there is a village I am familiar with. I
have done some trading there in the past. They….tolerate my
presence. But they are, how shall I put this, very unfriendly
towards strangers of any sort. You two, being so young
and…..innocent, let’s just say you do not want to make their
acquaintance. And as for Cat, as extraordinary as she is, they
would only see meat and a fur cloak. Do you understand?”
I understand. I understand that the
world is a lot more evil and dark then I had ever thought possible.
But I just nod.
“ Aye. We need to go through
unnoticed. Let’s move then,” I say.
But Finn as always was more concerned
about his beast than us.
“ So if we get to the
mountains Tater will Cat be safe from the villagers then? Won’t
they just follow us into the mountains?” he says, his face a mask
of anxiety.
“ Oh no dear boy….do not
worry about your she devil. The villagers, they do not venture into
the mountains…they avoid the mountains at all cost.” He grins his
toothy smile and I see Finn visibly relax.
“ They are too afraid of
encountering the raiders you see.”
Finn gasps at this and Tater’s smile
dies away.
“ Oh dear, maybe I shouldn’t
have said that.”
This just keeps getting better and
better, I think.
We don’t talk, we don’t stop, we walk
as fast as we can. Tater don’t come right out and say what the
villagers would do to us but my mind keeps filling in the gaps with
all kinds of horrible thoughts. I find myself looking over my
shoulder every few steps and jumping at every noise. Sometimes I
swear I catch a glimpse of movement behind us at times, like
someone was following us but it never amounts to anything. I know
it’s just my mind playing tricks on me but it don’t ease my rattled
nerves none. It only makes me pick up the pace and have Finn and
Tater struggle to keep up with me. But by sundown we’re at the base
of the mountain, and without incident. We decide not to attempt the
gulch at this late hour but wait for the morning light. A small
grove of trees halfway up a side slope looks to be our best bet for
a protected campsite, though we’ll have to do without a fire
tonight. After making it through the valley unnoticed there ain’t
no need to draw attention now.
We set up our beds by the early evening
moonlight, but I ain’t the least bit tired. I feel all on edge and
my blood is strumming through my veins. I lay staring up at the
night sky, listening ‘til finally I hear Finn’s slight snores and
Tater’s louder version. Even Cat is sleeping, twitching as she
chases some dream prey. But sleep eludes me. I move my blankets to
a tree, prop myself up against the trunk and lay the iron shooter
in my lap. I cain’t rightly say what’s bothering me but I watch the
valley floor, the slopes for any sign of movement. I strum my
fingers against the long barrel of the shooter. I wait.
The moon is high in the sky now but
it’s not much help with all the shadows of the valley. I keep
watching, looking for…I ain’t sure what. I don’t know how long I
sit there. I can hear a critter hooting off in the distance, its
call eerie in the quiet night. It’s getting hard to keep my eyes
open now. I’m being foolish, I think. I should get some
sleep.
Then suddenly…..there below me!
Something is moving! Fully awake now I bolt upright and hold the
iron shooter tighter. I wish I had thought to ask Tater for his
spyglass. I keep watching the spot. There it is again! A shape
moving real slow. I get a brief glimpse of it as it emerges from
the shadows into a moonlit patch of valley floor. It looks to be
hunched over and shuffling like….like the creature I had seen in
the sand lands. I blink my eyes, trying to focus. It disappears
into the darkness again and I cain’t see it no more. I keep
watching, not blinking ‘til my eyes start to burn but I don’t see
it again. Was I imagining it? I could have sworn something was
there. But if there had been something, there
have done some trading there in the past. They….tolerate my
presence. But they are, how shall I put this, very unfriendly
towards strangers of any sort. You two, being so young
and…..innocent, let’s just say you do not want to make their
acquaintance. And as for Cat, as extraordinary as she is, they
would only see meat and a fur cloak. Do you understand?”
I understand. I understand that the
world is a lot more evil and dark then I had ever thought possible.
But I just nod.
“ Aye. We need to go through
unnoticed. Let’s move then,” I say.
But Finn as always was more concerned
about his beast than us.
“ So if we get to the
mountains Tater will Cat be safe from the villagers then? Won’t
they just follow us into the mountains?” he says, his face a mask
of anxiety.
“ Oh no dear boy….do not
worry about your she devil. The villagers, they do not venture into
the mountains…they avoid the mountains at all cost.” He grins his
toothy smile and I see Finn visibly relax.
“ They are too afraid of
encountering the raiders you see.”
Finn gasps at this and Tater’s smile
dies away.
“ Oh dear, maybe I shouldn’t
have said that.”
This just keeps getting better and
better, I think.
We don’t talk, we don’t stop, we walk
as fast as we can. Tater don’t come right out and say what the
villagers would do to us but my mind keeps filling in the gaps with
all kinds of horrible thoughts. I find myself looking over my
shoulder every few steps and jumping at every noise. Sometimes I
swear I catch a glimpse of movement behind us at times, like
someone was following us but it never amounts to anything. I know
it’s just my mind playing tricks on me but it don’t ease my rattled
nerves none. It only makes me pick up the pace and have Finn and
Tater struggle to keep up with me. But by sundown we’re at the base
of the mountain, and without incident. We decide not to attempt the
gulch at this late hour but wait for the morning light. A small
grove of trees halfway up a side slope looks to be our best bet for
a protected campsite, though we’ll have to do without a fire
tonight. After making it through the valley unnoticed there ain’t
no need to draw attention now.
We set up our beds by the early evening
moonlight, but I ain’t the least bit tired. I feel all on edge and
my blood is strumming through my veins. I lay staring up at the
night sky, listening ‘til finally I hear Finn’s slight snores and
Tater’s louder version. Even Cat is sleeping, twitching as she
chases some dream prey. But sleep eludes me. I move my blankets to
a tree, prop myself up against the trunk and lay the iron shooter
in my lap. I cain’t rightly say what’s bothering me but I watch the
valley floor, the slopes for any sign of movement. I strum my
fingers against the long barrel of the shooter. I wait.
The moon is high in the sky now but
it’s not much help with all the shadows of the valley. I keep
watching, looking for…I ain’t sure what. I don’t know how long I
sit there. I can hear a critter hooting off in the distance, its
call eerie in the quiet night. It’s getting hard to keep my eyes
open now. I’m being foolish, I think. I should get some
sleep.
Then suddenly…..there below me!
Something is moving! Fully awake now I bolt upright and hold the
iron shooter tighter. I wish I had thought to ask Tater for his
spyglass. I keep watching the spot. There it is again! A shape
moving real slow. I get a brief glimpse of it as it emerges from
the shadows into a moonlit patch of valley floor. It looks to be
hunched over and shuffling like….like the creature I had seen in
the sand lands. I blink my eyes, trying to focus. It disappears
into the darkness again and I cain’t see it no more. I keep
watching, not blinking ‘til my eyes start to burn but I don’t see
it again. Was I imagining it? I could have sworn something was
there. But if there had been something, there
Similar Books
