I clung to the straps of my knapsack as we walked in single file with Talon in the lead. We made steep climbs, traversed slippery narrow paths, and crossed fast-flowing rivers using flimsy bridges.
Once we stepped out of the forested area, I had to blink against the sudden light. Not that I could see any better than I could before. The gray haze blurred our view; muting colors, concealing dangers, presenting us with only indistinct shapes. Still, I could tell we’d reached the moorlands. I’d heard of this area from Khalida, who’d warned me that vipers were common there. I barely held back a shudder at the thought of coming across one.
Gray clouds hung low over the rolling grassy hills. Wind swept over the land with a sigh, making the grassshushas it bent and rustled.
The rugged landscape was mostly barren, but I knew I would still have to be careful where I walked—and not only because of the vipers. Rocks and boulders could be found here and there, which were easy to miss and subsequently trip over, thanks to the fog.
The weight of my knapsack a constant strain on my shoulders, I adjusted the positions of the straps slightly. Yeah, that didn’t help much.
I wasn’t fond of the boggy landscape either. Or of how the wind that whistled through the hills became chillier thehigher we climbed, forcing me to don my cloak. Still, I only ever complained in the privacy of my mind.
Chirps came from the occasional bird, though they kept their distance. Maybe due to the Laelaps. All three dogs were happy to trot along either side of the line. Sometimes Valor came over to butt my hand but then he’d head off.
I inwardly sighed in relief when we finally stopped for a short break. Sadly, the land was so barren here that there were no trees to lean against to take some pressure off my legs, back, and feet. Unwilling to sit on the boggy ground, I managed to find a cold boulder to plop my butt on.
“You okay?” asked Jelani, sidling up to me.
Since I’d bedamnedif I complained out loud, I smiled as I dug my water pouch out of the knapsack I’d dumped on the ground beside the boulder. “Enjoying the scenery,” I quipped.
He snickered, but the amusement on his face faded as his gaze fixed on something beyond me. I tracked it, finding Talon waving him over.
“Got to go.” Jelani shot me a tight smile and then disappeared.
All too soon, the break was over. Groans ghosted through the air as people heaved up their knapsacks and once more got moving.
Hours went by as we kept walking, passing sporadic clumps of under-shrubs, undersized trees, and small bursts of purple flowers.
Noticing that the drifting clouds above were starting to turn gray, I grimaced. Not good. Neither was the feeling of pressure building in the air, because it meant that rain would soon come.
Hoping we would stop somewhere for the night before the rain hit, I walked on, paddling through a shallow gurgling stream. My pace faltered as I heardsomethingnosing around.So did the Laelaps, their upper lips peeling back. Most of the beasts that roamed the terrain generally stuck to the thickly forested areas, but not all.
Someone tripped up ahead of me, falling onto their hands and knees in the water with a splash. I winced in sympathy. I knew from personal experience that trekking through the Pines in wet clothes was nothing close to pleasant.
A sly chuckle sounded from someone in front of me.
“Something funny, Atticus?” challenged Ajax.
“N-no, sir,” stammered Atticus, the idiot.
I rolled my eyes. He was all big and bad right up until Talon or someone from the Tapestry fronted him. His confidence always shriveled to nothing in their presence.
“That’s what I thought,” said Ajax.
Silence fell as we continued onward. Along the way, the officiates collected branches for the fire that we’d need to later build. Good thinking, since the moorlands didn’t feature many heat sources in most areas.
We stopped on more occasions to eat, drink, and relieve our bladders. Each time, I’d gladly dump my heavy knapsack on the floor, developing a genuine hatred for it with each hour that passed. The moment Talon would signal that our break was over, I’d have to bite back a groan as I hefted up my knapsack yet again with tremendous reluctance.
As we walked, the air increasingly cooled until it started to send shivers down my spine. It was nowhere near as cold as the snowy parts of the Pines, but it was definitely chilly. Shrubs and grass rustled and swayed with the wind that made my face sting and tossed around the small curls that had escaped my ponytail.
Unfortunately, the biting breeze didn’t clear the foggy air currents. The density never eased, no matter what. It was atestament to how well Talon and the officiates knew the isle that they didn’t wander aimlessly.
“Hey, Lear, do you think the beasts around here avoid Talon because they know what he really is?” Reeve whispered in front of me.
She cast him a quick look over her shoulder. “They may sense it. Not sure. Go ask him.”
Reeve’s head jerked back. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
She only snickered.
