Gron's Fated by V.C. Lancaster

Author:V.C. Lancaster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Gron raced through the trees, terrified. The Eater was here. He hadn’t even seen it before they’d been in the tree. He hadn’t smelt it or heard it, it had just been a feeling, an instinct, and as soon as he’d recognised it, he had reflexively grabbed Ruth and taken them up into the branches. He knew she was still unhappy with him, and he had been rough with her, but he hadn’t been thinking. They were off the ground and safe before he’d realised what he’d done.

The Eater was the only thing his people had to fear. The trees were a safe place for them, but on the ground, the Eater could get them. It knocked them down and ate their flesh until they died. His tribe had lost three males that way. It was the only thing they knew of that ate other beings, it was a monster. Even Queens were not safe from it, it didn’t care about anything other than feeding. It hunted without cease, looking for its next victim immediately after finishing with its first, day or night.

He had grabbed Ruth by reflex before he’d even realised why, but the fear still circled through his veins as he took them through the trees. The Eater could have caught her, it could have caught him, it was that easy to lose her or for her to be left alone. If the Eater had attacked Ruth, Gron would have fought it to the death trying to save her. Then he at least would not have to live without her. But she still needed someone to look after her if anything happened to him. He would have thrown himself between them to give her the chance to run away, he still would, but he could do it with an easier heart if he knew she would not be at Grasta’s mercy without him.

Ruth may fight him, and hate him, and punish him for it, but she needed another male. He didn’t know yet how he would get her one without losing her in the process, but he had to try. He would take some time to think on it first, this time.

As he approached the village, he met one of his tribesmen, and called out to him “I have seen the Eater, it is in the forest, warn the others!”

The other male looked up at him and dropped what he was doing, leaping into the trees and bounding away to spread the word, and soon the forest was echoing with their cries and the shaking of leaves as the tribe hurried through the branches to their platforms, dark brown blurs disappearing among the foliage.

Then all at once the forest went silent. Gron had reached his platform and let Ruth slip from his back then hurried to the edge, looking down to make sure no one was left exposed. He could see others doing the same thing, checking on their neighbours. The tribe held their breath, not making a sound as they waited for the Eater to appear below.

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