bit my lower lip in the effort not to follow. His head swiveled round at me and he mouthed, “Supper.” Relief flooded me.
Not wanting to scare our meal away, I didn’t follow him. Traz moved slowly, stealthy as a cat, each foot placed with care so as not to make a sound. The motion of his body was fluid, as if he moved to a music I couldn’t hear.
Before long, he disappeared into the trees. I hadn’t been standing there long, but I began to feel the cold. Chill and damp quickly seeped into my muscles, stiffening my joints. But whatever it was Traz had sensed—and how had he?—I didn’t want to frighten it away.
The next few moments stretched out as if they were hours while I debated whether to shout for him. Or for Shandry.
Then there was a loud rustling amongst the trees, and a shout of triumph. Traz reappeared, holding up some small, dead beast, his impudent grin almost glowing in the failing light.
“Supper,” he proclaimed, brandishing the carcass aloft as he walked up to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Dunno.”
We examined it as we walked. It was about the size of a housecat though much broader. It had wicked-looking claws, black eyes, and long, sharp fangs. The thick pelt was dark brown, though where the light caught it, it gleamed gold.
“Strange-looking thing,” I said. “I wonder if it’s good eating.”
“We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”
“Yeah. Good job hunting. How did you know it was there?”
Traz frowned and didn’t say anything for several steps. “I don’t know. I just did.”
“That seems to be your answer to an awful lot of questions today.”
He gave me a look of confusion mixed with a little fear. “Something weird is happening. Ever since we got here.”
Traz, afraid of something? I couldn’t remember him ever being afraid. Not of flying on Xyla the very first time, not of the Royal Guardsman who’d struck his face with a horsewhip, not even when we’d been attacked by the dragonmasters. What could possibly frighten him now?
“What?” I asked. “What’s been happening?”
His shoulders hunched a little. “Just weird stuff. Things feel different than ever before.”
“Like what? Do you feel sick or something?”
“No, I mean feel like in touching. When I touch things with my hands, they feel—I don’t know—more alive than back home. Even things that aren’t living. Like … ” His voice trailed off.
“Like the staff?” I finished for him.
He nodded. “I know, it sounds stupid.”
“No, it doesn’t. I don’t understand it, but it doesn’t sound stupid.” I put an arm around his shoulders companionably. “Whatever it is, just … let it flow.”
He looked up at me with an expression of hope and relief. “You think so?”
“Didn’t you say before you wanted to be maejic?” His eyes widened as he nodded. “Well, what you describe doesn’t sound like that, but who knows what it might be? C’mon, it’s starting to get dark. Let’s hurry.”
We didn’t speak the rest of the way. Traz had given me a lot to think about. Could he be experiencing some form of power that this world had and our world didn’t? That would explain how he’d known there was a cave not far from where we’d originally stopped and that that creature—whatever it was—was nearby.
“A sittack!” Shandry exclaimed when she saw it. She gaped for a moment, as if in shock. “I don’t believe it.” Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper.
“What?” said Traz, his proud expression faltering a little.
“Those are … ” Shandry swallowed, “well, they’re practically impossible to catch. Most hunters only dream of catching one. How did you … ?”
“Well,” he said in a drawn-out way, “I just sort of knew it was there. So I moved quietly, saw it in the trees, and I slingshot it.”
“You brought down a sittack with just a sling?!” Shandry exclaimed. “That’s … that’s … unheard of! If I didn’t know you had to be
Not wanting to scare our meal away, I didn’t follow him. Traz moved slowly, stealthy as a cat, each foot placed with care so as not to make a sound. The motion of his body was fluid, as if he moved to a music I couldn’t hear.
Before long, he disappeared into the trees. I hadn’t been standing there long, but I began to feel the cold. Chill and damp quickly seeped into my muscles, stiffening my joints. But whatever it was Traz had sensed—and how had he?—I didn’t want to frighten it away.
The next few moments stretched out as if they were hours while I debated whether to shout for him. Or for Shandry.
Then there was a loud rustling amongst the trees, and a shout of triumph. Traz reappeared, holding up some small, dead beast, his impudent grin almost glowing in the failing light.
“Supper,” he proclaimed, brandishing the carcass aloft as he walked up to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Dunno.”
We examined it as we walked. It was about the size of a housecat though much broader. It had wicked-looking claws, black eyes, and long, sharp fangs. The thick pelt was dark brown, though where the light caught it, it gleamed gold.
“Strange-looking thing,” I said. “I wonder if it’s good eating.”
“We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”
“Yeah. Good job hunting. How did you know it was there?”
Traz frowned and didn’t say anything for several steps. “I don’t know. I just did.”
“That seems to be your answer to an awful lot of questions today.”
He gave me a look of confusion mixed with a little fear. “Something weird is happening. Ever since we got here.”
Traz, afraid of something? I couldn’t remember him ever being afraid. Not of flying on Xyla the very first time, not of the Royal Guardsman who’d struck his face with a horsewhip, not even when we’d been attacked by the dragonmasters. What could possibly frighten him now?
“What?” I asked. “What’s been happening?”
His shoulders hunched a little. “Just weird stuff. Things feel different than ever before.”
“Like what? Do you feel sick or something?”
“No, I mean feel like in touching. When I touch things with my hands, they feel—I don’t know—more alive than back home. Even things that aren’t living. Like … ” His voice trailed off.
“Like the staff?” I finished for him.
He nodded. “I know, it sounds stupid.”
“No, it doesn’t. I don’t understand it, but it doesn’t sound stupid.” I put an arm around his shoulders companionably. “Whatever it is, just … let it flow.”
He looked up at me with an expression of hope and relief. “You think so?”
“Didn’t you say before you wanted to be maejic?” His eyes widened as he nodded. “Well, what you describe doesn’t sound like that, but who knows what it might be? C’mon, it’s starting to get dark. Let’s hurry.”
We didn’t speak the rest of the way. Traz had given me a lot to think about. Could he be experiencing some form of power that this world had and our world didn’t? That would explain how he’d known there was a cave not far from where we’d originally stopped and that that creature—whatever it was—was nearby.
“A sittack!” Shandry exclaimed when she saw it. She gaped for a moment, as if in shock. “I don’t believe it.” Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper.
“What?” said Traz, his proud expression faltering a little.
“Those are … ” Shandry swallowed, “well, they’re practically impossible to catch. Most hunters only dream of catching one. How did you … ?”
“Well,” he said in a drawn-out way, “I just sort of knew it was there. So I moved quietly, saw it in the trees, and I slingshot it.”
“You brought down a sittack with just a sling?!” Shandry exclaimed. “That’s … that’s … unheard of! If I didn’t know you had to be
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