Seers of Verde: The Legend Fulfilled: Book One (7 page)

5

The trip down the mountain was much easier for Lar Vonn and his companions. They seemed to breathe easier with each step. The trail they had marked on their ascent helped them on their return.

Lar led the way. The security chief wanted to prove to the five hunters that he could manage just fine. His heart grew even heavier the farther he walked from the summit.

This path was taking him away from his beloved Taryl, but the party had been forced to turn back. They were running out of supplies and the climb got more treacherous with every meter.

After a week of the descent, the six men had run out of food. However, the hunters did not despair. On this sunny day, they had seen raptors and signs of four-footed predators. Where there were predators, game could be found. They didn’t care what form they’d be in — grazer, rodent, bird or reptile. Almost anything would be edible.

“We will be more effective if we split into two groups,” Neb Klinfer said as the group hunched down for a midmorning rest. The six men had already been traveling for four hours.

“That’s a good idea, I agree,” Lar said, forgetting he was not in command.

“Well, then, I guess it’s unanimous,” Neb said, as he and the other four hunters broke into hearty laughs.

The security chief shook his head. “Sorry, sometimes I forgot I don’t have to lead. As far as hunting goes, I will try not to get in your way.” The other five hunters chuckled while they unpacked their gear. Neb took out his bow, an anachronistic but effective weapon from Earth.

Each of the others carried a favorite weapon. Drever favored a handheld energy burst tube with laser-guided site. Zek and Hart pulled out old Earth rifles, also favorite Earth weapons.

“A real hunter uses his own eyes to bring down game,” Zek said, smirking at Hart ’s scope, and demonstrating how he peered down the sight of his rifle’s long barrel.

“I want to bring down a meal, not a trophy,” Hart said, not bothered by his friend’s taunt. “Besides, I’m too clumsy to sneak up on anything close enough to use a sight.”

All eyes turned to watch Marco unfold what looked like a small rocket launcher. Looking up, he smiled. “I am not ashamed to use a little tech to bring down game. This is a sonic launcher. I auto-sight an animal and fire the projectile.”

Lar was dubious as he examined the weapon. “A sonic, but that only stuns things.”

Marco smiled. “I just need enough time to get to them and then I go to work.” At that, he pulled out a huge knife, almost a half-meter long. The steel glinted in the sunshine as its owner demonstrated his throat slitting technique.

The other hunters looked away from Marco’s demonstration and finished readying their equipment. Lar stared for a bit and shook his head. He felt for his weapons, a much smaller knife than what Marco carried and a short-range energy pistol. The game would have to be small and nearby if he was going to contribute to the meal.

“Why don’t you three with the noisemakers team up?” Lar said, looking at Zek, Hart and Marco. “Drever, Neb and I will try to stay upwind of you. Between the two groups we should at least have rodents to roast.”

Before setting out, Lar reminded the hunters to keep their comms turned on in case the groups lost sight of each other.

One hour later, Neb, Drever, and Lar had sighted a white grazer standing on a boulder about two hundred meters away. The white animal had two short horns and a beard.

“It looks like an Earth mountain goat, only smaller,” Neb whispered. “I won’t get close enough to get a shot.” He nodded to Drever. “In range for you?”

Drever nodded and readied his energy-burst tube. All he needed was to lock his laser on the animal and it would be a smoldering carcass a second later.

At that moment, two loud cracks and a muffled explosion cut through the air. The three men flinched from the sound. Their prey was no longer perched on the rock, having scrambled away to safety.

“Sounds like they’re fighting Tanlians,” Drever scowled, disappointed at not getting a shot off. “They had better have bagged something with all that noise. We won’t see another animal for a kilometer or two now.”

Neb smiled. “If they didn’t bring down anything, they should have to eat a rock lizard.”

Drever laughed. “I would like to see Marco eat one of those. Perhaps he could slit its little neck to make him feel better.” Lar and Neb chuckled. All three turned and walked in the direction of the other group, hoping there would be meat to roast this night.

