Avondale V by Toby Neighbors

back up to the city. And even though she relished the warm, almost intoxicating amber sunlight that filtered through the mists, she knew the pure, bright, direct sunlight above them would fill her with a much greater energy.
    “You look tired,” Olyva said with a smile as she tried to ignore the burning pain in her legs.
    “Exhausted,” Desyra moaned.
    “Just think, Rafe carried me up the mountain to Hamill Keep, and that’s a much more difficult ascent than this.”
    “I would … have left … you be … hind,” Desyra said between gulps of breath.
    “How about we stop for a rest?”
    “Yes, please!”
    They sat down and ate the last of the rations that Olyva had brought. Olyva nibbled at a piece of bread, while Desyra munched happily on bread and cheese, some dried berries, and a honey cake.
    “Why are you wasting your water?” Desyra asked in surprise.
    Olyva was pouring the last of the water in her canteen over her feet. Since her encounter with the sentient trees, she preferred to hydrate by soaking up water through her long, root-like toes.
    “I’m drinking,” Olyva said.
    “You can’t drink like that.”
    “I can. My toes are like tree roots. I can soak up water with them and…”
    She let the words trail off as her whole body tensed. She could hear something moving toward them. Something was slowly slinking down the mountain, its rough hide scraping on the scrub brush. The sound was barely audible, even to Olyva’s enhanced sense of hearing, but it traveled on the wind, and she recognized it. Something was moving toward them, stalking her. She could read the sounds almost like words on a page.
    “What’s wrong?” Desyra asked. “Olyva, are you okay?”
    “Something is coming,” Olyva said, focusing on her sister’s pale face. “Get on your feet.”
    “What is it?” Desyra said, her voice pinched with fear.
    “I don’t know yet, but we’re going to be all right.”
    Olyva wished she sounded more convincing. She had a spear and she felt confident using it to defend herself, but she was afraid the creature stalking them would somehow get past her and hurt Desyra.
    “You have to stay behind me,” Olyva said. “If I turn, you move behind me. Don’t look at the animal, don’t run away. No matter what happens, you stay right behind me. Do you understand?”
    Desyra was trembling, but she nodded her head.
    “If something happens to me, you run straight up the mountain. Don’t stop and don’t look back. You run as long and as fast as you can. Get to the city and tell Rafe what happened.”
    “I’m scared,” Desyra said.
    “Me too,” Olyva admitted. “But I knew this was a possibility. Trust me, I can keep us safe.”
    “Are you sure?”
    Olyva tightened her grip on the spear. “Yes,” she said, fixing her resolve.
    There was a deep-pitched rumble, and Olyva somehow knew that it was the creature taking a deep breath. She also knew it was about to come bounding out of the mists. Her thoughts about the creature were intuitive, as if the knowledge was inside her even though she had no idea how she could know anything about the beast.
    She leveled the spear and wished she had another. If Rafe were there, she could tell him where to cast his spear, but she had only one weapon. She couldn’t risk losing it if she missed her throw. As confident as she was about where the creature was gathering itself to attack, she wasn’t sure she could throw her weapon that far.
    “It’s coming,” Olyva said quietly. “Keep your eyes on me.”
    She felt Desyra take hold of the back of the long shirt Olyva was wearing. Then a shape came flying out of the mist. It was dark, with stiff brown fur that was striped by tapering bands of black. The beast’s head was round, with a thick beard of white whiskers standing out from the bottom jaw up and around the crown of its head. The beast’s mouth was open, and large pointed teeth were clearly visible.
    Olyva’s toes dug into the rocky soil, and she