Читать книгу The Great Horror: Discovery - Patrick Mew - Страница 4

Chapter 4

Compared to the abundant shrubs and herbaceous plants to the south, the floor of this part of the forest was mostly clear. Patches of moss, fallen needles, and jagged rocks loomed from the earth but the ground was visible more than covered. The breeze had picked up again today and a gray blanket of clouds rolled in from the north, covering the sky and blocking what little warmth the sun might provide. The biting wind tore through the branches overhead, shrieking and seeming to come from everywhere at once as the group trudged through the forest.

“How much further, do you think?” Kida asked, shivering as the gale bit into her cloak and clothing. The hood offered no protection from the elements here.

“Probably another day of travel before we get close. Their main stronghold, from what I can guess, is deep in the wood. When midday comes we shall break and I will help us feel a bit more comfortable in this cold,” Kunya answered, her face and fingers red from the gnawing chill. Her robes, normally at rest at her sides, billowed wildly and snared on the occasional fallen branch as they moved forward. Riun and Algan didn’t seem to be bothered but their heavier armor probably offered more protection from the weather than did the lighter garments the other three wore.

The morning sluggishly crept by and midday, with the sun barely visible through the sheet of clouds, peaked after what seemed like an eternity. They moved into a small clearing, the pines and firs towering overhead, and set up a small fire to warm their rations and one another. Not even the flames were immune to the wind as it battered them down and threatened to reduce the fire to cinders. Kunya sat deep in meditation as the other four huddled about the warmth, rubbing their hands together and blowing on them to salvage what body heat they could from the winter air.

“A-at least the trees provide s-some protection,” Rusga said, huddling up next to his friend. His annoyances from the previous day were quite absent in the cold.

“Not enough,” the kitsu responded, shivering visibly. “I prefer the warmth of summer over the supposed joy of snowfall. It’s too cold and too wet to be fun for me.” She complained openly, but Rusga knew that Kida loved the snow despite the cold. She just didn't like the chill air that came with it.

“Y-you’ve got th-that right.” His teeth chattered and he inched closer to the flames as he tried to find that balance of not-too-warm and not-too-cold. Algan returned from his collections with a couple more fallen branches that he added to the blaze, and Rusga backed off quickly as the fire grew. Sparks flew skyward and lit up the area more than the feeble sun had managed to.

“Oi, Kunya, are you done with your thing?” Riun asked, seeing the wizard break from her trance. The tribesman watched as Kunya stretched and slowly stood up, chanting in her arcane language as she did so.

“I am. This should make the trip more bearable for us all,” she answered, pointing toward each of the four in turn. “ Mesirl'ides,” she muttered softly. A soft glow enveloped each person in turn. The chill air seemed to be less harsh, the fire not as blazing hot, and the wind not as bitter.

“S-seems like it worked.” Rusga stood and pulled his hood back, his ears perky instead of being flat on his head to keep in heat. “I’m going to take a look up top. I’ll be back down in a few minutes.” The others nodded and went back to lunch, a small pig-iron cauldron full of water, salted meat, and wild greens simmering slowly over the fire. The smell was pleasant enough for a makeshift meal and each swallowed in anticipation. About the time the catfolk descended from the forest canopy the soup was being passed around in earthenware bowls, clouds of steam rising above them.

“Did you see anything?” Kida asked, slurping her portion loudly. She seemed to relish the meal despite the lack of proper ingredients.

“A trail of smoke far to the north, at least six or seven kilometers I’d guess. Must be a big fire if I can see it from that far.” Rusga sat down, helping himself to some of the soup as he made himself comfortable.

“Or else it is a settlement of some kind,” Kunya said, sipping the broth from her bowl. “It is probably the main base of operations for the goblinoid tribes.”

“How do ya figure? It might just be a forest fire.”

“What would start a fire this time of year? There is no lightning and few creatures are active. I would wager ten gold pieces on my being correct.”

“That so? Wager accepted,” Rusga said with a grin. The wizard looked taken aback, her spoon slowly sinking unattended into the bowl.

“I… well, I did say I would. Fine.” The two shook and quickly returned to eating as the day lingered on. Once the dishes were cleaned off and packed away the five continued the trek forward, to the fight that was waiting for them. Kunya stopped them shortly before dusk.

“We should make camp about a kilometer or so away and rest for the night rather than try to take the hive after dark. They can see better at night than we can and we would be at a disadvantage.” The wizard's words rang clearly in the winter air.

“Hmph. What could they do against me?” Riun demanded, eager for the combat. “Goblins are weak and cowardly, almost unworthy of my blade.” He carried it freely rather than sheathing it, despite initial objections. It found use when the path was obstructed though so nobody objected after that, and instead anyone that had a weapon opted to ready it as well.

The evening stayed quiet except for the roaring gale that rustled and creaked the branches overhead. Any wildlife in the area either was in hibernation or had migrated away because of the goblin presence, and the lack of other noise dared to drive the party slowly mad. The night marched on slowly as they took turns on watch but nothing except the howling wind came near their encampment. Snow frosted the treetops and found its way to the ground in great heaps that slid down the branches in sheets and clumps. The group awoke to hills and mounds of fluff around the tents, near and far, in no particular pattern. The faint chirping of the occasional bird and the breeze rattling the trees above were the only distinguishable sounds; all else lay silent in the aftermath of the brief storm. Where the forest broke snowflakes still danced earthward, carried to and fro by the breeze.

“How much food do we have?” Algan asked as he stirred the pot, readying snow to boil down into water.

“Enough for four days, if we eat modestly. Three if not.” Kunya was busy taking down one of the canvas tents, rolling it tightly to save pack space. Even with the cloth being made well the entire pack weighed in at around twenty kilos thanks to the structure. After situating it, she heaved the lot against a tree, ready to travel once more.

“That should be plenty, then. We're only about a two and a half days out from the village at this point, and we should be able to clear the den in a couple of hours at most.”

“That is what I am hoping for. If there are no surprises we should be able to handle ourselves in the tunnels and chambers that these pests call home.” She was wary yet of the possibility of traps, but in such an area it would be unlikely. If it was indeed a central base, there'd be too much traffic around the place to set traps.

The scent of boiled meat and vegetables rose in the clearing and they sat quietly. If they were unlucky, this might be their last meal, and spoiling the meal by making that thought vocal was not a proper thing. One simply didn't dwell on or announce the negative outcome like that. After the usual dishwashing they set out again, this time to battle against an unknown horde of enemies that were out simply for themselves and their own interests, whether or not it inconvenienced anyone else.