The Ruins of Gorlan- Character Reaction

27

"Here, Jen." The chef took the book from the tall Ranger and began reading.

THE THREE COMPANIONS SPENT A SLEEPLESS NIGHT AS THE hunting cries of the Kalkara dwindled to the north. When they first heard the sounds, Gilan had moved to saddle Blaze, the bay horse snorting nervously at the fearsome howling of the two beasts. Halt, however, gestured for him to stop.

Halt snorted. "Did you expect us to go looking for those things in the dark?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Speaking since you wanted three of us to go after two of them, it wouldn't surprise me." Halt grunted.

"I'm not going after those things in the dark," he said briefly. "We'll wait till first light, then look for their tracks."

The tracks were easy enough to find, as the Kalkara obviously made no attempt to conceal their passing. The long grass had been crushed by the two heavy bodies, leaving a clear trail pointing east-northeast. Halt found the trail left by the first of the two monsters, then a few minutes later, Gilan found the second, about a quarter-kilometer to the left and traveling parallel—close enough to provide support in case of an attack, but distant enough to avoid any trap set for its brother.

Will snorted. "Right. And that went well."

Halt considered the situation for a few moments, then came to a decision.

"You stay with the second one," he told Gilan."Will and I will follow this one. I want to make sure they both keep heading in the same direction. I don't want one of them doubling back to come behind us."

Will bit his lips, both amused and exasperated. It had been exactly what had happened to Halt.

"You think they know we're here?" Will asked, working hard to keep his voice sounding steady and disinterested.

Gilan chuckled. "Nope. They didn't have a clue."

"They could. There's been time for that Plainsman we saw to have warned them. Or maybe it's just coincidence and they're heading out on their next mission." He glanced at the trail of crushed grass, moving irrevocably in one constant direction."They certainly seem to have a purpose." He turned to Gilan again. "In any event, keep your eyes peeled and pay close attention to Blaze. The horses will sense these beasts before we will. We don't want to run into an ambush." Gilan coughed lightly. Halt glared at him.

Gilan nodded and swung Blaze away to return to the second trail. At a hand signal from Halt, the three Rangers began riding forward, following the direction the Kalkara had taken.

"I'll watch the trail," Halt told Will. "You keep an eye on Gilan, just in case."

Will sighed. "Oh, great. We get to read about my paranoia."

Will turned his attention to the tall Ranger, some two hundred meters away and keeping pace with them. Blaze was only visible from the shoulders up, his lower half masked by the long grass. From time to time, undulations in the intervening ground took both rider and horse out of sight, and the first time this happened, Will reacted with a cry of alarm as Gilan simply seemed to disappear into the ground. Halt turned quickly, an arrow already at half draw, but at that moment, Gilan and Blaze reappeared, seemingly unconscious of the moment of panic they'd caused.

Will rolled his eyes. "Geez, Gil. Thanks a lot for that."

Gilan grinned. "Maybe you shouldn't be so jumpy."

"Sorry," Will muttered, annoyed that he'd allowed his nerves to get the better of him. Halt regarded him shrewdly.

"That's all right," he said steadily."I'd rather you let me know any time you even think there's a problem." Halt knew only too well that, having called a false alarm once, Will might be reluctant to react next time—and that could be fatal for all of them.