She laughed again and said, “Well then, we better get you out of those wet clothes, don’t cha’ think?” After a rather passionate session, both retired back to the pond, this time with the proper changes and drying cloths and helped each other with their baths.
Later as both sat around their small fire both feeling comfortable they began to go over the rough map and notes that they had brought. “Look something we did consider is that the land does change. I bet even these small streams like this one moves its channels as things happen over time. Even though there are few trees in the grasslands, many of these streams have quite a few, so if, oh say because of a storm some of them would fall into the stream, then these fallen trees could force the stream to change direction. And who knows, while most of the time it would be a slight change, other times it could dam it in such a way that the flow has completely changed – never going past the blockage where it used to go but now in a new direction.” Kal paused as he thought this through. “I know we are looking at around a thousand cycles of the seasons, and usually things don’t change that rapidly, other than what we do to it. So, maybe one of the ravines that led from the grasslands to the somewhat hidden trail, which led towards that clan home, is no more, or so many other things. Who knows they could have deliberately misrepresented something on their map so that if it fell into the wrong hands that the ones who acquired this couldn’t find their way there to be able to attack it.”
Leaning back against a rock she contemplated what he had suggested. “Yes, any of those could be fact. Yet we have no way to prove any of it. So far we’ve been unable to orientate this thing with any of the land that we’ve searched. It’s a very frustrating thing, it really is. Look we’ve kind of shot this day by getting such a late start. Let’s just go out to some of the high points and look over the areas. Then as the suns begin setting we can watch the shadows to get a better idea for how the land really is. Maybe from that we can get some ideas of where to search next.”
“Sounds good to me, I’m so glad that you showed me that. Being from the villages it is something you just don’t think about. After all you have the streets through the villages and shelters of different kinds that are your landmarks so something like that wouldn’t cross my mind. Besides not only is it educational as far as learning how the land lays, but it is also beautiful. You can feel the beginning of the evening cooling, and sense the increase in moisture and the shadows are beautiful as they stretch across the landscape.” Kal paused in thought, “I think we should pack something to snack on, so how about we leave after the midday meal. That way we won’t have to take too much and have half a day to explore.”
“Works for me, let’s do it.” Jura got up went inside their portable shelter grabbed their carrying packs a brought them outside, tossing his to him. “I guess we should put these in order then.”
* * *
There had been a rather stiff breeze off the grasslands upslope to where they stood on top of one of the higher foothills. Looking south they could see the foothills running up to the edge of the great grasslands, and in the vast distance to the west a slight haze that probably marked the edge of the desolation where it was not uncommon for dust to being stirred constantly by the winds. To the north stood the great ranges of what they had known as the Sacred Mountains, making the foothills a minor inconvenience in comparison, and to the east the vast foothills and somewhere lost within these was that hidden home of his past. It wouldn’t be long before the shadows would show how rugged an area this truly was. Both had found a large flat rock to sit as they waited just a little longer. Soon they would have to head back, since they had no desire to work their way back to their camp in the dark.
Between them they studied a copy of the crude map that had been made towards the end of the occupation of the clan home. As the shadows lengthened revealing more of the hidden canyons smaller peaks, and ravines they turned and twisted the document in many different directions trying to establish some type of orientation that would line up what they saw on the map with the real world that they were observing. “I don’t get it. There doesn’t seem to be anything on this that compares to what we are looking at.” He couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice as he looked once again on the scene before him and looking at the map.
“I know what you mean. I really thought that it would be a very simple thing. After all we had a map.” She laughed, “I guess we set our expectations too high – very naïve of us if I do say myself.” Taking a deep breath she continued, “Oh well I guess we can try this again in the morning. We really need to head back.”
Sighing he said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. If we don’t find something shortly that shows up on this map I guess we’ll be moving our camp again – although it’s going to be hard to give up this one. Okay, let’s head back.” They rolled the map back up and placed in her carrying pack got up and headed back for camp.
From a different hill and unknown to Kal and Jura, two watched them as they got up and headed back to camp. One turning to the other said, “From what I could see it looks like they were trying to compare something they had to this area. I wonder if they have a map or something. Look we need to follow them, because the last time they relocated their camp we never did figure out where it was. Who knows, maybe if we can locate the camp we can sneak in after they’re asleep and steal it – but, on second thought maybe not. We’d be giving ourselves away and could come away with nothing. Besides we’re being paid to do this and this is much easier than some of the other things we’ve had to do.” The other one remained quiet and shook his head in agreement saying only, “We’ll watch.”
And another team looked at each other with both smiling, since they were close enough to catch the conversation of the observers as they waited, until the two who had been observing Kal and Jura moved on down towards their hidden camp. “Seems for such an empty land it’s getting kind of crowded out here. This brought a chuckle from his partner.
