Somewhere Under the Stars

Chapter Eleven: Serenity

   We leave the horses behind and head into the forest. I quietly unsheathe my sword. This was going to be hard, and I'd have to be smart and quick. Very quick. Behind me Maverick crashes through the trees with the saddle bags. I roll my eyes, humans are so clumsy and exasperating.  I wheel around and face Maverick.

    " Please be quiet.  You're about as stealthy as a water buffalo. " I scold. 

    Maverick shrugs, " Sorry." he says unapologetic. He even has the nerve to smirk at me. I sigh and continue forward.

      I lead us up to a place no one in their right mind should ever go. A babirusa den. I approach the den, careful not to make any loud noises. Maverick glances at the den and back at me. There's fear and curiosity painted in his eyes.

    " Is that what I think it is?" he asks a little to loudly. His question is answered with a deep snorting sound and I flinch. I press a finger to my mouth and he pales slightly. He mouths a couple curse words at me and I don't blame him.  

    We stand completely still, waiting for the babirusa to either charge out of its den or fall back asleep. Babirusas are lazy animals that like to sleep in the day, but when disturbed they can be deadly. I hear soft snoring sounds that would've been cute, had the creature making them been more gentle and not so terrifying. I nod at Maverick and he follows me up the sloping rock that frames the den's entrance. 

    We're standing directly over the mouth of the den and I listen. I listen for the sounds of running horses but all I can hear is a the faint, light steps of feet. My peers are smarter than I thought.  They figured out that this is babirusa territory, and they most likely saw our abandoned horses. Hopefully they wouldn't figure out my trap. If I had any hopes of getting out of the Halcyon borders, I'd have to make sure they weren't going to follow us.  The footsteps get closer. They're about 200 yards away from us. The time to act is now. 

    " Get ready to run." I mumble. Maverick looks at me, terrified and confused. 

    " Wait-" he starts but my loud whistle cuts him off. I recall my mother commenting on how loud I screamed as a child. My whistles are even louder than that, they're loud enough to wake the dead. But babirusas are light sleepers. I needed to wake up the creature, and also alert the people hunting me to my location. 

    I hear an annoyed squeal and the babirusa comes charging out of it's den. I cover my mouth so my breathing will be muffled, Maverick does the same. The babirusa I just woke up is huge.  The biggest one I've ever seen. It's larger than any horse I've ever seen and it's tusks gleam wickedly in the fading sunlight. I can hear my classmates getting closer. I pray to all the gods above that this plan will work.

     It's either the gods hate me, or I have the worst luck ever. It's probably both.

    Something drops from Maverick's neck. It's small and bronze, but I don't have time to get a good look at it. The small object lands on the rock and makes a small clinking sound. It's so quiet, nothing would notice it. But babirusas have almost as good as hearing as Halcyons do. The ugly creature trains it's pig-like eyes on me and Maverick. It's snorts and paws the ground, ready to skewer us with it's tusks.

    " Well, shit. Run."