Summer, 21, 507
"Remember: What they say about what is beyond the walls is true. It is dangerous. All the stories about wolves, yukmen, monsters, all of it is out there. That's why the first thing you do while we are out there is to run. Get back to Syliras, don't even think about what happens to me. Got it?"
Xira nodded, perhaps more then a bit overawed by the Dryka's strong warnings. But today the grumpy courier was going to teach the lad, Xira, how to set up camp and live off the land. The Drykas Courier nodded to himself and continued, "Good. If I say something, you listen and obey. Doesn't matter what it is." Xira told him that he would.
The lad was excited, he had never been outside of the walls before, except to help out with the crops of course. No, today they were headed to the Bronze forests to see the watchtower and be back in a few days. If either one of them had to run for their lives, theoretically they could make it back to the city in time. Xira found it odd that Temur felt he needed to tell him these things after they left the city and were headed toward the tree line. In any case the words had a sobering effect to the youth's excitement. Though, like all teens, he still felt nothing bad would ever happen to him.
So they walked, Temur to one side, Xira on the other and Calxisetseg between them. Cali was laden with their supplies and so was Temur and Xira. The younger of the two was not used to having so much weight on his back and the bouncing the bedroll rolled up on top was irritating him. He was tempted to pull it off and just carry it but when he started the motion Temur gave him a critical eye and rolled it away. He better not.
The Drykas stopped at the treeline and frowned, peering into the woods. From afar the woods seemed to just stop and the plains began. In truth it was closer to a creep, an invasion of the trees into the cleared away portion that separated the city from the wilderness. Stumps littered the area, many of them with new growths. It seemed that civilization would always be at war with the wild. Xira was interrupted by his musing when the drykas for some ineffable reason started forward. Apparently he liked what he saw but the face he wore was the same, sour and slightly irritated. Xira knew that Temur was always like that. He had unexplainable moods and pretended to be annoyed all the time. But he was a big softie on the inside.
Together they made their way among the trees. The further into the forest they went the taller and thicker the trees became. It was not noticeable at first, thin saplings gave way to much more established trees which, of course had many saplings struggling for growth around them. When the noon bell came around they stopped and ate. "See that?" Temur pointed as he ate some dried and salted meat. Xira peered among the trees before he saw what it was, a deer. "A doe" Temur corrected, as if reading his thoughts, "If we were hunters, that would be a good sign. But we aren't. Where there is game, there are hunters and most of them are not the kind we want to meet." Xira nodded, he meant wolves or worse.
"So if thats a bad sign, what are we going to do?" The youth asked his mentor quizzically. "Simple. We stay off the game trail, avoid it so we don't have to deal with predators wandering our way. But make sure you remember where it is, could be helpful to set some snares up later on." The two of them went the way the doe left and to Xira's surprise, a "game trail" was fairly accurate. He followed the very slight path with his eyes. If he hadn't been on the path or seen the doe, he wouldn't have even known the path was there.
Temur took them in the opposite direction, his movements quick and easy in the underbrush where Xira had trouble taking a single step. Then drykas suddenly asked, "Which way do we go to get home?" He gave the lad a look, his hands stroking Cali's neck. The question took Xira by surprise, not to mention that he would have struggled with it if her were expecting the question in the first place. "Um.. I don't know Temur." The man frowned again but nodded. He never begrudged an honest answer. "Look at the sun." Xira did so. "Noon just passed so the sun will be heading towards the west. If you have your left to the west and your right to the east, then north is straight ahead and south is behind you. That said, which way would we go?" The poor teen struggled with the question, "We go... south? That way?" He pointed perpendicular to the sun's course. "Good. Yes." The man said simply. He wasn't a man of praise either.
And so they walked, slowly making their way deeper and deeper into the forest. Little did they know of the presence stalking them.
"Remember: What they say about what is beyond the walls is true. It is dangerous. All the stories about wolves, yukmen, monsters, all of it is out there. That's why the first thing you do while we are out there is to run. Get back to Syliras, don't even think about what happens to me. Got it?"
Xira nodded, perhaps more then a bit overawed by the Dryka's strong warnings. But today the grumpy courier was going to teach the lad, Xira, how to set up camp and live off the land. The Drykas Courier nodded to himself and continued, "Good. If I say something, you listen and obey. Doesn't matter what it is." Xira told him that he would.
The lad was excited, he had never been outside of the walls before, except to help out with the crops of course. No, today they were headed to the Bronze forests to see the watchtower and be back in a few days. If either one of them had to run for their lives, theoretically they could make it back to the city in time. Xira found it odd that Temur felt he needed to tell him these things after they left the city and were headed toward the tree line. In any case the words had a sobering effect to the youth's excitement. Though, like all teens, he still felt nothing bad would ever happen to him.
So they walked, Temur to one side, Xira on the other and Calxisetseg between them. Cali was laden with their supplies and so was Temur and Xira. The younger of the two was not used to having so much weight on his back and the bouncing the bedroll rolled up on top was irritating him. He was tempted to pull it off and just carry it but when he started the motion Temur gave him a critical eye and rolled it away. He better not.
The Drykas stopped at the treeline and frowned, peering into the woods. From afar the woods seemed to just stop and the plains began. In truth it was closer to a creep, an invasion of the trees into the cleared away portion that separated the city from the wilderness. Stumps littered the area, many of them with new growths. It seemed that civilization would always be at war with the wild. Xira was interrupted by his musing when the drykas for some ineffable reason started forward. Apparently he liked what he saw but the face he wore was the same, sour and slightly irritated. Xira knew that Temur was always like that. He had unexplainable moods and pretended to be annoyed all the time. But he was a big softie on the inside.
Together they made their way among the trees. The further into the forest they went the taller and thicker the trees became. It was not noticeable at first, thin saplings gave way to much more established trees which, of course had many saplings struggling for growth around them. When the noon bell came around they stopped and ate. "See that?" Temur pointed as he ate some dried and salted meat. Xira peered among the trees before he saw what it was, a deer. "A doe" Temur corrected, as if reading his thoughts, "If we were hunters, that would be a good sign. But we aren't. Where there is game, there are hunters and most of them are not the kind we want to meet." Xira nodded, he meant wolves or worse.
"So if thats a bad sign, what are we going to do?" The youth asked his mentor quizzically. "Simple. We stay off the game trail, avoid it so we don't have to deal with predators wandering our way. But make sure you remember where it is, could be helpful to set some snares up later on." The two of them went the way the doe left and to Xira's surprise, a "game trail" was fairly accurate. He followed the very slight path with his eyes. If he hadn't been on the path or seen the doe, he wouldn't have even known the path was there.
Temur took them in the opposite direction, his movements quick and easy in the underbrush where Xira had trouble taking a single step. Then drykas suddenly asked, "Which way do we go to get home?" He gave the lad a look, his hands stroking Cali's neck. The question took Xira by surprise, not to mention that he would have struggled with it if her were expecting the question in the first place. "Um.. I don't know Temur." The man frowned again but nodded. He never begrudged an honest answer. "Look at the sun." Xira did so. "Noon just passed so the sun will be heading towards the west. If you have your left to the west and your right to the east, then north is straight ahead and south is behind you. That said, which way would we go?" The poor teen struggled with the question, "We go... south? That way?" He pointed perpendicular to the sun's course. "Good. Yes." The man said simply. He wasn't a man of praise either.
And so they walked, slowly making their way deeper and deeper into the forest. Little did they know of the presence stalking them.
Words from me to you
Words from you to me