“Yes, isn’t it? At least we won’t have to reveal ourselves to protect them. Had these two decided to raid their camp we may have had to show ourselves. Guess we’d better be heading to our camp.”
CHAPTER FIVE
OTHERS
Another 9-day had passed with nothing showing for their hard work other than covering more of the foothills. They had moved their camp, not wanting to leave such a perfect campsite, but nothing in the area had produced any results. So they moved two days hike to the east and while it wasn’t as nice or as hidden as their previous site it would have to work. “I don’t know how long we’ve still available to us. I’ve never been this far north and I don’t know if the seasons are shorter, longer, harsher, or anything really.” It was early morning and he and Jura were heading out to try and orientate the map once again, wanting to use the morning shadows created by the rising suns. There was hope that finally after all the time that they had been traipsing through these hills that something would finally go their way.
Jura shivered a little, “Yeah agreed. These mornings are becoming quite chilly. Definitely reminds me of the Season of Falling. So there’s a good chance if we don’t find something soon that we’ll have to call it for this time and head back.”
Breathing out heavily and watching his breath create clouds and then dissipate in the cool air Kal said, “It will be very frustrating to have spent all this time out here and have to return with nothing but our tans to show for it. At least we don’t have to worry about those predators, you know the Skaiths. I think the last one was seen a very long time ago. I think that they were from a very early time in this world. And from what I’ve heard about them we would never know they were around until it was too late. With their speed of attack and strength, there’d be a blur and it would be the only warning we’d get. I know they sent fear through any who might have caught a glimpse of these solitary hunters. It was another reason to stay out of the Sacred Mountains, since they seemed to be mostly there. Although there had been reports
that they hunted the herd beasts in the grasslands and foothills close to those mountains. And, of course, that’s where we are. While, it’s been frustrating enough to have this rough map and come up empty, but this is so much better than becoming a meal for one of those beasts.”
“Agreed. I understand that just their cry was enough to send chills and fear in any who happened to be close. Should have worn something warmer, it’s really cold this morning.” As they had reached another of the many small peaks the morning winds touched them with a chill that penetrated to the bone. “Brrr, let’s see if we can find a place out of this breeze. If I’m this cold I might be concentrating on being cold instead of looking over the countryside.” They walked a little to the west and partially down and found a warm pocket of air, and by experimenting found that just a little way in any direction they were immediately back into the cold air. “I don’t understand this, and probably never will, yet I ran into this very often back on the farm. There seems to be places that were either colder or warmer than the surrounding air and no reason that I could see for it to be that way, and here it is again right at this spot.”
They got close together for each other’s warmth and waited for the shadows to form. It appeared to take forever for the suns to rise high enough so that the morning shadows could form. At this moment the suns held no warmth as their breaths still came out in great clouds, and when the slight breezes touched them it sent chills through their bodies. Unfortunately, where they had retreated, their views in the direction that they wanted to observe were hidden, while the areas towards the grasslands were plain to see. Shrugging Kal said, “I guess if we want to see what we came here today to see, we can’t stay here. Although right now being warm and being this close to you is a reason to stay here … but can’t, so let’s go see what we can see.”
All she did was smile, stood up and together they braved the cold morning air and headed back to the top of the hill. Once they arrived both of them immediately forgot their chilled condition because what they were seeing, in the distance, in those morning shadows, matched the crude map that they had been using. Pointing Jura stated, “Look! I’ve stared at this map so often that I have it memorized, and truly thought that we wouldn’t ever see something on the ground that would match it but look.” She stopped briefly and turned to Kal and asked, “You see it don’t you?”
He had been in awe when he had seen what she had. It had driven him to silence. He had reached a point that he had almost given up. It wouldn’t have been much longer and they would have had to head back and wait through another Season of Cold before they could try again. But here before them, after all that time spent in useless searching, finally – finally it was before them. “Yes, I see it. But, how do we get to the path that goes there? From here I can’t see it, and I think once we get back down into those small canyons and ravines that it will be easy to miss. From what I remember when reading my history, the pathway wasn’t easy to find when it was traveled, and now it’s been a very long time since anybody has traveled that way, and there’s a very good chance that the entrance could easily be overgrown and hidden.”
