Camu, Ona, Trotter. To me!
He waited beside the wolf’s carcass and called them a couple more times. It was odd that all three were able to find their way to the source of the mental message. It was as if he were to shout at the top of his voice, and they were able to identify the origin of the shout. It even happened with Trotter. It was part of his Animal Communication skill. At first, he had only been able to communicate with them at very short distances. Now, with use, and the efforts he had made to increase his range, the distance had grown considerably, although not as much as he would have liked. And yet he was unable to locate his friends, particularly Camu when he sent a message back that he was on his way. This frustrated him, because if they could, surely he himself ought to be able to.
Ona was the first to arrive. She sniffed and at once located the wolf’s body. She moaned and stiffened, staring fixedly at it.
Easy, girl, I already checked it, Lasgol told her. He stroked her head, doing his best to calm her.
Dead wolf. No problem, came Camu’s message as he too appeared beside the dead wolf.
If only that were true, but no. The wolf wasn’t the problem. What’s causing the trouble is whatever killed this wolf. We have to find out what it was.
No blood.
Its back’s been broken.
Lots of strength.
Exactly. Something or someone with a lot of strength.
Magic? Camu enquired, sounding worried.
I’m not ruling that out. You’d better be wary in case you have to cancel the magic with your power.
I wary. I cancel.
Good. Now come with me to the riverside. I want to show you a print.
At this point Trotter arrived. Ona and Camu looked at the print, but the pony backed away in fear.
Camu stared at it intensely. Big print. Deep.
Ona moaned, sounding distinctly uneasy. She did not like that print at all.
I think I know why we haven’t found the trail … follow me. He went upriver, but this time instead of searching the riverbank, he looked in the river itself. Suddenly he found a second print which the current had not yet erased.
There.
Camu was looking north. Come down river.
Looks like it. Let’s follow the river as far as the mountains.
As they went on they found a couple more prints in the middle of the river which were still partially visible, though only just. At the foot of the mountains, Lasgol stopped to assess the situation.
It came down this way and went into the river to get across the forest and then come out into the fields below. Very intelligent. The water will wipe out those prints in less than a couple of days, and there’ll be no trace left of its presence here. What I’m not clear about is what kind of human or animal this is. Do you two have any idea? Have you ever seen prints like these?
Ona chirped and shook her head and tail. No, she did not recognize them.
Not know, Camu transmitted.
Trotter was keeping his distance. He did not even want to come close.
All right. We’ll have to find out by ourselves. Trotter, you wait for us here. We’re going to climb the mountain.
Trotter snorted, then moved his head up and down. From one of the saddlebags Lasgol took three traps he always carried ready, just in case, and fastened them to his belt. He was unable to sling them over his shoulder, since he was already carrying two bows and his quiver.
Follow me, we’re going up, he told Camu and Ona. The rock wall was steep, and just as he had expected, it was not going to be an easy climb. Slowly and carefully, he found secure gaps for his hands and feet and began the ascent, with Camu following him. The little fiend had no trouble, since his palms, which could cling to any surface, allowed him to climb a vertical wall. Ona too managed the climb well, thanks to her feline ability to keep her balance. Lasgol took the climb slowly and calmly, taking no risks, until he reached the top of the rocky wall. What they found next was disheartening. A new rocky wall reared up a hundred paces from them, higher than the one they had just climbed.
Lasgol tracked the area, with his two comrades beside him watching everything he did. He wondered whether they learnt from him, just as he did from them. He hoped so, because his two partners in adventure very often showed him things he did not know himself. He found a new print, which reassured him that they were on the right track. They went on exploring, but found nothing else of significance.
It walks on two legs, Lasgol commented as he bent over the trail.
Man? Camu suggested.
Mmmm … with those feet it’s certainly not human … but it certainly seems humanoid – and very big.
Humanoid?
That means it looks like a human, like a man, but it isn’t.
Weird man?
Lasgol smiled. Yeah, that’s one way of looking at it.
Ona chirped and looked towards the northwest, sniffing the air.
What is it, Ona?
The panther stiffened and growled.
Have you picked up anything?
Yes, she picks up, Camu confirmed. I see nothing.
She must’ve sniffed something.
Yes, sniff.
Ona. Track, Lasgol commanded her.
The panther went through the forest and began to climb the hill which gave access to a third mountain range. Lasgol and
