Eritopia

A Forced Decision

Asmel trotted over. 'Well, Fleg. Have you found it yet?'

Asmel was one of four females among the pack. She had recently been appointed to the same rank as Fleg. She was ambitious and keen, but he got on well with her. So far.

'Not yet,' Fleg admitted. They were back on the forest fringes, trying to again pick up the trail of the wolf and the man. It was a day later and the scent had grown stale. 'I'm sure it was around here.'

'We could go back to the Circle, try to follow it from there,' Grap suggested.

'No.' Melos overheard them. 'That is not a good place for us. Here is fine, get to it. You found it before.'

Grap, Tang and Fleg had their snouts to the ground now, zigzagging through the trees. They pushed branches, pine cones and bracken aside to find what was needed.

Fleg looked up, trying to picture the route they had followed the day before. In scent terms it was like looking for a blade of familiar grass in a field of grasses. But his senses were well-tuned, and when he finally found it he sat back and let out a howl of recognition.

'Have you got it?' The other hyenas came running over to him.

'Yes, here. You can scent it yourselves.'

'Don't mess around, let's get after them. Off!' Melos urged.

Fleg looked at the Colonel, who was quiet. Who was in charge here?

But Melos was right ahead of him, staring, so he put his snout down and followed the others into the depths of the Forest.

***

As time wore on Not-Bear had got used to Jod's appearance. When he was busy with the fire or carrying things around, he pulled the sleeves of his robe up to show thin white arms. At other times he pulled the sleeves down, so only his pale head bobbed around on a pyramid of green cloth. He often looked deep in thought as he stacked logs and cleared leaves from the corners of his rooms. Sometimes he would smile as if at some fond memory.

They had left Jod's home earlier and trekked to another clearing in the trees. It was here Jod grew the vegetables he had cooked in the pot. It was quite a way from the underground burrow, but he moved around the area without fear. Not-Bear was more cautious, and kept guard while Jod filled the trolley with roots he dug up with a pronged stick.

Jod shook the dirt off some knobbly red tubers and placed them in his box. "We need to be getting back,' he said.

Meanwhile Not-Bear was getting restless. He looked around. Wasn't this as good a place as any to start his journey? 'I need to be going too,' he said.

'Don't be so hasty,' Jod said.

'If I don't go now I might never get the chance. What if the Elders send someone to get me?'

'I'm sure they will.'

'Do you think so?'

'Of course, you are too valuable.'

'What makes you say that?'

'Well, don't get big-headed, but they must have brought you from far away to start with. Then they fed you, educated you, sent you to live with the bear.'

'So?'

'Well, they must have had a purpose. Elders don't do anything without a motive. It wouldn't surprise me if they engineered the whole thing.'