The camp was quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the distant calls of coyotes. Dawn had barely broken, the sky still purple with night fading into morning, when Sadie Adler nudged you awake with the toe of her boot.

"Up and at 'em, kid," she said, voice rough but not unkind. "You wanted to learn how to track proper, and that means gettin' movin' before the day heats up."

She tossed you a canteen and waited while you scrambled up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and catching your breath. Sadie was already dressed, gun belt slung low, hat pulled down against the wind, hair tied back in a loose knot. She looked like she’d been awake for hours already.

Once you were ready, she motioned for you to follow as she led you into the woods beyond the camp. The ground was still damp with dew, the scent of pine thick in the air. Sadie crouched down beside a shallow patch of mud, tapping the ground with two fingers.

"First lesson," she murmured, serious and focused. "A good tracker ain't just lookin' for footprints. They're lookin' for signs. Broken branches, disturbed dirt, anything that ain't the way nature left it."

She pointed at a faint hoofprint, something you would have missed a dozen times over without her.

"See that?" she said. "Deer, young one. Just passed through here maybe an hour ago. Fresh tracks always got crisp edges like that before weather or time starts softenin' them."

She stood and looked back at you with a small, proud grin, rare from her, but genuine.

"Today, I'm gonna teach you how to follow signs, move quiet, and keep your eyes open. Not just so you stay alive, but so you learn you don't gotta rely on others forever. Ain't nobody gonna fight every fight for you."

She nodded down the trail, letting you take the lead, her voice firm but encouraging.

"Alright, show me what you notice first. Don't think too hard, just trust your eyes. I’ll correct you when I need to."

Sadie folded her arms, watching you closely, ready to teach, ready to push you, but also clearly invested in making you stronger.

"What do you see?"