Cursed: Traitor's Trail

Chapter 2 Part 2

The dark night lingered ominously, shadows lurked around every dust dune and grass knoll.Jaob stared into them suspiciously. Predators stalked in far greater numbers in the dark, lurking unseen so that anything moving about was likely to become a meal. If one valued their life they avoided night on the open steppes. That makes me either brave or stupid.At least the moon peered down, its great face providing a pale light.

He moved forward carefully, each step of his soft leather boots concealed and muffled by the powdery dust at his feet. Hillocks of dry grass rose in clumps on either side and ahead so that his path forward became more of a winding trail.

The mounts trembled several paces back, beneath a quick shelter woven from the living grass, hidden from human and demon view.

Being on foot made Jaob feel vulnerable; mouse-back was at least many times quicker. But they were aiming for stealth over speed. Unfortunately nearly everything in the God-forsaken kingdom was faster, stronger, and hungrier than mankind. It left one to wonder if mankind's purpose was to be fodder for other creatures.

He knew theydrew close to the enemy, and he still hadn't thought of a clever plan to keep them all alive. The pressure of the task began to turn his stomach.

A flash of light nearby stilled him instantly. It vanished before he could be certain whether he saw it. Instinct told him not to ignore such a warning, not at night, not in Sheathra.

Already, a tingle of dread grew along his spine, and worked its way through his body. The urge to race away to safety strained his limbs, but he held himself immobile. He stayed that way for a time, silently urging the others to stay far enough back and remain safe.

There. Another brief flash in the moonlight. But this time,the sleek shape of black scorpion armor crept over the slope, glinting as the animal moved.

Jaob had battled scorpions before—massive insects nearly the size of a man; he had no wish to repeat the experience.

The beast stalked, unaware of its audience.Each leg lifted in synchronized time, moving toward a darker hole beneath the roots of a grass bundle. A den most likely.

Keeping an eye on the creature to ensure it did not see him, he backed slowly out of sight, retracing his trail.He took several steps before he ran into Lon.

Jaob's mind stuttered at his appearance. Bane was right; he should spend more time being observant. Somehow, without his notice, the man tied weapons to every part of his body. He looked rather like a demon of his own making. Is he not afraid one of the blades might shift in its binding and slice off...something important?

Lon did not speak, simply tilted his head expectantly waiting for an explanation.

“There is a scorpion lurking just beyond that hillock,” Jaob breathed. “We had best go around, this way.” He gestured in a direction that would lead them a fair distance from the creature's hunting area.

“I will tell the others.” Lon nodded, and turned to retrace his own path.

The night was silent, as if the world held its breath. Jaob studied the retreating man, amazed that one could move without so much as the faint sound of a footstep, before turning to his task. It would do no good to stand dumfounded and leave no safe trail for those that followed. Time was short; it would be best to rescue the child before the king's men showed up for the purchase. The less opposition they faced, the better.

He worked his way in a wide arch skirting wide before heading back in the direction of the encampment and came back toward the area from downwind. Mouse mounts were clever, with a terrific sense of smell. A sense that he cursed just now; as he judged how much time he wasted skirting the demon and moving downwind to avoid detection from the camp. Finally, he found a sheltered spot close enough to study the situation at hand. He crawled forwardpulling his belly and legs along the ground, leaving deep furrows in the dust. He peered between the fronds, and deflated a little.