The Starlit Soul

Tricks and Traps

Lysander placed a smooth river stone in the pouch of his sling, eyeing the fat grouse as it slowly made its way down the hillside, hopping over a fallen log and weaving between the branches of some scrub oak. Luck was on his side this morning, it seemed. He hadn't even been looking to hunt – he had enough supplies – but a fresh meal instead of the jerky and nuts he'd been subsisting on would be more than welcomed. The grey-feathered, fat bird paused just as it emerged from the scrub oak, picking at something on the ground, and he whirled his sling above his head. It looked up at the odd noise and he loosed his stone, killing it with a perfect strike to the head. With a happy whistle he marched over to the fallen bird, bowing his head to thank it for its sacrifice before picking it up by the feet.

"You're going to taste good." He hummed at the dead grouse, whistling happily as he marched on to check on his new friends, adjusting his pack with his free hand. Is it really friendship when only one of us knows about the other? He wondered, sauntering through the woods as he made his way to the other side of the mountain. After two days of tracking the lizards, he'd discovered that the little entrance he'd found was not the lizards' main entrance; no, that lay on the complete opposite side of the mountain, and was far more noticeable.

Somewhere off to his right a bird whistled and he whistled back, a spring in his step as he rounded a tree and emerged from the dark timber. Course brown stone lay at his feet, ending in a sheer cliff that gave way to a breathtaking sight. A lake glittered at the foot of the mountain, a small stream bleeding off of it to circle back around and connect with the main river. The valley was narrower on this side of the mountain, filled with marshland and thick shrubbery around the lake. Only occasionally did groves of trees rise from the yellow-grass marshes, rising up like islands of pine and stone even against the backdrop of towering mountains. But, better than all that, was the movement below.

From where he was he could see lizards working their way around the lake, bright oranges, reds, and yellows flashing through the tall grass as the lizards scampered about, fishing and foraging in the lake and marshes. There were far more of them than Lysander had ever expected, and those were only the scouts sent out in the early morning. More lay in a cave in the cliffs below, dug out of the side and marked with torches. The smell of something being cooked drifted up on a gentle breeze and Lysander found himself salivating, glancing down at the grouse he still held in one hand.

Do I risk cooking you now...? No, probably better not. I'll just clean you while I watch for a bit. He figured, settling down on the cliffside and peering over the edge.

The cliffs were far larger on this side of the mountain, at least forty feet tall, and a bit of vertigo swept over Lysander as he dangled his feet over the edge. That didn't stop him from staying there, the vertigo passing as he watched the lizards go about their day-to-day life. At least, what he could see of it.

A thin, frail looking lizard with dulled orange scales stood stooped over a stone pot, stirring the soup within with a long wooden ladle. A few children played about on the hillside and around the pot, occasionally stopping to sniff the air as if to see if the food was ready. Two adult lizards worked off to the side, cleaning the hides of two small critters – he couldn't see what the animals had been, from here. Small, rudimentary lean-tos were built right up next to the cliffs, the area around the cave entrance having been flattened to the best of the lizards' ability and filled with logs, stones, and occasionally plants and such. Not that Lysander could actually see that from where he sat.

He only knew what the lean-tos hid because he'd snuck into their camp late one night, when most of them were asleep. Sure, he hadn't gone into the cave, but he'd still snooped. It was all very...simplistic. They didn't even have slings yet, using spears and traps alone to hunt. Which wasn't a problem, but he had been half expecting a bit more sophistication. Hoping for it, perhaps, but despite that mild disappointment it was no less exciting to have found these creatures – no, people.