the shape of the footprint. "Sandals. Well-worn. And on the feet of someone light. A woman or maybe an elf."
"No one lives in this valley." Geth turned and peered upstream. There were traces of passage on the grass. He paced swiftly back alongside the water. More footprints revealed themselves in an unsteady line, some prints deeper and harder than others. Helifted his gaze. In the distance, the water that became the stream spilled over the steep slope at the top of the valley in a fine white cascade. He returned to Adolan's side. "I think they came down out of the hills. They're staggering--probably tired or wounded. They must have come a long way."
"Well, they've staggered right into the path of the worst predators this valley has seen for decades," Adolan said. He reached behind his back and freed the spear that he carried. "I think the displacer beasts have forgotten about us--they have a new toy. We need to hurry."
Geth tightened his grip on his axe and flexed the thick muscles of his arms and shoulders. "Cousin Bear, finally!"
Adolan winced. "You don't have to sound so eager."
"We've been tracking all day. I want a fight!"
"And shifters wonder why other races feel uncomfortable around them."
"My ancestors were predators," Geth replied, baring his teeth.
"You've argued the point for me," said Adolan in resignation. He turned and began trotting along the displacer beasts' path. Geth shrugged, smiled, and loped along after him.
The beasts' run slowed to a pace better suited for stealth--short bursts of speed interspersed with long moments of patient stillness. The mix of shallow toe-prints and deeper flat paw-prints told the story of their stalking. Woven among the beasts' trail were the sandal prints of their prey, light and staggering but--to Geth's surprise--still swift. "Whoever they are," he grunted, "they move fast."
Less than a dozen paces further on, Adolan grabbed his arm and pulled him quickly and silently behind a cluster of tall feathery grass by the stream's edge. He gestured ahead. Geth nodded and rose up just enough to peer past the grass.
Ahead, the stream turned to flow around a steep rise in the valley floor. One of the displacer beasts was climbing that slope. The other already crouched atop it, peering intently down the other side. In general shape, the beasts resembled mountain lions, but so thin that every muscle stood out on their spare, six-leggedframes. The thin, flexible tentacles that sprouted from their shoulders reached out to twine around saplings and branches. The tentacles ended in flat pads covered in horrid barbs that stripped the bark away from the wood.
The beasts' blue-black fur carried a weird shimmer that made it hard to focus on them. One moment, they appeared to be in one spot--in the next, they seemed to have shifted by several feet. Geth had to squeeze his eyes closed and open them again to be sure there really were two of the creatures.
The beast still climbing the slope was easily the size of a horse. The one at the crest of the slope was bigger still, its tentacles as thick as fat serpents. A strange, throbbing growl was building in its lean, corded throat.
It took Geth a moment to realize that the huge beast was purring with bloodthirsty pleasure. A heartbeat later, it sank down low to the ground and slid forward out of sight. The second followed.
"They're closing in!" he snarled.
"Go!" urged Adolan. "I have your back!"
Geth tore through the tall grass. He surged up to the crest of the slope, bounding and leaping from side to side with an ease no human could have matched. At the top of the rise, he paused long enough to take in the scene below. Through the trees and a little off to one side was one of the rocky outcroppings that dotted the valley like enormous roots thrust up by the hills. The displacer beasts had joined together, the larger of the two taking the lead. Their prey stood cornered against the outcropping.
Geth's eyes narrowed.
"No one lives in this valley." Geth turned and peered upstream. There were traces of passage on the grass. He paced swiftly back alongside the water. More footprints revealed themselves in an unsteady line, some prints deeper and harder than others. Helifted his gaze. In the distance, the water that became the stream spilled over the steep slope at the top of the valley in a fine white cascade. He returned to Adolan's side. "I think they came down out of the hills. They're staggering--probably tired or wounded. They must have come a long way."
"Well, they've staggered right into the path of the worst predators this valley has seen for decades," Adolan said. He reached behind his back and freed the spear that he carried. "I think the displacer beasts have forgotten about us--they have a new toy. We need to hurry."
Geth tightened his grip on his axe and flexed the thick muscles of his arms and shoulders. "Cousin Bear, finally!"
Adolan winced. "You don't have to sound so eager."
"We've been tracking all day. I want a fight!"
"And shifters wonder why other races feel uncomfortable around them."
"My ancestors were predators," Geth replied, baring his teeth.
"You've argued the point for me," said Adolan in resignation. He turned and began trotting along the displacer beasts' path. Geth shrugged, smiled, and loped along after him.
The beasts' run slowed to a pace better suited for stealth--short bursts of speed interspersed with long moments of patient stillness. The mix of shallow toe-prints and deeper flat paw-prints told the story of their stalking. Woven among the beasts' trail were the sandal prints of their prey, light and staggering but--to Geth's surprise--still swift. "Whoever they are," he grunted, "they move fast."
Less than a dozen paces further on, Adolan grabbed his arm and pulled him quickly and silently behind a cluster of tall feathery grass by the stream's edge. He gestured ahead. Geth nodded and rose up just enough to peer past the grass.
Ahead, the stream turned to flow around a steep rise in the valley floor. One of the displacer beasts was climbing that slope. The other already crouched atop it, peering intently down the other side. In general shape, the beasts resembled mountain lions, but so thin that every muscle stood out on their spare, six-leggedframes. The thin, flexible tentacles that sprouted from their shoulders reached out to twine around saplings and branches. The tentacles ended in flat pads covered in horrid barbs that stripped the bark away from the wood.
The beasts' blue-black fur carried a weird shimmer that made it hard to focus on them. One moment, they appeared to be in one spot--in the next, they seemed to have shifted by several feet. Geth had to squeeze his eyes closed and open them again to be sure there really were two of the creatures.
The beast still climbing the slope was easily the size of a horse. The one at the crest of the slope was bigger still, its tentacles as thick as fat serpents. A strange, throbbing growl was building in its lean, corded throat.
It took Geth a moment to realize that the huge beast was purring with bloodthirsty pleasure. A heartbeat later, it sank down low to the ground and slid forward out of sight. The second followed.
"They're closing in!" he snarled.
"Go!" urged Adolan. "I have your back!"
Geth tore through the tall grass. He surged up to the crest of the slope, bounding and leaping from side to side with an ease no human could have matched. At the top of the rise, he paused long enough to take in the scene below. Through the trees and a little off to one side was one of the rocky outcroppings that dotted the valley like enormous roots thrust up by the hills. The displacer beasts had joined together, the larger of the two taking the lead. Their prey stood cornered against the outcropping.
Geth's eyes narrowed.
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