From "Anabar Rises" by Will Granger

Anabar slid his sword out of its scabbard and waited as the boat approached the sand.

Three men were in the boat. When they felt the bottom touch the shore, one of them stepped over the side without a word. He grabbed the gunwale on the right side of the boat and dragged it onto the beach. None of them spoke as the other two climbed out onto the sand. They all grabbed onto the boat and pulled it out of the water. They dragged it across the beach and into the grass. They had no idea they left the boat less than three feet from Anabar.

The men turned toward the docks and hesitated for a few seconds. One of them pointed to the nearest building and motioned for the other two to start moving. They each took one step when they heard a stern voice say, “Stop” from behind them.

They spun around and saw Anabar standing just a few feet away. They were startled to see someone so close when they thought they had been alone. One of the men recovered from the shock of seeing Anabar and reached to his side with his right hand.