Healer of Sakkara

Chapter 16 - Boars

A snuffling grunt woke Galen from a sound sleep. In the blue-gray light of pre-dawn, he could just make out the shapes of things and saw that his companions still slept. Their bedrolls lay grouped about the ashes of the fire, and all was still.

One bed was empty, but Galen expected this, as they had set a guard and decided on shifts the night before. Oberik had taken the first watch.

A second soft snuffle emanated from Behn's bedroll, and Galen smiled, remembering a childish argument they'd once had over whether Behn snored.

He closed his eyes, intending to get a few more hours' sleep, when a much louder and quite different snuffle had him sitting bolt upright.

It had come from beyond the edge of camp, and in the dim gloom, he could just make out a shape moving among the scraggly trees.

Correction: shapes.

At least a dozen large boars rooted about in the area where they had dumped the washing water and food scraps the night before, and they were getting closer.

Galen glanced around. Surely, this was cause for alarm, and yet no alarm had been given.

He saw the explanation in the form of Obi, who sat slumped fast asleep with his back against a tree.

Not sure if shouting would attract the boars or drive them off, Galen rose silently, went to where Sev lay, and softly called his name.

Sev sat up immediately, knife in hand, and Galen was glad he hadn't tried a more direct approach.

"Galen?" Sev frowned and sheathed his knife. "What's wrong?"

Galen raised a finger to his lips and pointed. Sev followed his line of sight, went still, and swore. Then he swept the camp with his eyes, saw Obi, and swore again.

"Help me wake the rest," he said. "Quietly, as you did me. If the boars think there's food here, they'll see this as their territory, and they don't take kindly to intruders."

Galen nodded and went first to Triss and Behn, who he at least knew wouldn't murder him for waking them up unexpectedly.

Within minutes, everyone was up, bedrolls packed, boots laced, and belongings collected. The boars remained occupied with the refuse, but a few wandered closer. Fortunately, their eyesight was poor, and they seemed unaware of the travelers.

"Damned nosey beggars," Iksy muttered. "We're lucky they didn't scent the packs."

"We're downwind of them," Sev whispered as they moved off as quietly as they could. "They must have come upon the scraps by chance."

Sev moved with Galen to the front of the group, while Rea and Triss readied their bows and brought up the rear. Only the luckiest of shots could bring down a boar, but arrows were the only long-range weapons they had, and swords were not designed for such beasts. Boar-hunting spears had special crossbars above the blade, for without them a wounded boar might push itself right up the shaft to get to the hunter in its rage.

They moved as quickly as they dared, and were nearly clear of the trees, when a monstrous boar, half the size of a horse, trundled from the brush ahead of them and blocked their path. Its bristles were black and its mean little eyes had a strange, reddish tint. It grunted and clacked its tusks at them, snout twitching as it caught their scent.

"What do we do?" Iskthanis asked quietly. "Throw it some food?"

Sev shook his head. "I doubt that would work." He glanced at the scraggly trees, but the thickest branches were too low to offer protection, and those higher up were too thin to hold their weight. "They usually don't attack unless cornered or threatened. Perhaps if we move off the trail, we might—"