It did not take long for Lar’s group to find the other three hunters. Marco and Zek were cleaning the animal, another mountain goat, but smaller than the one Drever had wanted to bring down. Hart watched as the two worked on the animal, a big smile on his face.

Neb surveyed the scene. “Let me guess who was successful.” Not willing to answer, Marco and Zek shrugged and kept working. They had it gutted and were dragging it to a nearby pine to hang it and let it bleed out.

“We had a bet. The other two would clean the first kill. Early Earth tech proved to be the better weapon,” Hart said brandishing his scoped rifle.

“Zek shot the tail off a big one, and Marco scared the rest of the herd away. Good thing I was here. We will eat well tonight.”

Marco glared at Hart. “You could have killed the big one. Why this one?” he growled.

“I wanted something tender to eat, not tough jerk that would take all night to cook,” Hart said. “Sometimes you have to take your best shot, not wait for a trophy. Besides we would not be able to eat one of those big rams. It would be a waste.”

“You are a strange hunter,” Marco said. “My trophy rooms on Sirius 7 are full of the biggest specimens one can hope to find on the colony worlds.”

Hart shook his head at Marco. “But how did they taste? When you are hungry it does not matter if it is the biggest in the herd.”

Lar, Neb, and Drever smiled as they began to dig a fire pit and build a spit. They were just glad to have fresh meat.

The six felt like kings that night. Each one tore into huge slabs of roasted meat. Neb had found some kind of fruit growing on a nearby tree. None of the men could identify the dimpled yellow fruit, about the size of an apple, but the taste was sweet and intoxicating.

Hart peeled skins off the fruit, collected a small pile of seeds, and boiled some of the pulp down to a syrup, which he poured over the roasting goat. Fresh, cold water from one of the rushing mountain streams was carried to camp. The six men circled the roaring fire. No one said a word. They had not eaten this well in weeks.

After telling a few lies and poking fun at each other, the six men were more than ready to curl up in their bedrolls.

“We had better keep the fire going all night,” Neb said. “Some of the predators may smell the meat and want to join us.”

Lar looked around. “Is there anything big enough to worry about? I thought the bioformers didn’t release anything that could harm humans.”

The other hunters smiled. All of them had seen tracks of various size beasts such as grazers, rodents, and predators. One set of tracks looked like it was made by a big cat big enough to bring down one of those mountain goats.

“I looked at the bioformer release reports,” Drever said. “They unleashed many kinds of animals and were thorough with their eco-planning, especially in the wild areas they did not expect people to settle.”

Lar looked puzzled.

Neb laughed. “What he means is there could be all sizes of beasts out here. We have seen some impressive tracks. Some of them might think we would make a good meal.”

The security chief required no further explanation. Now awake and imagining eyes watching them from the darkness, he volunteered for the first fire shift. The others did not argue as they settled down to sleep.

¶ ¶ ¶

First light had not broken over the mountains, but Neb stirred. He had slept soundly, his belly full from the night’s feast. Something tugged at his consciousness — that feeling that something was not right. He shivered from the cool night air, causing him to sit up and look around with a start. The fire had burned down to embers.

Cursing, Neb slowly arose looking to see who was on watch. It was almost pitch black. He could hear the others sleeping. Some were snoring with gusto.

After fumbling for several seconds, he found a heat lantern and turned it on. He identified the sleepers as he crept by them. Marco was not among them — he had to be the one who was on watch.

Gathering more sticks, Neb soon got a nice blaze going and then went to search for his missing companion. The lantern was weak, illuminating just a few meters in front him. It made it difficult to search.

“Marco!” Neb shouted, slowly walking in larger circles around the camp. Waiting a few seconds after each call, Neb called louder. Hearing his voice, the other men woke and joined the search, each bringing a lantern.

Marco’s name soon was being called in all directions, but the pitch-black night made the search difficult. The five remaining men met back at camp and waited for dawn and for light to continue their search. The grim-faced climbers ate a quick meal and readied their weapons. As Verde Grande’s sun peeked over the mountaintops, they continued their search.