As he spoke these things she thought and had to admit that he was right. Up here it was plain to see, but once one dropped down and didn’t have this view then everything changed. And because there had been no travel they could easily miss the entrance to the trail or path that led to the abandoned clan site. Plus he was again correct by saying that the entrance could be easily overgrown. So with the sudden elation from finding the landmarks noted on the map and thinking that finally they had found it, she realized that it might take them days to find their way to what they had been searching. Trying to point out the positive, she said, “Well, at least we know we’re in the right area. Look, I think we need to move our camp a little closer to what we’ve just discovered so that we can search this out. With all the failures that we’ve had up to this point, to be finally in the right place is a relief. It, in a way, simplifies things. Instead of all these foothills three days out of the Sacred Mountains, and even I was surprised as to how big an area it is, to finally have narrowed it down to this … well, I don’t know, this area? I know to be this close, but at the same time still not there, and we’ve only got three or four 9-days left before we will be facing the Season of Cold.” Taking a deep breath she said, “Okay, I know what we have ahead of us is still daunting, but standing here and reveling in the fact that we finally found it isn’t going to get us there.”
“You’re right, so shall we go break the camp and move it then?” She shook her head and both of them headed back down towards their camp to begin the preparation of breaking it down, packing the two pack beasts, but before all of this they would eat.
* * *
The two who were monitoring them had risen late that morning and were sullenly sitting close to their campfire. Every morning it was becoming colder, and this was getting old. At first it seemed like a nice break from what they normally were involved with. Besides, they had been almost caught the last time they had broken into a shelter to steal something, so this was a welcome diversion, and a cooling off time, a time to disappear. But now, both were missing their booze, and the companionship of a female, now and then. “Look, I’m just about done with this. They can’t be out here much longer anyway. We can’t be too far from the Season of Cold, and I don’t want to be anywhere out here exposed during those storms.”
The one he was talking to sat across the fire from him only nodded his head in agreement. At first he had been happy to be away, but now he would be very happy to be away from this. “Guess we better see what our two little fliers are up to.” The other only grunted. So leaving their fire burning they got up climbed the hill that their camp was located behind and carefully peered into Kal and Jura’s camp. “Crap! They’re breaking camp, and we’re not even ready to follow them.” They turned rapidly around and headed back to their own camp and began hastily to break it down, not bothering to extinguish their small fire, as there was no time. All they did was to kick some dirt over it. Grabbing their dirty pots the one that had spoken earlier yelped, “That’s hot!”, and immediately threw it back on the ground where the liquid that was inside sloshed out and spilled out onto the ground. There was no portable shelter to pack as they were too lazy to put up such a convenience, threw whatever gear they had into their carrying packs, and rapidly climbed the hill where they had hidden behind to watch the two, and follow remaining out of sight.
“I wonder what prompted this move?” The other thief asked quietly. The only response he got from the other, who had made himself the unofficial leader, was a shrug of the shoulders. Well, he hadn’t expected an answer anyway, and he was quite content to let him lead – meant less for him to do and be responsible for. Besides, if this went wrong he could blame it on him because of the other’s choice and be free from any retaliation. Soon they were out of sight of their old camp and were concentrating completely their prey.
After they were out of sight three walked into their abandoned camp with the leader looking around and shaking his head. It was apparent to the three that the ones who had camped here were lazy, slovenly, and careless. Turning to the other two he said, “Better put out that fire we don’t need it to escape. I’ve seen what fires do to the grasslands, and it isn’t pretty.” He watched as the other two carefully extinguished the campfire. While they did this he did a careful search of the camp finding nothing of importance. Turning back to the two who had completed their assignment he said, “Guess we better see what these two are up to, and soon one of us will have to return and update our contacts.” The three left the camp, and with care, began tracking the two thieves, although a child from a village could have followed it.
* * *
As they hauled the pack beasts along Kal stopped a moment followed by Jura who had a questioning look on her face. He seeing this answered, “Look, I just realized from reading all of that in the document that there is a main path or entrance to the
route from the grasslands. I know that it doesn’t show it on this map, but I suspect that was to prevent someone using it, if, for some reason it fell into enemy’s hands, at the time. Even close to the end of the time that they lived there, there was fighting, battles, and such all the time, even though things were beginning to change. It would only make sense to keep something like that out of this thing.”
“I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right. So what do you want to do? We’re not too far from the grasslands, do you want to head back to them and see if we can find the entrance?”
“Jura, I just don’t know. I suspect that the beginning of the trail was well hidden so that it couldn’t be seen, allowing any enemy just to follow and attack. But at the same time, I don’t know if we can come across the trail here in these foothills. It is a problem, what do you think?”
“You’re asking me? That’s a tough one. If the beginning of the trail was hidden in their day, it could be completely gone now, with no travel for all this time and no use, and there could be no possibility of finding it by cutting across the hills like we are doing now. Hmmm, okay look you have a good point saying that the entrance is from the grasslands so let’s stop a moment and think about it.”
“Yeah, let’s see if we can put ourselves in the place of our ancestors, and before you say it I’m not meaning the place where you females were at that time, I know better.”
A Taste of History Past Page 11