…and in the nick of time, too
The Doclopedia #3,020
366 Days, 366 Paragraphs: #259
Chapter Thirty Three: Trackers
The next day, Bevan, Ala & Dree were riding out an hour after dawn. The plan was to head northeast until they came to a more wooded area, then look for the nearest road. From there, they would find a small Town where they could buy more supplies and perhaps some weapons.
As they rode along, the dog that had been following them sniffed the air. Trouble was coming. She picked up her pace and began closing the gap between them.
Ahead of the riders, the very same tiger that had attacked Bevan days ago was laying in wait. He had not been injured as badly as it appeared after their fight and now he was hungry again. The wind had shifted several times, but now it blew him the scent of horses. Horseflesh would make a fine meal.
About two miles behind the dog, two Seekers, were tracking the riders. Having been pulled away from the northwesterly route they had been on by Master Porcero, they had been very lucky to stumble upon the tracks of three riders. These might not be the riders they sought, but they could not take that chance. Besides, they were heading in the same general direction anyway.
At about the time that Bevan, who was riding lead, started to get a tingling on the back of his neck, a large reddish dog ran past them from behind, then stopped about 20 feet in front of his horse. She did not bark or growl, she just looked straight at Bevan. He motioned for the others to stop.
He and the dog exchanged looks, then the dog looked over her left shoulder towards a stand of taller grass about 100 yards away. Then the dog looked back at Bevan. Bevan looked at the grass and thought it was more than good enough to conceal something or somebody. When he looked at the dog again, she was down in a crouch, stalking towards him. After a few steps, she looked back towards the grass.
Bevan nodded, then whispered to Ala and Dree, “I think friend dog is warning us about a large cat up ahead. My people have legends about helpful animals, especially dogs. I think we may want to veer away from this path.”
About then, the wind picked up and the dog and Bevan both smelled horse and human sweat from the south, along their trail. Both of them growled.
“We’re being followed,” he told his friends “Men on horseback. I’ve got an idea. Follow me.”
Ala and Dree followed as he rode off to the right, well away from any path leading past that tall grass. After a few minutes, they came back so that they were on a straight line from where the dog stopped them. Then they stopped.
Less that two minutes later, the Seekers crested a small rise and saw them. Bevan and company took off fast and then the Seekers did, too. The three riders looked back just in time to see a large tiger leap out of the grass, knocking one horse into another and sending both horses and their riders to the ground. It was hard to say who was the most surprised, the tiger, the horses or the men. It was no contest as to who got their wits back first, because the horses both got up and ran before either tiger or human realized what was happening.
Faced with a tiger, the two Seekers ran away, but not in the same direction as the horses. For his part, the tiger decided that he had had enough trouble from men and so trotted back into the tall grass.
Having slowed down to watch, the three riders and the dog were glad the tiger had been there.
“Thank you, friend dog.” said the Offroader “We owe you one. If you’d care to come with us, we wouldn’t mind.”
The dog looked at them, then wagged her tail and barked.
“It’s almost as if she understands you,” Ala remarked. Roadies did not keep dogs very often, except for Entertainers who sometimes trained them.
Bevan looked at her and said, “Oh, we understand each other just fine. Dogs and Offroaders are friends and partners from way back.”
Dree tossed the dog a piece of biscuit, which she caught in mid air.
“I think she’s a pretty swell dog,” he said, “and I think we should call her Sunset, because of the way her fur looks. How about it, girls, can we call you Sunset?”
The dog barked twice and turned in a circle.
“I guess that means yes,” Ala said with a laugh.
Bevan looked at the rapidly dwindling forms of the Seekers. “When they get their wits back, they’ll surely report our location. Time to get into the woods as soon as we can, then change our route a bit.”
They started off at a run, with the dog right beside them. Two hours later, they saw the edge of the great northern forest straight ahead of them. An hour after that, they were inside the forest and turning due north.
The Dociverse Blog 