This time, Lar took charge of the mission. No one argued. They divided into two groups and started to search in ever expanding circles around the camp, stopping to report their whereabouts every ten minutes.

The security chief and Drever were together when they came upon the carcass of the mountain goat. The entrails and hide had been dragged about fifty meters from camp so predators wouldn’t be tempted to visit the camp. After examining the carcass, Lar noticed one of the goat’s horns lying about twenty meters away near some bushes. The sun glinted off an object near the horn. It was Marco’s knife.

Lar quickly called the other three men to their position. It did not take Neb long to find the blood trail. Something heavy had been dragged through the bushes and over rocks. A large cat’s tracks sunk into the ground, with an occasional bloodstain filling a print.

After two hundred meters or so, the tracks ended among some trees at the edge of a cliff. The search party circled the area, looking through the brush, finding nothing.

“Have you ever hunted cats before?” Lar asked his companions. They all shook their heads. Big cats had been protected for centuries on Earth and even the other colony worlds. The eco-experts wanted to maintain a viable population. Killing such an animal was punishable by a hefty prison sentence.

The security officer kept circling the area. “It’s a cat, correct?” He asked, but did not expect an answer. “What do cats do when they want to hide?”

Neb looked startled and shouted, “They climb!” All five men looked up and started searching the trees. Not long into their search, Lar spotted something hanging in the fork of a large oak.

“Over here,” he called to the others. “I think I found Marco.” Lar started to scramble up the large oak whose wide branches protruded into the sky.

A concerned Neb stopped him, nodding toward the canopy. “The cat may be up there. We can’t see much beyond his body. Go slow, my friend, and make sure we can see you at all times.”

Lar tossed his climbing rope into the branches. It caught on the first try. As he started up the tree, his four companions took positions around the tree, each poised with his favorite weapon. It did not take long for the security chief to scale the twelve meters to the body.

Frowning, Lar could see the cat must have broken Marco’s neck when it attacked him near the camp. He was amazed an animal could drag the 250-pound man that far and then carry the body up the tree. Lar shivered at the thought of what the scene must have looked like.

Lar fought off a gagging reflex after examining the scene. Parts of the body were missing, most likely eaten. It looked like the cat had tucked away the remainder of its kill in this crook for safekeeping. Grimacing, Lar tied another rope around the body and prepared to lower it to the ground when he heard an almost imperceptible noise, almost like thunder in the distance.

Instinctively, he flattened himself against the branch just as the cat leaped past. One of its claws ripped into his back. The big animal bounded onto another branch and stopped to poise for another leap at Lar when two loud cracks and two softer thuds made the cat twirl on its perch. It screamed in pain and fell writhing to the ground.

The men could see why the cat had no trouble dragging a human. The animal must have weighed almost as much as Marco. Its tawny, dark splotched body was still smoldering from the energy burst. Two bullet holes and an arrow also had found their mark.

¶ ¶ ¶

Riss Nels and Wald Bergmann heard the other colonists yell before they saw the climbers returning. It had been almost five weeks since the six men had left, but now they were returning. The shouting ceased after the men came into view. Only five had returned. They walked with a slow shuffle, their heads down.

A large group of colonists rushed to the five men, carrying food, water, and aid supplies. It was evident the survivors were exhausted and in need of rest. Not starving, they still welcomed the food, and especially appreciated the water offered to them.

The people gathered around the five men and waited to hear their story. Lar told those gathered that the climbing party had buried Marco. They had placed a large pile of rocks over the grave, etched his name in the largest boulder they could roll to the site, and said prayers and incantations the best they could remember. Wald looked startled after hearing about the size of the animal and the ease in which it had killed Marco.

“It appears Tanlians are not the only enemy we have to be wary of in this valley,” Riss said. “It is apparent this valley is not the paradise we were promised. I wonder how many more times we will have to fight for our lives here?”

6

“I’m worried about her,” Franca said, looking at her mate, Uri Navrakov. “Taryl has eaten very little for a week. She and the baby she is carrying need more sustenance.”

