By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter 15

I lay on my stomach and peered over the ridge from under the shelter of a bush. The trees in the valley were dense and hid our pursuers even as they sheltered us. Still, I could occasionally see horseback riders on the road. Lots of the soldiers carried shiny metal objects, which reflected the sunlight and made it easier for me to spot them.

I could see at least five camps up and down the valley, each with about twenty tents and soldiers coming and going in shifts. The camp in the main pass was much larger, sporting at least fifty tents.

Horn calls occasionally echoed up and down the valley, mostly between the camps. As I watched, three calls became distinct: a short two-tone note always resulted in some riders leaving the camp, while a three-tiered bugle called certain groups of riders in, and a similar call was bringing in a different 'shift' of soldiers.

No wonder they seemed to be around day and night – it was because they were. They were taking turns hunting for us, ensuring a portion of their fighters were out at all times.

At this point, I was very glad Shane insisted on only traveling at night. We'd have never made it this far otherwise. I continued to lay there and watch the activity in the valley as best I could.

~

   I wiped the sweat off my brow and kept walking up the steep trail. Milly snorted and nudged my shoulder, looking for reassurance as the clouds drifted in front of the moon and made it nearly impossible to see our own feet.

I stroked her neck and kept urging her onward with quiet reassurances. Most mules would have told me their opinion of the nighttime trek over a rough deer trail, but Milly was very easy-going and willing to please. Or, perhaps, eager to remain with the only human around in case more wolves showed up.

"We're only an hour from the top," Shane commented from somewhere ahead.

"Please tell me there are no guards or traps."

"No, and no human scents, so they must not be aware it's here. Nor do I see any torches or campfires on the other side of the valley."

"That's the best news I've heard in a long time. Are those dire wolves still trailing us?"

"No, they got tired of me intercepting them. They headed back down to the valley."

"Good. Hopefully they'll go bother one of the camps."

"We can hope. Keep following this trail and don't branch off."

The next hour seemed impossibly long, but when my feet finally hit level ground, it took me a second to realize it wasn't a figment of my imagination. We'd reached the top of the pass. As Shane had said, the valley ahead of us lacked the bright spots of fire that dotted the one behind us. The eastern horizon was starting to get brighter, but we still had a couple of hours to get as far away from this pass as possible.

My third step downhill had gravel giving way below my feet, forcing me to grab onto a tree branch to stop my slide.

"If I skid halfway down this mountain on my rump, I'm blaming you," I muttered, knowing Shane was close enough to hear it.

A quiet barking laugh came from the side, evidence of Shane's extreme concern. Such a descent would certainly be quicker than our climb up the side of the mountain, but it would create a lot of noise. Far too much noise. That was my excuse at any rate, and I was sticking to it.

My new worry was Milly slipping and crashing into me, so I walked beside her, even though the deer trail really wasn't wide enough. Both of us began the long descent, one sliding step at a time.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as if heralding our arrival into the new valley. Gravel rolled under my feet, taking me with it, and I grabbed onto another branch, slowing myself to a stop. Milly wasn't so fortunate and kept sliding even with all four feet braced. I tossed the reins over her neck as she went by and slid down after her.

Enough rocks and gravel eventually piled around her feet to bring her to a stop. I grabbed onto a branch, which broke. This time, I was the one who slid past her. She ambled after me and promptly began skidding again.

We made excellent time, although it was the most unorthodox descent I'd ever had. And, yes, I did end up sliding on my rump about half the time.

Shane's frustrated voice came out of the darkness. "I can't find any level spots to camp. Every place I check is this steep."

"Let's see if I can go faster so we find a place, but if not, as long as there's a spot for my bedroll, I'll be fine."

"I think things level out farther down the slope."

In reply to that, I skipped forward and began sliding down the slope, dragging the spear behind me as a balance. Milly quickly followed, her reins still looped around her neck so she couldn't trip on them.

I went as fast as I dared since Shane was clearly fretting over the coming sunrise. I had to pause and wrap cloth around Milly's ankles to keep the numerous small rocks from cutting her, although she was handling this method of travel far better than I anticipated. Thunder continued to rumble, growing closer, also adding to the urgency.

"This way," Shane said as he appeared ahead. "I found a spot. It isn't the best, but I don't smell any predators nearby."

He disappeared into the bushes, and when we followed, we emerged onto a small dirt track.

"That storm is almost upon us. Get on Milly and let's go," Shane said before trotting down the road on all fours.

I swung onto Milly's back and sent her after him, glancing at the clouds at the south end of the valley. They weren't that close, but considering he kept glancing east, I suspected the storm was his current cover story.

I touched my heels to Milly's sides, encouraging her to speed up. She complied, possibly happy we were no longer sliding down a mountainside. Shane glanced back and also picked up his pace.

He led us off the road and to a nearby campsite. The small clearing had a fire burning on a rocky section, and a stream burbled nearby. Shane shifted to his human form as he entered the clearing. He picked up a dead rabbit from beside the fire and started skinning it.

"This is the best I could find. The creek should give you some protection, and it's deep enough that most animals won't cross it, so it gives you somewhere to go if more wolves or bears show up."

I examined the stream that eagerly flowed downhill. "I'm hoping there's no wolves around. That water looks cold."

"I didn't smell any, but I didn't have time to run far and check."

After tethering Milly to a tree, I took my gear over to the fire. Now that I was closer, I could see a very hastily built lean-to beside it. It blended in very well with the dense shrubs around it.

Shane put the last strip of meat on a stick and propped it over the fire. "There. That's the best I can do."

Getting to his feet, he began walking out of the clearing.

"Don't you want to stay long enough to eat?" I asked.

Not looking back, he shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, I can't."

I felt sorry for the man who'd rushed to set up a camp he wouldn't use and start a meal he wouldn't get to taste.