Landsend Plateau by Eric T Knight

Author:Eric T Knight [Knight, Eric T]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Toshiba
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

The trail led them southeast, instead of south, as they had expected. Clearly the outsiders had more in mind than simply fleeing the Plateau as quickly as they could. The outsiders were traveling fast, obviously expecting pursuit. They found discarded blankets, food, even weapons along the way, sacrifices to the need for speed. There were other sacrifices as well, for to travel heedlessly on the Plateau invariably exacted a toll.

In the early afternoon they came upon a copse of trelnit trees, each trailing their many fingers of slowcaught vines. Not realizing what they were, the invaders had tried to pass straight through the deadly vines. A patch of vines at the edge were badly torn up, showing where some of the invaders had tangled with them and had managed to fight their way free, probably with help from their fellows. But deeper into the tangle of vines it was a different story. Something was caught there, something the size of a man. As they watched, the figure squirmed weakly.

There was no hope of rescuing whoever it was, even if they were so inclined. All had seen what even brief contact with a slowcaught vine did to bare skin. The vine was saturated with harsh acids that began eating through skin immediately. The person’s face would be gone by now, only dripping flesh where skin had been.

“Even the Plateau strikes for us,” Rehobim said harshly. “That is one outsider who will not prey on us again.” And with that he turned and continued on, circling around the tangle of slowcaught vines.

Soon only Shakre and Werthin were still there, looking at the struggling figure. A low moan came from it. Werthin started to turn away and follow the rest, then hesitated. In one swift movement he drew an arrow from his quiver and loosed it into the struggling shape. There was a final quiver, and then it was still.

“Thank you,” Shakre said, touching Werthin on the shoulder, but he quickly turned away and hurried after the others without saying anything. Shakre whispered a brief prayer for the deceased and followed.

The trail they followed veered suddenly eastward in the early afternoon and Rehobim paused to study it. The outsiders’ tracks led straight towards a pile of jumbled boulders at the top of a low, steep ridge. It would be an excellent place for an ambush, if that was the outsiders’ plan. He spoke briefly with Pinlir and Trelka, a tall, strongly-built woman who carried her captured sword strapped across her back, then they split off to the right with half of the Takare, while Rehobim went left with the others.

Shakre stood there for a moment, listening to her inner senses, then she called out to Rehobim softly. “I do not think—” she began, but was cut off.

“I don’t want to hear what you think,” he said sharply. “Be quiet, or go home.”

Shakre shrugged and followed him. She had been about to tell him that she heard no Song in the boulder pile, that she thought this was a ruse by the outsiders to slow them down, but she kept quiet.

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