and he would suffer it only as long as it took to put this challenger down. The Mirror's heat seeking eyes would be an advantage only so long as they could track him.

Shou slipped higher into the canopy and moved alongside the Mirror before drawing and loosing his bow in one smooth motion. The arrow hit home, deeply enough that the foreign dragon faltered and fell within moments. It helped that Shou's arrows were tipped with a local poison; this wouldn't take long.

When the dragon sagged heavily into the earth and roots, Shou slipped from the tree to regard the felled invader. His pack was easily taken and rummaged through but it gave little evidence to what had brought him here. However, the cooling corpse provided the evidence that Shou's actions were justified. The dull locket around the Mirror's neck contained a folded map of the area with a clear mark showing his destination, a location well behind the lines of security.

Shou snarled victoriously as he took the Mirror's things back into the canopy and headed back towards his perimeter. His report could wait long enough for his relief, this gambit had been a loss.