Beyond the Fire by Dewayne A Jackson

Author:Dewayne A Jackson [Jackson, Dewayne A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781512795585
Publisher: WestBow Press
Published: 2017-07-28T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 29

Escape

Wart peered into the dark hole long after his friends had passed from view. “What am I expecting anyway?” he chided himself. “Who knows how long this might take?”

He withdrew from the mouth of the cave and began to rub the horses. They ignored him and pulled greedily at the few coarse tufts of grass available. Their smooth coats felt good under his fingers, but he could see little point in rubbing them all day.

Leaving the horses, Wart decided to make a small pallet and get some sleep. Lying down, he twisted and turned, but sleep would not come.

Am I hungry? he wondered. Not really. What should I do?

Suddenly Wart heard laughter. Freezing in his tracks, he listened until he was satisfied that the voices were coming no closer, and then he decided he should check it out. Creeping toward the edge of their hidden camp, he was careful not to make a sound.

Peering cautiously over a large rock, he listened intently. Laughter came from the grove of trees where he and his friends had hidden upon their arrival. He couldn’t see anyone, but every so often, he heard snatches of conversation. He was surprised to understand most of the words. Indeed, the more he listened, the more he understood. Why, he thought, their language is only a variation of the one I grew up with.

Then another thought entered his mind. Were these people from Endor, or were they his own people? Should he reveal himself to them and hope they were friendly? No! Seagood would never approve. He decided he should stay and listen. He might learn something useful.

The longer Wart listened, the more he was convinced that the voices belonged to one man and one woman. A deep masculine voice would say something, and a soft feminine voice would giggle. Her words were often lost in the roar of the river.

Wart caught one phrase that sounded like, “Let’s warm up … celebration tonight.” followed by a giggle. The male voice said, “Hold still,” which was followed by another giggle. “Ouch!” was followed by more laughter.

Wart sighed. “I guess I’m not going to learn anything.” He pondered a bit and then brightened. “Wait! What’s this about a celebration? Maybe the guards won’t be so observant if there is a big party in town.” Encouraged, he returned his attention to the couple.

All was silent. Have I missed them? he wondered. Did they leave while I wasn’t watching? The sun crept higher in the sky. Suddenly Wart heard a man’s voice. “Hey! We’d better get going! The work crews will be coming soon!”

Wart wondered what he meant by “work crews.” He watched and listened. A tall man emerged from the trees, looked about, and beckoned. A young girl with disheveled hair and rumpled dress stepped out to join him. Their faces were quite rosy, and they bore very sheepish expressions. They slipped from the trees, scrambled to the top of the riverbank, and quickly climbed the pathway toward the city. They passed within twenty paces of Wart.

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