Errant by L. K. Fleet

Author:L. K. Fleet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Etymon Press

6

They descended the other side of the peak that Charm was calling Gulme. The Earth name was Mount Wonder, probably after the spectacular views, but Aspen let Charm name it without comment. Crossing the Seljac Mountains during Frost Moon brought enough harshness into their lives. There was no need for more.

Aspen knew the difference between a lie that caused harm and one that prevented it. She wanted the truth, but as an offering, not something seized by force.

The valley—Aspen didn’t know a name for it, but Charm had called it Biecte and Sky had exclaimed that he recognized it from above—wasn’t as low as where they’d started their journey along the river Ain. Still, it was a relief to walk a relatively straight, flat path for a time. The short grass and wildflowers had shriveled and browned in the cold, but this high prairie would probably be spectacular in summer. Today, at least, the surrounding peaks protected them from wind.

Asalc, Gulme, Biecte. Aspen couldn’t identify the language, and she knew Wood, Earth, and a little Sun. She’d traveled far enough to hear and see lots of other languages, but these place names still didn’t call up any associations for her. Most People of the Earth only knew their own language, and they called these places other names. People of the Wind lived here, but the words Charm had said were nothing like their whistled language.

Charm chatted with Sky, seemingly back to her usual cheer. Aspen let their conversation wash over her as she walked.

She spotted the first trap as they arrived at the trail that would lead them up Asalc.

“Stop,” she called. It was a pit in the trail, loosely covered with branches and leaves. She’d dug a few of these in her time, most recently when she’d had to take on a few ex-colleagues at a farm outside Cheyford. Unlike the cage she’d found in the woods a few days ago, this pit wasn’t a hunter’s trap.

“Sky,” she asked, “do your people put traps in the woods around their village?”

“Doesn’t everybody?”

Aspen led the horses over the pit. On foot, Charm and Sky easily avoided it once they knew where it was. The next one might not be so easy to see.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.