Engraved - The Hunted Warrior

Chapter 29.1 - Tunnels

All day the wind had bitten Gretch the Hunter's face and hands. If he was unable to find a sign soon he would have to retreat to the ground in search of food and fire. Below him and the flier the mountains refused to give up their secrets. Somewhere amongst the unending pines and bleak black rock his quarry were hiding. He circled and wheeled through the sky constantly looking for any sign of human life. Finally he saw what he sought. On the eastern slope of a brutal looking mountain a thin wisp of smoke was rising. He was too high to see the makers of the fire. He pulled the reins down to send the flier diving towards the ground. Berlavi folded her wings and shot downwards. Gretch's heart raced with exhilaration as they sped towards the earth. Pulling back on the reins they evened out a dozen paces above the treetops. Gretch pointed the beast towards the smoke. They approached at speed. The smoke was coming from a small clearing with a mountain stream running through it. Like lightning they passed over it. Below him Gretch's keen eyes counted seven people but his eyes lingered on the sorcerer.

"Hmm," he grunted.

***

Without warning a flier appeared in the sky.

"Emerek! Look!" one of the twins pointed upwards.

Xantia jerked her head up.

A flier! Gretch?

"Who was riding it?" asked Drander, the Bloodknight captain.

"Was it our Liege?" blurted the bull of a man they called Noldorae.

"No. Unless my eyes mistake me, that was Gretch." Emerek said and swung his eyes onto Xantia.

"But she said that the thieves had wounded him," said the twin pointing at Xantia.

"And it was is completely true," Xantia kept her impassive face on, but her heart was thudding in her chest. She knew her life hung in the finest of balances.

"You didn't mention anything about him having a flier," the twin argued.

"That is because he did not have one at the time," Frost stated.

"She's a liar," accused Scarface.

"I have not lied to you about anything." Frost met his hostility with an icy cold stare.

"What do we do?" Drander the captain asked Emerek.

"We do nothing," he replied. "Either Gretch will join us in our quest, or he is still hunting the thieves. In both cases we have nothing to fear from him."

"And what do we do about her?" Drander pointed to Frost.

"We watch her and keep our blades sharp."

***

Gretch slowly circled the mountain looking for the two barbarians. He was sure now that they must be close. He circled the mountain three times, making sure to stay out of sight of Emerek's party. It was only when he turned his attention to the barren stone halfway up the side of the mountain that he saw them. The sun was setting and they were silhouetted against the sky as they stood on a ridgeline.

Gretch smiled and carefully pulled the reins to direct the beast up the slope.

***

Following the goat trail up the mountainside had taken most of the day. Alam and Tajar had picked their way through stunted pines which had eventually given way to course shrubs and wind-blown tussocks. By early evening even the tussocks were gone. It was then that they had left the horses behind, trusting that they would be able to find them later. All that was left was bare black rock - cracked and chipped by thousands of years of battling the ice.