A hook.
Leonard's lips curved faintly, not in amusement, but in recognition. He continued walking as though unaware, allowing the distance between them to close naturally. When he was close enough, he moved.
The forest barely had time to react.
In a blur too fast for human eyes, Leonard veered from the path and seized the pirate before he could make a sound. His fingers drove into the man's chest with merciless precision, tearing free what lay beneath. The pirate's body collapsed soundlessly to the forest floor, lifeless before it hit the ground.
Leonard stood over him for a brief moment, unmoved, then calmly pulled a clean kerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from his hands, folding the cloth neatly away as though he has merely brushed dirt from his skin.
