Grudgebearer by J.F. Lewis

Author:J.F. Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2014-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 33

BLOOD-RED MOON

Under a blood-red moon, the four Overwatches moved at a fast jog, their boots slapping like pounding hammers beating out a steady rhythm on the stone of the Guild Commerce Highway. Summer was fading fast, and each of the four young Aern had fun trying to render the mental map they held in their minds between them with the most accurate details. Rae’en might never notice the difference, but Kazan had taken the detail of the map Malmung had shown them as a challenge.

Rae’en? Kazan sent out. He’d expected to get back within range faster than this.

Any of you able to reach her yet? Joose thought. Three tokens, one representing each of the other three Overwatches, went gray, a visual “No” they’d learned early on but had started using again after one of Kholster Malmung’s Overwatches, Lena, had reintroduced the topic.

“A kholster needs to be able to pay attention to what his own senses are telling him, too.” Lena had explained. “Malmung doesn’t mind a little conversation, but the reason he doesn’t send his auditory input, the reason Kholster doesn’t typically share his, is sound can be more confusing than visual information.

“A kholster or a soldier can have a map in the corner of her vision and know it isn’t really there. It might cost them a small portion of their field of vision, but it expands their overall knowledge.”

“Put phantom sounds in their ears,” Joose had spoken up, “and you just confuse them.”

“Or endanger them.” Lena had granted Joose one of her rare smiles, revealing an upper canine only partially regrown next to its neighbor. “A twig snap heard on your end could make them turn the wrong way and react to it unnecessarily, or if you’re close enough to hear it, too, they might react in the wrong direction or hear it from both sides and not know how to respond.”

Don’t you think we should have been back in range by now? Joose thought.

Three gold tokens flashed on the map.

Lena told me we might have to get closer to reacquire full contact than we were when we lost it, M’jynn thought.

When were you spending time alone with Lena? Arbokk asked.

Hey, the mating age is twenty-one, M’jynn thought back.

What does that have to do with Lena teaching you how to knit? Kazan thought. Because that’s what she told me you two were doing. She even showed me some of your work.

She did?

I am your Prime Overwatch and, in your kholster’s absence . . .

Kholster Rae’en, M’jynn thought as loud as he could, including the others in his broadcast, can you hear me yet?!

I think she’s already in the Guild Cities, Kazan laughed. Maybe when we hit the halfway mark.

Are we there yet? M’jynn joked.

*

“No,” Lieutenant Kreej hissed at his human charge, “we are not there yet.” Sibilance bounced echoes of the susurrant statement around the stone tunnels through which the two traveled. With the added clack of his fore and hind claws on the stone and the

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