Chapter 26: Separating and Gathering!
The Sixth of Solentide, D.Y. 500
-----By the afternoon Whisper’s two companions begin to stir and move around the camp. Crane smiles broadly but frequently touches his head gingerly as he squints in the sunlight. Jules appears in a sour mood as if the rest on the ground did little to appease her.
-----Once more, Whisper spent some time studying his new companions. It was more than clear that the girl was not used to life outside of villages and towns. And even though her expression might have better served her had she eaten an unripe persimmon, she bore up with some stoic resilience.
-----The dwarf bore up much better. Hardy, and seemingly resourceful, if overly fond of food and drink.
-----His reflection done, he once more saw to his gear, checking his weapons and armour thoroughly. The simple task kept his mind from both the encounter with the unnatural wolfbeast yesterday, as well as his now nearby quarry. Thankfully this Minner and the beast had left, clearly drawn to some sinister purpose, elsewhere. The wolfbeast had been unsettling enough, but Minner’s preternatural senses had been uncanny.
-----He tried not to think of Black Bog, and what awaited within. As he went through his pack, Whisper remembered that he had the makings of some ten arrows stowed away, scavenged in his last skirmishes and battles.
-----He weighed up that task against needing to stay vigilant, in case something went awry. He set the parts aside - he would work on the arrows this coming night. He returned his attention to his companions.
-----"Jules. Crane. Go. Watch gates."
-----While they were busy with that, Whisper resolved to ease the girls' burden somewhat. With what he had, he should be able to fashion a rough hammock for her. Dweomer casters required decent rest to work their art, after all.
-----Whisper had turned his full attention to working on the hammock for Jules. By now the girl and the dwarf had been out of sight and probably were posted toward the east side of the woods near the trail road watching the Town of Black Bog.
-----Raven starts out again leaving Sol and Jeilin behind as he rides after the fleeing man. Raven knows that this chase will be difficult as his horse has already been ridden in haste from the village behind him. The rider already has a great head start on the Hunter, so the best that can be hoped for is to stop occasionally to check the prey’s signs of passage.
-----Luckily, as this is the afternoon, the sun is over his right shoulder as he heads southeastward. Raven quickly passes both the deserted village in a valley and then the village on a hilltop far off to his right. The trail road seems to curve to the right just beyond a small swamp that is approaching. Here, he saw his prey leave the trail road and head straight across open plain keeping in the southeast direction.
-----As he leaves the trail, he allows his horse to slow somewhat rather than risk the steed hurting its feet on uneven ground. For now, Raven can still see markings left in the grass that reveal the prey’s movement. On up ahead, he can tell that it will be easy to rejoin the trail road before it leads into another swampy area. Squinting, Raven just loses sight of the rider as he enters the swamp.
-----One mile passes and Raven gains the trail road again. Another mile and Raven enters the swampy area. Here, he stops and checks the ground in order to determine if the man rode on through or if he is hiding in the marsh. Several times he walks his horse as he gives the animal a chance to rest and check for tracks. So far the tracks indicate that the man has moved on through although he has slowed his own horse. Raven tenses as he knows that he could catch up to his prey especially if the man has stopped to seek rest.
-----A half-mile more Raven follows the trail before the marshy area starts to thin out revealing more plains and wetlands beyond. Just then a galloping thumping alerts him and Raven can see his quarry riding off from the edge of the marsh following the trail road on once again to the southeast. Raven vaults into the saddle and, saying a quick word to the Great Hunter, prays that his horse can hold out. Maybe a hundred yards separate them as Raven realizes that the rider must be aware of him.
-----On a mile more and up ahead, Raven sees that the trail road will lead them both through a small wooded area.
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