Moving with such speed that he could only be registered as a flash of black to the naked eye, Val dashed through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over obstacles with an ease that seemed supernatural.
Each step he took left behind no traces. As there were no footsteps, the Ashtines, who had crossed over to the other side of the forest by moving around the wall of fire, were clueless as to where he had went. So naturally they had to split up to cover more ground, lest he get away.
"My experience as an assassin in my previous life is helping me a great deal now."
Every twist and turn Val took in the forest was the accumulation of his life as an assassin and quite strategic, intended to throw off his pursuers.
Under his manipulation, the dense underbrush and the towering trees of the forest had become his allies, offering cover and camouflage.
The archers couldn't see him.