The Game of Shepherd and Dawse by William Shepherd Page B
Authors: William Shepherd
Tags: esoteric fiction, spiritual books spiritual healing personal growth, understanding the world, parables for today, understanding self, understanding reality
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trackers and hunters loaded up a few days’ worth of supplies and made their way to the edge of the wood. There were 10 of them in total: three trackers and seven hunters. They carried two sling-slacks with them just in case. Everyone in the party had an important job to do and this filled them each with an enormous sense of pride and responsibility.
It didn’t take long for the team to reach the spot where they had found Aman, and this brought sad memories flooding back to those who had been on the first rescue mission. The group was new to this type of expedition, as usually they had no need to go deep into the forest since everything they needed was right on their doorstep. After six hours on the move, they were edging more deeply into the forest than most of them had ever been. The farther they went, the easier it was to see the damage done by this new beast called Dawse. Every bush had been practically stripped bare of its fruit and there was nothing left.
The team decided to set up camp for the night, as they could all sense what they had been looking for was getting nearer and they wanted to be fresh for whatever they might encounter the next day. They posted watches and slept in shifts, getting their heads down for an early night and as good a rest as they could have.
Early the next morning, they shared out the food they had brought with them. Makeshaw doled out dried meat and smoked fish, while Teewok handed out nuts and berries. After eating, they gathered up their things and set out in single file with Makeshaw at the front and Teewok at the rear. It was always like this on a hunt, as the oldest member of the party with the most experience led the group. The youngest was always placed at the back, for if they came across an animal that went on the attack, the youngest and most inexperienced would stand the best chance of getting away. As they walked on, the forest took on a darker and more sinister feel which was very different from the friendly wood they were used to. The smells had changed, the overall appearance was different and it was clear to all they were officially entering unchartered territory.
Just to the left of them, they noticed a particularly large amount of devastation. Trees had been uprooted and there were large piles of mud everywhere. They assumed this was due to an unusually heavy rainfall which had created a mud slide about 20 meters across. They carried on walking along the flat ground, when all of a sudden Makeshaw ducked down and beckoned the others to do the same. Hearts were racing, as they all could tell by the way Makeshaw acted that they had now found what they had set out to look for.
Makeshaw was lying on his stomach peering through a slight opening in the leaves. Directly in front of him was a steep drop of about 60 feet. To the left of him was the mud slide that had created an artificial ramp made of mud and debris which wouldn’t have been too difficult to have climbed down. The cliff face stretched for miles and acted as a natural barrier to the rest of the wood with only the mudslide giving access from below. Makeshaw had seen a few things in his time but nothing came close to this. He must have been lying there a good 20 minutes before he beckoned Shiala to come and join him. It would take an hour and a half for all 10 members of the party to take their turn in viewing this spectacle and it would be Teewok, the last one to see it, who would be the most affected by amazement and sadness. For in the distance was a large open dale where there weren’t just a couple of Dawse, there were hundreds.
The Dawse community contained nothing that resembled Shepherd Wood. There were huts of sorts, but they were hardly more than makeshift shelters. There were no fires burning and there was filth and mess in just about every corner. There was no evidence of sanitation, as the creatures just seemed to let go where they stood and then walk away.
The
It didn’t take long for the team to reach the spot where they had found Aman, and this brought sad memories flooding back to those who had been on the first rescue mission. The group was new to this type of expedition, as usually they had no need to go deep into the forest since everything they needed was right on their doorstep. After six hours on the move, they were edging more deeply into the forest than most of them had ever been. The farther they went, the easier it was to see the damage done by this new beast called Dawse. Every bush had been practically stripped bare of its fruit and there was nothing left.
The team decided to set up camp for the night, as they could all sense what they had been looking for was getting nearer and they wanted to be fresh for whatever they might encounter the next day. They posted watches and slept in shifts, getting their heads down for an early night and as good a rest as they could have.
Early the next morning, they shared out the food they had brought with them. Makeshaw doled out dried meat and smoked fish, while Teewok handed out nuts and berries. After eating, they gathered up their things and set out in single file with Makeshaw at the front and Teewok at the rear. It was always like this on a hunt, as the oldest member of the party with the most experience led the group. The youngest was always placed at the back, for if they came across an animal that went on the attack, the youngest and most inexperienced would stand the best chance of getting away. As they walked on, the forest took on a darker and more sinister feel which was very different from the friendly wood they were used to. The smells had changed, the overall appearance was different and it was clear to all they were officially entering unchartered territory.
Just to the left of them, they noticed a particularly large amount of devastation. Trees had been uprooted and there were large piles of mud everywhere. They assumed this was due to an unusually heavy rainfall which had created a mud slide about 20 meters across. They carried on walking along the flat ground, when all of a sudden Makeshaw ducked down and beckoned the others to do the same. Hearts were racing, as they all could tell by the way Makeshaw acted that they had now found what they had set out to look for.
Makeshaw was lying on his stomach peering through a slight opening in the leaves. Directly in front of him was a steep drop of about 60 feet. To the left of him was the mud slide that had created an artificial ramp made of mud and debris which wouldn’t have been too difficult to have climbed down. The cliff face stretched for miles and acted as a natural barrier to the rest of the wood with only the mudslide giving access from below. Makeshaw had seen a few things in his time but nothing came close to this. He must have been lying there a good 20 minutes before he beckoned Shiala to come and join him. It would take an hour and a half for all 10 members of the party to take their turn in viewing this spectacle and it would be Teewok, the last one to see it, who would be the most affected by amazement and sadness. For in the distance was a large open dale where there weren’t just a couple of Dawse, there were hundreds.
The Dawse community contained nothing that resembled Shepherd Wood. There were huts of sorts, but they were hardly more than makeshift shelters. There were no fires burning and there was filth and mess in just about every corner. There was no evidence of sanitation, as the creatures just seemed to let go where they stood and then walk away.
The
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