In Situ Read Free Page A

explode. Mot struggled to remember all the lessons his father had taught him. He could only hope that he would not be discovered until the three of them had moved on far enough for him to beat them back to the cave. But the trio below him was a group of highly successful hunters. Mot did not try to fool himself that they were anything less. He would be detected. It was simply a matter of when. It was safer to assume that, anyway.
    Although the sky was clear and the breeze calm, Mot considered that he must have initially been downwind of them, a situation that he sensed was about to change in the predator’s favor.
    The creatures’ footfalls, however, soon passed the rock and were becoming more distant and , fortunately for Mot, were not moving toward the Arzat entrance. He closed his eyes and focused on the slight breeze trying to detect its exact direction. No question, the beasts had moved down wind of him. A few more paces and Mot knew he would have to risk a run for it.
    Mot quietly slipped down the rock and dropped silently back to the forest floor, stopping and listening intently several times along the way. He could still hear them, breaking tree limbs and snapping their jaws, but the beasts had continued moving deeper into the forest, away from his location. The moment Mot judged that he could get to the cave before they could get to him, he would make his move. Maybe he would be lucky. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than the threesome stopped suddenly. Mot imagined them sniffing the air, aware that the beasts had probably caught his scent. He immediately began to run, literally for his life.
    The long nails on his toes bit into the soft ground of the forest floor and propelled him forward like lightning. Mot was a fast runner, one of the fastest in his clan, but the darkness made it difficult for him. He did his best to move quickly yet quietly the way he had been taught by his father—a necessary skill for an Arzat Hunter—and drew his weapon from its scabbard without breaking pace. But the beasts were on to him, they had sniffed him out, and Mot could hear their angry cries carry through the night as they trampled through the forest and scrambled to intercept him.
    As Mot ran the la st stretch of path to the cave, he was surprised to see that the entrance appeared to be open; the dull orange glow from the torches that burned further inside dimly lighting his way. Something was wrong; the barrier was never down, night or day. Mot found himself momentarily annoyed at El, but he didn’t have time to question. He could feel the threesome almost at his back, howling with rage, as if Mot had unfairly deceived them. Then, just a stride or two from the entrance, one of beasts leapt out of the darkness, snarling and roaring. Mot was forced to turn and confront the animal or die. He spun around, baring his own sharp teeth, mustering the best battle cry he could produce, and raised his hunting stick to protect himself. As he did so, the attacker stopped, suddenly suspicious. It craned its head to the side, studying Mot, looking him directly in the eyes as if he were taking Mot’s measure. The beast hissed and growled, saliva dripping from its enormous jaws, its breath reeking of spoiled meat, but did not attack.
    The creature was waiting for something , and when its partners finally emerged from the forest, Mot recognized the reason. The animal instantly lunged at him now, confident that it had the support of its mates. Mot knew he was dead, but he was going to make his attackers work for their dinner. He drew back his hunting stick and stepped forward. As the first attacker dove at him, Mot swiftly shoved his hunting stick deep into one of the creature’s eyes, so forcefully that the tip emerged from the back of its head. The animal reeled back, tearing the weapon from Mot’s grip in the process, its deafening roar filling the night air as it began almost immediately to die. The creature staggered,