getting better?
Amma came back right as he finished up. They ate slowly, neither of them in much of a hurry to tackle that monster slope. Taemon took a trip into the bushes to answer the call of nature, and when he got back, Amma was packing up. “We’ve probably waited long enough,” she said. “Let’s go see if we’ll have meat for dinner.”
They stashed their knapsacks among a pile of rocks, more to keep them out of the way of nosy critters than for fear that someone would steal them. Amma carried one of her hunting knives, and as Taemon followed a few steps behind her, he tried not to think about what it would be used for.
Amma led him into the stunted pines and scrubby undergrowth that clung to the mountainside.
“Shh. Stop!” Amma held up her hand.
Taemon looked past her and saw two squirrels standing right next to the snares. If they moved just a few inches to one side, there would be a hearty dinner tonight.
Taemon and Amma waited. The squirrels seemed in no hurry. They darted this way and that, inspecting leaves and searching for some tasty morsel, but never triggering the snares.
Taemon’s stomach rumbled. It was hours till dinnertime, but his meager lunch had hardly satisfied him. If they had any hope of making it to the saddle, they would need more than a handful of dried fruit and a few strips of jerky.
He eyed the squirrels closely. All it would take was one little nudge — one little nudge with psi — and they could have not one but
two
fat squirrels for dinner. And one little squinch of psi wasn’t going to hurt his shoulder.
But he couldn’t push the squirrels. Amma might notice that and get after him. He needed to make it look natural. He looked around for something that would startle the squirrels. All he needed was a pebble or a pinecone, something that might fall on its own.
Nearby was a large boulder with lots of little pebbles scattered around and on top of it. One small rock perched on the edge of the boulder looked like it could drop at any moment. It was perfectly positioned to roll down and herd the squirrels toward the snares. Taemon could make sure it rolled in the right direction. All it would take was the tiniest nudge.
Taemon cleared his mind and gathered his psi. He pictured exactly what he wanted to happen. Then he gave the command.
Be it so!
The pebble fell and tumbled toward the squirrels. But the squirrels jumped in the opposite direction of the snares.
No! Go the other way!
Taemon reacted without thinking. He used psi to slide the boulder outward a few inches, which allowed a cascade of pebbles to fall toward the squirrels and force them back to the snares.
The minute he’d done it, he knew it had been a mistake. He felt the weakness in his shoulder spread throughout his body. A roar filled his ears, his own pulse pounding against his eardrums. He felt dizzy, and the whole mountain seemed to vibrate.
“Holy Mother Mountain,” Amma whispered. “Is that what I think it is?”
And now Amma knew he’d used psi and had weakened himself. He had been a fool to try such a thing.
“Run!” Amma yelled, yanking Taemon’s arm.
Taemon glanced back toward the snares. The small stream of pebbles had become a mighty river of rocks and soil and debris. As they watched, the boulder itself became dislodged and started tumbling down the slope. Rock slide!
They ran, dodging the larger rocks and trying to ignore the smaller ones that pelted their legs. Worst of all, Taemon could not feel his feet touching the ground. He had to consciously place each foot as he ran. He slipped once, and Amma had to pull him up.
When the rock slide had finally run its course, Taemon and Amma sat down and tried to catch their breath. Their frantic escape had taken them much lower — and farther from the saddle.
“Now,
that,
” Amma panted, “was lucky.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of
un
lucky,” Taemon said. Had she noticed how weak he was?
“Lucky we weren’t
Amma came back right as he finished up. They ate slowly, neither of them in much of a hurry to tackle that monster slope. Taemon took a trip into the bushes to answer the call of nature, and when he got back, Amma was packing up. “We’ve probably waited long enough,” she said. “Let’s go see if we’ll have meat for dinner.”
They stashed their knapsacks among a pile of rocks, more to keep them out of the way of nosy critters than for fear that someone would steal them. Amma carried one of her hunting knives, and as Taemon followed a few steps behind her, he tried not to think about what it would be used for.
Amma led him into the stunted pines and scrubby undergrowth that clung to the mountainside.
“Shh. Stop!” Amma held up her hand.
Taemon looked past her and saw two squirrels standing right next to the snares. If they moved just a few inches to one side, there would be a hearty dinner tonight.
Taemon and Amma waited. The squirrels seemed in no hurry. They darted this way and that, inspecting leaves and searching for some tasty morsel, but never triggering the snares.
Taemon’s stomach rumbled. It was hours till dinnertime, but his meager lunch had hardly satisfied him. If they had any hope of making it to the saddle, they would need more than a handful of dried fruit and a few strips of jerky.
He eyed the squirrels closely. All it would take was one little nudge — one little nudge with psi — and they could have not one but
two
fat squirrels for dinner. And one little squinch of psi wasn’t going to hurt his shoulder.
But he couldn’t push the squirrels. Amma might notice that and get after him. He needed to make it look natural. He looked around for something that would startle the squirrels. All he needed was a pebble or a pinecone, something that might fall on its own.
Nearby was a large boulder with lots of little pebbles scattered around and on top of it. One small rock perched on the edge of the boulder looked like it could drop at any moment. It was perfectly positioned to roll down and herd the squirrels toward the snares. Taemon could make sure it rolled in the right direction. All it would take was the tiniest nudge.
Taemon cleared his mind and gathered his psi. He pictured exactly what he wanted to happen. Then he gave the command.
Be it so!
The pebble fell and tumbled toward the squirrels. But the squirrels jumped in the opposite direction of the snares.
No! Go the other way!
Taemon reacted without thinking. He used psi to slide the boulder outward a few inches, which allowed a cascade of pebbles to fall toward the squirrels and force them back to the snares.
The minute he’d done it, he knew it had been a mistake. He felt the weakness in his shoulder spread throughout his body. A roar filled his ears, his own pulse pounding against his eardrums. He felt dizzy, and the whole mountain seemed to vibrate.
“Holy Mother Mountain,” Amma whispered. “Is that what I think it is?”
And now Amma knew he’d used psi and had weakened himself. He had been a fool to try such a thing.
“Run!” Amma yelled, yanking Taemon’s arm.
Taemon glanced back toward the snares. The small stream of pebbles had become a mighty river of rocks and soil and debris. As they watched, the boulder itself became dislodged and started tumbling down the slope. Rock slide!
They ran, dodging the larger rocks and trying to ignore the smaller ones that pelted their legs. Worst of all, Taemon could not feel his feet touching the ground. He had to consciously place each foot as he ran. He slipped once, and Amma had to pull him up.
When the rock slide had finally run its course, Taemon and Amma sat down and tried to catch their breath. Their frantic escape had taken them much lower — and farther from the saddle.
“Now,
that,
” Amma panted, “was lucky.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of
un
lucky,” Taemon said. Had she noticed how weak he was?
“Lucky we weren’t
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