Haven: Book Seven of "The Liminality"

Chapter 24 - Reunion

Charlotte's endless questioning began to wear on Urszula, so when the opportunity arose, she volunteered to walk point, but Charlotte would not allow her to do it alone. She insisted on assigning an English-speaking man named Jacob to accompany her. Thankfully, Jacob proved quite taciturn. He only spoke when spoken to or to offer navigational advice.

The slope of on this part of the caldera was endlessly broad and undulant with deep, gentle glens. Their view of the distant encampments vanished as they descended into one such defile, but upon cresting the next shoulder it reappeared along with a more expansive view of the Sagmire Sea, its murky waters stretching off into the distance before disappearing into mist.

Urszula studied the next depression in the slope.

"Why don't we just follow the contour of the mountain instead of going up and down all the time?"

"It'd be ten times as long," said Jacob.

She shrugged and followed him down the hillside. It unnerved her to have the path ahead constantly fall out of view. It created opportunities for ambush and surprise.

They crossed a dry creek at the bottom of this dip. She wondered if she would ever grow hungry or thirsty in this place. She had seen people drink, but it seemed to be all for show.

Relieved to reach the top of the next rise, she squinted at the outskirts of the encampment, which could now be seen in greater detail. There was not much to them, just windbreaks of piled stone with the occasional canopy or lean-tos of sewn-together hides.

"People coming," said Jacob.

Below a group of several dozen souls were crossing the base of the next ravine while a small vanguard were already halfway up the slope and converging on them.

"Trouble?" asked Urszula.

"No. These don't appear to be hunters."

The vanguard approaching them consisted of four warriors, mostly armed with short spears, but one also carried a bow. Urszula removed and adjusted her pack to make sure that her weapon was readily available, just in case.

"It's okay," said Jacob. "They are not hunters."

"I heard you the first time. It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

The calm and unhurried demeanor of these travelers told her that they, in turn, did not perceive her or Jacob as threats. Jacob laid down his bow and greeted them with two palms held high, as if surrendering.

"Do what I do. It is custom."

"Alright," said Urszula, reluctantly following his example.

The vanguard paused when they were within speaking distance and returned the gesture.

"English?" said Jacob.

"Sure," said the lone bowman among them, an impressively tall and naked fellow.

"Why are you leaving?"

"Overseers come and slammed the doors and locked them tight," said the bowman.

"Summoner can't do a damn thing about it, neither."

"Bitch fainted trying to unlock."

"I say it was all a sham. Never was a seam," said one of the spear-wielders, a stocky woman clad only in a fringe of human hair, cinched like a skirt around her waist.

"And now there came Overseers visiting in them shells of theirs. We figured it was time to skedaddle."

"Not to mention the pick 'em up truck."