by James Somers
Daniel and the others sat around the fire built by Nathaniel. Percival perched upon a boulder jutting out of the ground. He looked like a boulder himself, sitting upon another boulder. Weapons lay strewn on the ground in various packs. Each of their group had at least one by their side. Animal noises sounded all around them in the dark, but it was difficult to tell if the sources were large or miniscule—predator or prey.
Meineke shivered as he sat next to the fire. His eyes darted around nervously at every new sound emanating from the darkness. He held a long dagger which looked like a sword in relation to his size. Each new cry from the void found the wil aiming the weapon expectantly in that direction.
“What’s the matter, little one?” Percival said. “Are you afraid something big and hairy is going to jump out and gobble you up?”
“You’re the only big, hairy thing I see around here,” Nathaniel said.
Percival gave him a nod, “Aye, watch it.” He turned to find Meineke poking him in the side. “What are you doing little guy?”
“Oh, just seeing how much meat you’ve got on those bones,” Meineke said, still poking him. “I figure they’ll take you first. Me, I’m just a snack. But you could feed a whole mess of monsters.”
Everyone laughed, at least until the next loud cry from the woods sounded.
“Daniel, do you sense anything lurking that might be dangerous?” Marissa asked.
Daniel poked at the fire along with a few of the cherubs. He looked around them through squinted eyes as though scanning the darkness. Everyone leaned in toward the boy, waiting for an answer. His ability to do things unexpected had become more and more apparent to the group the further they journeyed with him.
“It’s hard to tell,” he said. “Nothing is jumping out in my mind.”
“Hopefully that means nothing will be jumping out, period,” Meineke said.
“Well, we had better get some sleep,” Nathaniel said. “I’ll take the first watch and then Percival can relieve me for awhile. Daylight is going to come quick and we don’t want to waste any of it…unless you want to spend another night in the Deadwood.”
“I’ll stay up with you, Captain,” Bon suggested. “My nose might detect danger before anything else can.”
Nathaniel nodded to the great cat and they moved away from the others a little on opposite sides of the camp. The rest of the group used their garments and satchels to bed down upon and cover themselves.
PREDATOR AND PREY
Minion watched the group of warriors from a large petrified tree branch just beyond their camp. The fire light did nothing to reveal him among the midnight trees of the Deadwood. He saw the boy his master had sent him for. He slept below among satchels of weapons with one of Minion’s own kind, a wil, curled up next to him.
Minion noticed the pantheras in the group, an older and younger male. Fortunately, he sat high enough in the tree to evade scent detection, and if one of the big cats did catch wind of him, then they probably wouldn’t think much of a wil wondering around in the woods.
Minion stayed upon his perch, waiting for three wils in his company who would be along very soon. And they would bring some new friends to entertain the boy and his friends. They can all have dinner together, he thought. The wil chuckled quietly to himself as he thought about the devious plan he had conjured up. The master will be so pleased.