Hollow doesn't have any shortage of hunters, Sandar," he had pointed out.
Sandar had crossed his hands over his belly. "Bull Hollow only has two hunters who can take on whatever dragged Ellio Tuck's biggest breeding sow out of her pen and carried her off toward the high valleys."
Geth and Adolan had been on the trail by mid-morning.
Fortunately, their quarry had been easy to track--and to identify. Two trails of massive cat-like paws traced around Tuck's farm, led to the remains of an enormous sow in the woods, and continued on up into the higher reaches of the forest. Two trails, but with six paws to each trail. Deep scratches had been torn in the wood of the sow's pen and high on tree trunks along the trail, all without any of the twelve paws leaving the ground. Only displacer beasts--six legs and a pair of barbed tentacles sprouting from the shoulders--left spoor like that.
Not even Adolan could argue that the beasts might be passing through on their way to new hunting ground. Everywhere was a displacer beast's hunting ground. The monsters were dumb enough to hunt anything they came across--and just smart enough to get away with it.
An uneasy thought made the hair on Geth's arms and neck stand up again. How long had the beasts known they were being followed? Had they been toying with their pursuers even before they reached the valley?
Had the beasts led him and Adolan here deliberately?
The beasts' trail turned back down toward the valley floor. Geth scanned the valley through gaps in the trees. The valley was uninhabited, so no chance of allies. Lots of crags and displaced boulders. Steep sides. A narrow lower mouth that was easily guarded, an upland slope that was steep and more easily descended than climbed. A good place for an ambush.
Suddenly the gentle gold of afternoon light seemed harsh and the lazy hum of insects an annoying drone. "Ado," Geth said, "I think the beasts are trying to turn the hunt on us."
"I know," Adolan answered, "but don't worry." He twitched his head toward the sky. "Breek is watching over us."
Geth glanced up. High above, the black dot of an eagle skimmed against bright blue. Adolan's half-wild bird was onguard. He let out a grunt of relief. Breek's eyes would spot any tricks the displacer beasts might try. Even so, his hands went to his belt and touched the paired, short-hafted axes that hung on either side of his waist.
"How far ahead of us do you think they are?" he asked.
"Not far. They came this way about the same time we were at the top of the slope. They're taking their time, walking slow." Adolan pointed at a patch of fallen leaves and Geth glanced at it as they passed. Paws had pushed the leaves down into the damp earth underneath. The prints were evenly spaced and well formed. The displacer beast that had made them was in no hurry.
He would have rather the beast had been running. He stuffed the packet of jerky into a pouch on his belt and drew one of the axes. Adolan glanced back and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
As they reached the valley floor, however, the druid paused. Geth stepped up beside him. "What?" he murmured.
Adolan pointed again. Geth followed his gesture. He hadn't practiced woodcraft to the same degree as Adolan for a long time, but some skills never faded. A stream passed through this part of the valley. All around its soft banks, the grass was crushed as if the beasts had milled around like excited kittens before turning aside from their path across the valley and abandoning their casual pace. Their paws had ripped into the ground as they opened up their stride to follow the stream back down the valley's length.
Geth stepped out into the open and slid up to the stream. Stamped in the soft ground were the marks of shod human--or at the very least, humanoid--feet. "Ado!" he hissed.
Adolan crouched down. "Ring of Siberys," he murmured in surprise. "I think we know what got the displacer beasts excited." He reached down and traced
Sandar had crossed his hands over his belly. "Bull Hollow only has two hunters who can take on whatever dragged Ellio Tuck's biggest breeding sow out of her pen and carried her off toward the high valleys."
Geth and Adolan had been on the trail by mid-morning.
Fortunately, their quarry had been easy to track--and to identify. Two trails of massive cat-like paws traced around Tuck's farm, led to the remains of an enormous sow in the woods, and continued on up into the higher reaches of the forest. Two trails, but with six paws to each trail. Deep scratches had been torn in the wood of the sow's pen and high on tree trunks along the trail, all without any of the twelve paws leaving the ground. Only displacer beasts--six legs and a pair of barbed tentacles sprouting from the shoulders--left spoor like that.
Not even Adolan could argue that the beasts might be passing through on their way to new hunting ground. Everywhere was a displacer beast's hunting ground. The monsters were dumb enough to hunt anything they came across--and just smart enough to get away with it.
An uneasy thought made the hair on Geth's arms and neck stand up again. How long had the beasts known they were being followed? Had they been toying with their pursuers even before they reached the valley?
Had the beasts led him and Adolan here deliberately?
The beasts' trail turned back down toward the valley floor. Geth scanned the valley through gaps in the trees. The valley was uninhabited, so no chance of allies. Lots of crags and displaced boulders. Steep sides. A narrow lower mouth that was easily guarded, an upland slope that was steep and more easily descended than climbed. A good place for an ambush.
Suddenly the gentle gold of afternoon light seemed harsh and the lazy hum of insects an annoying drone. "Ado," Geth said, "I think the beasts are trying to turn the hunt on us."
"I know," Adolan answered, "but don't worry." He twitched his head toward the sky. "Breek is watching over us."
Geth glanced up. High above, the black dot of an eagle skimmed against bright blue. Adolan's half-wild bird was onguard. He let out a grunt of relief. Breek's eyes would spot any tricks the displacer beasts might try. Even so, his hands went to his belt and touched the paired, short-hafted axes that hung on either side of his waist.
"How far ahead of us do you think they are?" he asked.
"Not far. They came this way about the same time we were at the top of the slope. They're taking their time, walking slow." Adolan pointed at a patch of fallen leaves and Geth glanced at it as they passed. Paws had pushed the leaves down into the damp earth underneath. The prints were evenly spaced and well formed. The displacer beast that had made them was in no hurry.
He would have rather the beast had been running. He stuffed the packet of jerky into a pouch on his belt and drew one of the axes. Adolan glanced back and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
As they reached the valley floor, however, the druid paused. Geth stepped up beside him. "What?" he murmured.
Adolan pointed again. Geth followed his gesture. He hadn't practiced woodcraft to the same degree as Adolan for a long time, but some skills never faded. A stream passed through this part of the valley. All around its soft banks, the grass was crushed as if the beasts had milled around like excited kittens before turning aside from their path across the valley and abandoning their casual pace. Their paws had ripped into the ground as they opened up their stride to follow the stream back down the valley's length.
Geth stepped out into the open and slid up to the stream. Stamped in the soft ground were the marks of shod human--or at the very least, humanoid--feet. "Ado!" he hissed.
Adolan crouched down. "Ring of Siberys," he murmured in surprise. "I think we know what got the displacer beasts excited." He reached down and traced
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