its surface pitted and weatherworn. Pushing aside her fears, Leah scrabbled across the slope towards the rocks. The ground gave way beneath her, and she started slipping again. She dived forward and managed to claw her way onto more stable ground. As soon as her feet felt secure, she rolled behind the outcrop.
“Can you see ’er?”
Leah flinched. The man’s voice was guttural, dangerous. She’d heard stories of what happened to people who were careless enough to get caught by the Wild Ones. Stories of torture and murder. Of cannibalism.
“No,” said a female voice, the woman with the club. Light flashed across the ground beside Leah, and she shrank back behind the rocks.
“But I can see the little weasel’s bag. Throw me the end of your rope, and I’ll get it.”
Cloth rustled.
“Don’t let go of me, you doplich. These rocks are nasty sharp,” said the woman.
Dirt cascaded down the hill beside Leah, chased by the odd rock and one or two broken branches.
The woman grunted and called out, “Let out a bit more rope. I can’t quite reach.”
Wood snapped, and more dirt rolled past Leah’s hiding place. “Okay, I’ve got it.”
“Can you see the girl?”
The light returned, sweeping over the side of the hill and illuminating a row of jagged rocks at its base. They looked like the teeth of some giant creature. Leah imagined them chewing her up and shuddered.
“No,” said the woman. “We’ve got the stuff back, and I’m hungry. She’s probably dead on those rocks, anyway. Pull me back up.”
The avalanche of dirt and rocks began again, and Leah closed her eyes. She’d lost the night’s salvage, and the haul had been good. The Wild Ones would be pleasantly surprised when they opened her bag. But at least she was alive. And apart from a few bruises and scrapes, unharmed.
The ground beside Leah lit up again, sending shadows dancing across the grass. Leah pulled back, pressing herself against the rock, but unless the Wild Ones came down the slope, she was safe.
The woman said something Leah couldn’t make out, and the light disappeared. The chatter continued, fading away as her pursuers walked back towards their camp. Leah sat for as long as she dared. She kept her arms wrapped tight around her legs, shivering in the chill night air. When she could wait no longer, she began climbing back up the hill. It was slow going and treacherous. She kept having to stop to pick out her route, and by the time she got to the top, her arms and legs were aching, and she was sweating despite the cold.
The horizon was beginning to lighten, but she could see the flickering fires of the encampment off in the distance and the lights of the City opposite. She ran parallel to the camp, searching the gloom for the tall tree that she used to orient herself in the world. It took her longer than she’d expected to find it. She was beginning to wonder if she’d gotten confused and had ended up turned around when the tree loomed up out of the darkness in front of her. She whispered a quiet thanks to whatever gods had kept watch over her and headed towards the City and the cave system that would take her home.
The walk took almost half an hour, and the sun was climbing rapidly into the sky when Leah finally slid down the last hill to the narrow crack in the ground that led into the caves. From there, she’d be able to get to the tunnel system beneath the City. The drainage tunnels had been built to handle the overflow from the river that ran through the middle of the City. They were damp and foul smelling, and you had to ignore the creatures skulking around in the shadows, but it was the only way to get into or out of the City unobserved.
Leah took one last look around to make sure the Wild Ones hadn’t followed her and then slipped through the crack and into the pitch-black caves. She unclipped the flashlight she carried on her belt and flicked it on. The beam cut through the darkness, casting eerie shadows across
“Can you see ’er?”
Leah flinched. The man’s voice was guttural, dangerous. She’d heard stories of what happened to people who were careless enough to get caught by the Wild Ones. Stories of torture and murder. Of cannibalism.
“No,” said a female voice, the woman with the club. Light flashed across the ground beside Leah, and she shrank back behind the rocks.
“But I can see the little weasel’s bag. Throw me the end of your rope, and I’ll get it.”
Cloth rustled.
“Don’t let go of me, you doplich. These rocks are nasty sharp,” said the woman.
Dirt cascaded down the hill beside Leah, chased by the odd rock and one or two broken branches.
The woman grunted and called out, “Let out a bit more rope. I can’t quite reach.”
Wood snapped, and more dirt rolled past Leah’s hiding place. “Okay, I’ve got it.”
“Can you see the girl?”
The light returned, sweeping over the side of the hill and illuminating a row of jagged rocks at its base. They looked like the teeth of some giant creature. Leah imagined them chewing her up and shuddered.
“No,” said the woman. “We’ve got the stuff back, and I’m hungry. She’s probably dead on those rocks, anyway. Pull me back up.”
The avalanche of dirt and rocks began again, and Leah closed her eyes. She’d lost the night’s salvage, and the haul had been good. The Wild Ones would be pleasantly surprised when they opened her bag. But at least she was alive. And apart from a few bruises and scrapes, unharmed.
The ground beside Leah lit up again, sending shadows dancing across the grass. Leah pulled back, pressing herself against the rock, but unless the Wild Ones came down the slope, she was safe.
The woman said something Leah couldn’t make out, and the light disappeared. The chatter continued, fading away as her pursuers walked back towards their camp. Leah sat for as long as she dared. She kept her arms wrapped tight around her legs, shivering in the chill night air. When she could wait no longer, she began climbing back up the hill. It was slow going and treacherous. She kept having to stop to pick out her route, and by the time she got to the top, her arms and legs were aching, and she was sweating despite the cold.
The horizon was beginning to lighten, but she could see the flickering fires of the encampment off in the distance and the lights of the City opposite. She ran parallel to the camp, searching the gloom for the tall tree that she used to orient herself in the world. It took her longer than she’d expected to find it. She was beginning to wonder if she’d gotten confused and had ended up turned around when the tree loomed up out of the darkness in front of her. She whispered a quiet thanks to whatever gods had kept watch over her and headed towards the City and the cave system that would take her home.
The walk took almost half an hour, and the sun was climbing rapidly into the sky when Leah finally slid down the last hill to the narrow crack in the ground that led into the caves. From there, she’d be able to get to the tunnel system beneath the City. The drainage tunnels had been built to handle the overflow from the river that ran through the middle of the City. They were damp and foul smelling, and you had to ignore the creatures skulking around in the shadows, but it was the only way to get into or out of the City unobserved.
Leah took one last look around to make sure the Wild Ones hadn’t followed her and then slipped through the crack and into the pitch-black caves. She unclipped the flashlight she carried on her belt and flicked it on. The beam cut through the darkness, casting eerie shadows across
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