The Hooman Saga - Book Two, Part 1

Episode 4A

(This book is available almost everywhere online - if you can't wait to see how this turns out, see https://calm.li/HoomanSagaBk2Pt1 for more information and links.)

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THEY HADN'T SEEN FERALS at first, since they had come off the steepest part of the mountain. This land slanted with boulders here and there, sprouting out of the rocky soil. Not too different, just less steep.

Tig kept pushing them, pushing them.

Sue was keeping up, barely.

Tig kept stressing the fact of the ferals being close by. Then they saw them.

At first those wolves stayed far distant. Still downhill from where Sue and Tig were traveling. Tig had them travel away, on a slant, to keep out of their sight and to cover up their own scent as much as possible. Tig and Sue wound up going away from their original path.

Tig sent, "I hope to double back soon." But that wasn't the case, as the ferals kept reappearing at every chance Tig saw.

They were still moving lower on the mountainside, and more trees appeared. Sue started smiling, to hear Tig, and even more happy to hear the birds singing and talking to each other. She couldn't make out what they were saying. It was good to hear their voices.

Tig kept his thoughts quiet so he could concentrate on the ferals, and on picking out the path they could take that would let them move down the rugged mountainside. If they could move out into the plain, they could move more quickly, and would be less visible through the forests. Every opening Tig had seen so far had a Feral on its edge, so they continued moving in and around the boulders on the mountainside.

Sue meanwhile, despite having to fight for her breaths in keeping up with Tig, still marveled at this wonderland. It was so different from the life on-board ship. As the sun moved lower in the sky, the shadows deepened along the rocky hillside.

More ferals were showing up, down range and ahead of them, so they were forced to keep going parallel to the ridge. Avoidance was necessary, although the ferals knew Tig and Sue were there. Sue could feel Tig's concern, even without him sending to her.

At one point, it looked like they had an opening, but moving down found only more Ferals, so they moved back to higher ground again. The high ground was more easily defended against attack, but the only real rest and food they would find was on the low lands.

Now the trees were much denser. Their roots among the rocks now complicated footing. This made stops for rest more frequent. Short periods so that Sue could catch her breath. The altitude wasn't helping. Ship-board air was set to sea level equivalents. She didn't work in the mines where air was thinner.

Tig tried to continue briefing her about what could come next. "I was concerned about the dark coming soon. I'd hoped to get back nearer our camp to join our own pack's hunters."

He didn't mention he'd noticed a pattern to the Ferals. Tig and Sue were being herded, he just didn't know where. Their only solution was to climb higher up the mountain again.

Sue's ragged breath, even during their rests, wasn't giving him confidence moving down would be possible before the ferals closed in. And this hooman was defenseless. They couldn't try to break through the feral lines.

They had to keep moving forward on the thin path they were herded on.

At their next rest, Sue sent, "I can see you're concerned because you're so quiet."

Tig replied, "Catch your breath, and rest." He smiled to reassure her.

Again, she sent, "But what is bothering you?"