Read Online Hunter's War (Legend of the Wild Hunter Book 4) by Garry Spoor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Garry Spoor
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of her. She turned her back and walked Grim into the woods.
***~~~***
6
Kile wanted so desperately to wake up and find them all gone. Sort of like a last ditch punishment from Sergeant Wargner, but she wasn’t that lucky. Perha Squad was still asleep when she got up. She was glad to see they had, at the very least, doubled the guards. There were now four men sitting around the dwindling campfire. She decided not to bother them and headed off into the wild to find breakfast.
The woods sounded a little more alive and she couldn’t smell the presence of the gulrik anymore. She knew they didn’t all go home, back to the wastelands. That would be too much to hope for. She decided to call on a few of the birds for information. Usually, she tried to avoid speaking with the birds so early in the morning as their high pitched melodic voices often gave her a headache, but she made it a point not to let them know that. Surprisingly, the surrounding area was clear, which only worried her more. If the gulrik knew the soldiers were aware of them, then their need for stealth was at an end. It was only a matter of time before they would be an open confrontation.
Collecting some berries and some edible foliage, she headed back to her camp where she shared the food with Vesper. Even the yarrow was a little more at ease today.
- So are we leaving?-
Grim asked in his usual contemptuous tone.
“Are you going to ask me that every morning?”
-Only until you say yes.-
“I can’t just leave them here.”
-And why not?-
“To tell you the truth, I ask myself that same question every night, and about the only answer which come close is, if I returned to base camp with no soldiers, it wouldn’t look too good.”
-I suppose not, but why even go back there?-
“You’re talking desertion,” she said as she started to pack up her campsite. “You can’t just leave the military. I think they have a rule against that.”
Although, she hated to admit it, she did think about it more than once.
She tied her kit to Grim’s harness, set Vesper on the pony’s head and mounted up. The sounds of Perha Squad’s camp being dissembled reached her in the forest and she knew a new day was just about to start. Unfortunately, it too would be filled with problems. If Sergeant Wargner kept his course, and she had no doubt he would, they would be passing through the lowlands by mid-afternoon.
She spurred Grim forward to stand upon the outer edge of Perha Squad’s camp and watched the men go about their business. Again, she noticed a few of them glancing up at her while they completed their tasks, but those quick glances were not like the glances several days ago. These faces were filled with curiosity, as if they were noticing her for the very first time.
Sergeant Wargner stood on the opposite side of the camp. His look never changed; he still didn’t want her in Perha Squad, not that he had much of a choice.
The soldiers finally broke down the last of the camp, loaded it up on the horses and were on the move again. She waited until the column passed before taking her place at the end of the line. Not exactly the proper place for a scout, she thought, but at least she didn’t have to deal with the Sergeant.
As the column moved out, Tullner came back down the line to ride alongside her.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t left yet,” she told him.
The young soldier laughed.
“I really didn’t think you would,” he said. “I have a feeling you're too damn stubborn to let someone like Sergeant Wargner run you off.”
“It’s got nothing to do with being stubborn,” she said, although she wasn’t sure she believed it. Why was she really staying? It wasn’t just to be a thorn in Wargner’s side, although it was a contributing factor.
“Can I ask you a question, ma’am?”
Ma’am? Now she was ma’am, when did this happen?
“Fire away,” she replied.
“Last night, in the woods… the
***~~~***
6
Kile wanted so desperately to wake up and find them all gone. Sort of like a last ditch punishment from Sergeant Wargner, but she wasn’t that lucky. Perha Squad was still asleep when she got up. She was glad to see they had, at the very least, doubled the guards. There were now four men sitting around the dwindling campfire. She decided not to bother them and headed off into the wild to find breakfast.
The woods sounded a little more alive and she couldn’t smell the presence of the gulrik anymore. She knew they didn’t all go home, back to the wastelands. That would be too much to hope for. She decided to call on a few of the birds for information. Usually, she tried to avoid speaking with the birds so early in the morning as their high pitched melodic voices often gave her a headache, but she made it a point not to let them know that. Surprisingly, the surrounding area was clear, which only worried her more. If the gulrik knew the soldiers were aware of them, then their need for stealth was at an end. It was only a matter of time before they would be an open confrontation.
Collecting some berries and some edible foliage, she headed back to her camp where she shared the food with Vesper. Even the yarrow was a little more at ease today.
- So are we leaving?-
Grim asked in his usual contemptuous tone.
“Are you going to ask me that every morning?”
-Only until you say yes.-
“I can’t just leave them here.”
-And why not?-
“To tell you the truth, I ask myself that same question every night, and about the only answer which come close is, if I returned to base camp with no soldiers, it wouldn’t look too good.”
-I suppose not, but why even go back there?-
“You’re talking desertion,” she said as she started to pack up her campsite. “You can’t just leave the military. I think they have a rule against that.”
Although, she hated to admit it, she did think about it more than once.
She tied her kit to Grim’s harness, set Vesper on the pony’s head and mounted up. The sounds of Perha Squad’s camp being dissembled reached her in the forest and she knew a new day was just about to start. Unfortunately, it too would be filled with problems. If Sergeant Wargner kept his course, and she had no doubt he would, they would be passing through the lowlands by mid-afternoon.
She spurred Grim forward to stand upon the outer edge of Perha Squad’s camp and watched the men go about their business. Again, she noticed a few of them glancing up at her while they completed their tasks, but those quick glances were not like the glances several days ago. These faces were filled with curiosity, as if they were noticing her for the very first time.
Sergeant Wargner stood on the opposite side of the camp. His look never changed; he still didn’t want her in Perha Squad, not that he had much of a choice.
The soldiers finally broke down the last of the camp, loaded it up on the horses and were on the move again. She waited until the column passed before taking her place at the end of the line. Not exactly the proper place for a scout, she thought, but at least she didn’t have to deal with the Sergeant.
As the column moved out, Tullner came back down the line to ride alongside her.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t left yet,” she told him.
The young soldier laughed.
“I really didn’t think you would,” he said. “I have a feeling you're too damn stubborn to let someone like Sergeant Wargner run you off.”
“It’s got nothing to do with being stubborn,” she said, although she wasn’t sure she believed it. Why was she really staying? It wasn’t just to be a thorn in Wargner’s side, although it was a contributing factor.
“Can I ask you a question, ma’am?”
Ma’am? Now she was ma’am, when did this happen?
“Fire away,” she replied.
“Last night, in the woods… the
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