Outcast (The Darkeningstone Series Book 2) by Mikey Campling Page A

didn’t wake me,” he said. “I didn’t take my turn to watch over the camp.”
    Sceort grunted in disgust. “Tostig told me not to,” he said.
    Flyta gave Hafoc a withering look and shook his head.
    Hafoc rubbed his face. He was still half-asleep. “But, why? We should’ve taken turns.”
    “ We did,” Flyta sneered. “Tostig took your place.”
    Hafoc stared at each of them in turn. Would they ever stop treating him like a troublesome child?
    “Eat something,” Tostig said. “We need to start.”
    Hafoc nodded dumbly. He took a drink from his flask. The cold water revived him a little, but it also made him realise how hungry he was. He fumbled through the contents of his pouch. I should’ve saved a little meat from last night . But all he could find to eat was a strip of dried, smoked fish and a dried mushroom. The mushroom was shrivelled and dark. He turned it around in his hand, giving it a sniff to check if it was bad. It smelled all right but it must’ve been in his pouch for a very long time . I’d forgotten that was there . He dropped it back into his pouch. He’d keep the mushroom for later. The smoked fish was more appealing.
    He curled the whole strip of fish and put it into his mouth, squeezing it gently between his teeth and letting his spit soften it up. The taste of wood smoke made him think of the campfire, and for a moment, he longed to be back at the camp. They’d be stirring up the fires by now. They’d all have slept well, curled up under their furs, safe within their shelters. And they’d soon be busy, picking over the remains of last night’s meat. Hafoc’s stomach rumbled. Meat. If only he hadn’t given so much to Nelda. But it was too late to for such thoughts.
    He looked around. Where was Nelda? She’d been there when he’d gone to sleep. He called her name softly but all he got for his effort was another stony look from Flyta. Never mind. The dog would turn up when she was ready.
    “Come on,” Tostig said. He fastened his pouch and looked at each of them in turn. “Time to go.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned away, striding toward the edge of the clearing. The three of them fell in behind him, keeping to the same order as the night before.
    At least it’s daylight now , Hafoc thought. I’ll show them I can be as stealthy as they are, now that I can see where I’m treading . But it wasn’t to be. In the darkness, Tostig and the others had moved slowly. Today, they raced ahead, striding almost silently through the undergrowth. Tostig had picked up the trail again and seemed certain of his direction. Hafoc did his best to follow along, matching the men step for step. But they were taller than him, and where they strode confidently, his smaller steps seemed clumsy and awkward. Even so, Hafoc set his mind to the task. He watched the way Sceort moved, and tried to let his own steps flow so smoothly. He tried to think only of the forest; the ferns that dipped and swayed as the men passed by, the scent of damp earth, and the sounds of birds flitting through the leaves overhead. Soon, his movements fell into rhythm with the bodies of the men in front of him, and like them, he seemed to glide silently through the gentle forest air. The men no longer turned back to glare at him, and Hafoc knew he’d finally become part of the group. When he heard Nelda moving alongside him, he did not look at her, but kept his concentration. He caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye and that was enough.
    They made good progress and this time, when Tostig held up his hand to stop them, Hafoc came silently to a halt. Tostig bent over, studying the undergrowth. He pushed out his lower lip and looked from side to side. Finally, he stood upright and shook his head. He beckoned the others to come forward and they gathered around Tostig, waiting to hear what he had to say. Hafoc studied Tostig’s face but the older man’s expression gave nothing away. Just wait ,