Uri shrugged and continued eating his evening meal. “All you can do is check her and bring food. She is worried about Lar and the other climbers. They have been on the mountain for weeks now.” Uri had just finished speaking when he and Franca were startled by a soft rap at the door. It was past dusk and the stars were beginning to glow in the sky, an unusual time for a visitor.

Franca peeked out of the door to their shelter and stepped back in surprise. “Taryl! Do you need help? Are you ill?” the med tech hurried forward to help the Seer into their shelter. Uri stood as the two women crossed the room.

“I just wanted to thank you for the delicious food you have been bringing,” Taryl said, her face glowing. “I’m afraid I haven’t properly thanked you for taking care of me.”

Uri studied Taryl and smiled. “I assume Lar and the other climbers are safe?” His expression changed at a sudden thought. “Did they make it over the mountain?”

“Lar and four of the others are safe,” Taryl said. “One of the hunters was killed by a big predator, a cat I think. No, they had to turn back and return to their camp.” Relief showed in Taryl’s face. She had slept well the night Lar and the other four climbers had returned to the colonists on the other side of the mountain.

Taryl told the couple about the search for Marco after he disappeared, and how the hunters had killed the cat after it tried to attack Lar in the tree. Uri and Franca were spellbound at the Seer’s vivid description of the events as if she had been there.

All three were surprised by a murmur from outside. Franca had forgotten to latch the door when she helped Taryl inside. They had not realized a small crowd had gathered, listening from the doorway. Many of the other colonists were in awe of Taryl. They knew the Seer had helped save them from the Tanlian attack.

Uri walked to the door and started to close it, angry at the intrusion. “Go away, busybodies,” he snapped. “Taryl is visiting us and deserves privacy.” One of the women in the crowd apologized, but the others stood frozen. Uri was surprised at the expressions on many of the others’ faces. It was a combination of fright mixed with reverence.

Taryl turned to face the crowd. “Please, my friends. I will gladly retell the story tomorrow, but I am a guest here.” At her urging, the crowd, which had swelled to almost fifty people, began to disperse. Some of the listeners bowed slightly and whispered farewells to Taryl, Franca, and Uri.

“That was the other reason I wanted to talk to you,” Taryl said, nodding in the direction of the door after the three had returned inside the shelter. “The others are treating me differently. They bring me gifts and food, too. I am followed and watched wherever I go.”

Uri looked surprised. He had noticed the extra attention being showered upon the Seer. The lieutenant did not think twice about speaking to or being near Taryl. The two had worked together to thwart the Tanlians. He had seen how vulnerable she was, but respected the Seer for her unique gift. “How long has this been going on?” he asked. “Do you feel threatened?”

Taryl shook her head. “No, not threatened. But I feel strange about being watched. It’s been going on since the Tanlian attack. I much preferred how I was treated before the attack. People were polite, but left me alone.”

Franca smiled and put her arm around Taryl’s shoulder. She had seen the Seer as a patient, someone who needed urging to eat to keep up her strength. But the two women had also shared confidences as sisters would have and had grown close.

Uri sat deep in thought, gazing at the door. “Your isolation may have added to your mystique,” he said. “If you feel well enough, perhaps you should visit with more of the others, help with the day-to-day activities as best you can.”

Franca glared at her mate. “Uri, how could you suggest such as thing after what she has been through? She needs to rest and recover her strength.”

Taryl smiled at her friend. “I think Uri may be correct I have not done my fair share of the work in camp. I am capable of helping out, even if I do move a bit slower. Maybe when the others see me sweating alongside them, they will treat me as any other colonist.”

Franca laughed, “If they let you lift a hand, that is. You may find it difficult to pick out your own food. And when the others discover you are with child, you may be treated as old Earth royalty.”

Taryl lifted her eyebrows in surprise at Franca’s last statement. “I want to be treated the same as any other colonist,” she said in her soft voice. “My gift should not set me apart from the others.”