By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter 28

I held onto the saddle horn as Milly slid sideways in the soaked dirt. The skid marks from her hooves were stark black shadows, even in the dim moonlight.

"Is there possibly a better trail?" I asked, wondering if Shane was close enough to hear me. "Even a child would be able to tell these marks weren't left by a deer."

His voice came from somewhere behind. "I've been trying to cover them up with my wolf form tracks and hope they mistake them for another dire wolf. This part of the mountain doesn't have much in the way of rock or grass to hide her tracks."

Milly stopped sliding and gingerly stepped forward, finding slightly firmer ground. At least she was willing to keep walking without me dismounting and leading her like I had to do a few times.

"It sounds like a recipe for a mudslide," I muttered, watching a few rocks roll down the slope.

"It is. That's why we're crossing this section as quickly as possible."

That did not help my anxiety levels.

~

   I took a long drink from my water skin while waiting for Shane to return. The creek in front of me was swollen with muddy water that looked dark in the moonlight. It was shallow enough for Milly to wade across it, but the numerous large rocks posed a hazard.

A shimmer of light from some bushes betrayed Shane's presence as he shifted from wolf to werewolf, trading less prominent footprints for the ability to speak.

"There's an easy place to cross just downstream. We'll have to be cautious since the flooding is forcing the soldiers onto the mountain slopes."

"Flooding?"

"With all the rain coming off the mountains, the main road and the lower areas are flooding. It's why I normally avoid this particular valley during the storm season."

"So we'll have more company in the forest," I said with a sigh. "Lovely."

"Indeed. And the creeks often get clogged with logs and rocks at the end of the valley, so it's just going to get worse. When we set up camp, I'll take a quick run up the mountain to check if the other valley might be a better route."

"Sounds like a plan, but let's get across this creek in case that group we passed earlier decides to double back."

"This way."

I closed my eyes against the shimmer of lights, lest it ruin my night vision. When I opened them, I got back in the saddle and sent Milly after the large wolf.

It wasn't long before we came to a place where the creek was wider and the water was calmer. The wolf bounded through the belly-deep water, sticking to the downstream side where several logs created a small pool.

I guided Milly to the same side. She was interested in getting a drink, but when I tapped my heels to her sides, she snorted and looked over her shoulder at me.

"Don't give me that look, Milly. Get going. You won't even have to swim."

I nudged her with my heels again and gave her reins a shake to make sure she knew it wasn't just a frivolous request. After heaving a huge sigh everyone in the valley probably heard, she began edging deeper into the water.

She was fine until the water passed above her knees, then hesitated and stopped. I tapped my heels into her sides again and patted her neck.

"Let's go. It doesn't get too much deeper."

After a bit more cajoling, she gingerly kept going as her hooves slipped on the rocks that lined the mountain creek. As soon as she was halfway across and getting shallower, she picked up her pace, eager to get out of the water.