MAYFLOWER

CHAPTER NINE

"He is following us," Anya said.

"Where? I can't see anything." They were stopped at a thin river. Gideon washed his hands. Saturn lapped the clean water. A light rain fell over them.

"He is following us." Both her and Mina lifted their noses as if sniffing a scent.

"You mean the Poor Son, don't you? He is the one following us?"

"He is a fool," she scoffed.

The countryside was flat with many trees and streams, and thick with rabbits and ragwort. Gideon was conscious that they would rest soon. Anya was not concerned about Trigan, more of a disdain for the contradiction of a man who belonged to a meek sect but had left his family for adventure.

Gideon looked for a good place to camp. He had become fond of the traveling. They would set a fire, cook a meal, and stretch out under the sky. Perhaps, he had been well chosen as a scout.

Anya crouched next to him and splashed water onto her face. Mina lowered her neck and drank. "There is too much wilderness," she said. "The people of this planet are so widely dispersed. It is as if they wanted to be as far away from one another as possible." She finished with a grin.

"Why not wait for him?"

"Ha, why? His type is more than useless."

"He looks impressive though."

Anya shrugged and scoffed. "You think so. I don't."

"He could easily pass as a Knight of the Order of the Stars," Gideon said with a smirk on his lips.

"Ah, shush." Anya turned her head in a different direction. "You hear that?"

"What?"

"You are supposed to be a scout." She lifted her chin a little. "There is the sound of the movement of people. Not the Poor Son. There are many of them and is coming from across the river. Let's find cover. It is more than likely they are unfriendly."

Anya's look did not allow Gideon to question her further. He whistled for Saturn and followed Anya and Mina out of the clearing and away from the road. They moved deep into a thicket and settled into a position where they could see a skerrick of the road through the jumbled branches. Saturn and Mina were calm. They had learned the routine of avoiding other travelers. The first time Saturn had given away their position. It had not mattered as the travelers had been carefree nomad wanderers. Later he was badly scolded by Anya. The dog had glanced at Gideon with pleading eyes but Gideon had nodded his head in agreement and Saturn had understood.

"If it is wanderers, we should join them. I am hungry," Gideon said.

"It is not wanderers," Anya said in a hushed voice. He glanced at her and knew that her scouting ability allowed her to differentiate. Was it their sound or smell? Gideon lifted his nose to the wind and sharpened his hearing. Both told him nothing. He held Saturn with his arm around the dog's chest to make sure that he did not break from the cover.

Moments later he did hear noise. The rattle of machines and clip-clop of horses. He leaned toward Anya and whispered. "Who are they?"

She put up a finger for him to be silent. Whoever they were, there were many. The procession continued. Gideon tried to angle himself so that he could see through the gap in the branches but Anya had the better position. Saturn tried to wriggle free, Gideon held him where he could by the neck, tail, or paw.

Gideon began to move for a better position but Anya placed a hand on his arm with a firm do-not-move grip. What she had seen concerned her. Saturn felt the tension and stopped moving too.