by C. Litka
03
The dim clang of the gong reached faintly, announcing the meal. I hopped off the rock I'd been sitting on and called out to Siss who was somewhere in the trees below hunting. 'A meal, if you're still hungry.'
It appears she was, since she came bounding out of the underbrush fast enough.
'I suppose hunting's a bit more challenging when you can't just swim about.'
She barked a brief agreement and bounded up the steep slope for the caves above of us. Judging by her eagerness, probably a lot more challenging.
I started up towards the caves. Tey Pot had left for Zandival within a few hours of our arrival in camp, which was now some three rounds ago. TreyMore and MossRose were gracious hosts. We had been treated well, but unobtrusively watched as well, prisoners in all but name.
'Don't be fooled by MossRose's sweetness. It is authentic enough, but there's much more to her.' said Tey Pot quietly to me, as we stood on the ledge waiting for the dragon and rider to arrive that would carry him to the outskirts of Zandival. 'She is her father's daughter in many ways. She is ambitious, and can call on her father's ruthlessness when needed. The same goes for young TreyMor. I knew his father, and have watched him grow up. He's honorable and can be trusted, but only up to a point.'
He leaned closer. 'If things go awry, as I fear they will, you don't want to be carried down the chasm to Kandivar. You cannot walk back from there - the chasm is too bare and winds too treacherous. They don't know how accomplished you are in the martial arts. Keep it that way. Surprise will be your only advantage.'
I nodded, and saw him off. I passed the word to Py, Naylea, and Trin to skip our before breakfast forms while here.
I reached the edge of the ledge and turned about. To the east I could see the lip of the chasm stretching north and south until lost in the haze. The forested hills beyond rose to the pale sky. To the west, the half a dozen hill lines fell slowly to the vast plain of Zandival, a quilt-work of fields, paddies, and woods that faded to blue in the distance. The provincial capital city was a smoky dun-colored smudge on the edge of the blue. I turned back and entered the cave, noting that a Rider dragon was tied up close to its mouth, which had likely brought news from Zandival.
