Moon and starlight shinned down over the forest. The day's multitude of greens had given way to shadow and darkness. The trees were still and silent, an endless expanse that swayed with the wind. All the clouds had drifted away leaving the night cold and clear. I could see a long way from up high in my branch and I searched for any sign of people following us.
What I spotted made my heart thump in my chest and I stared hard to make sure I was seeing it right. Alas, it was there, smoke drifting up in front of the moon. I had to guess the distance to the smoke as best I could, perhaps only a day behind. Thank the First I'd seen this, but curse my luck it was there to see. I sat in the tree for a while longer, keeping an eye on the drifting smoke. Whoever was out there must have stopped for the night. I climbed down then; there was nothing more to gain by watching any longer.
When I got down, Jeyahadin and Haze didn't stir so I sank back into my seat at the foot of the tree and contemplated what to do? It was dire that the smoke was so close. It could be the town guard, but a bounty hunter seemed more likely. Maybe the Hound the people in the bar at Stonebridge had spoken of had returned after seeing, or receiving, news of the fire. Maybe another was already in the town or approaching it when Haze started the inferno.
I sat there in knots of worry, but decided not to wake the others and tell them. Let them sleep. There was no point in travelling on at night; it would be such slow going. Best we rest and continue in the morning, when I would have to tell them, to confess we were being pursued, and perhaps by a Hound who had been tracking me since the Capital.
My companions would then no doubt ask me why I was being hunted, and the idea of telling them the truth filled me with dread.
The rest of my shift keeping watch was uneventful, except in my mind. I kept playing out scenarios of sudden ambushes by Hounds. I was so fixated on this that all thoughts of the Revenant left my mind. When it was time to wake Haze for her turn at watch, I needed to sleep badly, and I hoped my dreams would not be plagued by the same thoughts I suffered when I was awake. I shook Haze on the shoulder and once she was up; I lay down without a word to her.
Later, I woke because a Hound, wearing the face of the girl I'd killed back in the Capital, stabbed me in my dream. Feeling worse than before I'd gone to sleep, I opened my eyes and sat up.
The sun was creeping into the morning sky, Haze and the monk were busy breaking the camp, hiding the signs we'd been there as best they could. We had a lot of meat left over from last evening's dinner and they'd packed that into our backpacks. We chewed on a small amount for breakfast before we went on our way. I decided then that I would have to tell them. I was still trying to decide exactly what I would say when Haze pre-empted me.
"So did you see anything from your tree last night?" she asked in a teasing tone. She obviously still thought it was a stupid and pointless thing for me to have done. I stared down at the ground and swallowed to clear the sense of nervousness I felt. Haze continued. "After you woke me I didn't have a chance to ask."
I turned to face her and she must have seen the worried look I wore, for some colour drained out of her face.
"Oh no! You saw something!" Jeyahadin looked up from what he was doing in response to her shock. I couldn't look at them, I stared down at the ground as I delivered the bad news.
"I saw smoke rising to the north," I said. "It was at most a day behind us. We are being followed even though this." I gestured around me at the forest with one hand and glanced at my companions. Both had sat down, slumped down, onto the ground and had their shoulders sagged; I was about to make it even worse.
"Back in the town, I spoke to people in the bar. They told me - they said - they said," I was so nervous I stumbled over my words. I swallowed and paused for a moment to find my courage. "They were certain a Hound had been through the town a few days before, searching for one person travelling alone." I stopped, I could imagine my companion's staring at me, but I would not look up. I had to finish, to admit that this Hound was hunting me, but then I'd have to tell them what I'd done.
They'd be certain to ask, to force me to explain. They might abandon me here, decide they'd be better off alone. Perhaps we all would be. I realised there had been a silence since I last spoke. I steadied myself, raised my head and confessed.
"It's me they are after," I said.
"I am the one," said Jeyahadin, his voice flat.
"They're hunting me," said Haze, her voice weak.
We all had spoken at once. We stared at each other in confusion. It took us all a moment but slowly we realised what had just happened.
"What were you about to say?" I said to Haze and the monk as I pointed at each one.
"What were you about to say?" asked Haze back. Jeyahadin's face wore an expression of complete surprise, but then a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. It grew and grew until he was grinning like a child and then he burst out laughing. Huge thick booming laughter, just like you'd expect from a man of his size, it rolled out of his throat and echoed around the small clearing. Haze's sharper laugh joined it and then I snapped and we were all in hysterics. I cried I laughed so much, the tension and worry in me broke and flowed out with that laughter.
Through the tears, the monk got a grip on himself and stopped.
"So we all are being pursued by a Hound," he said. Me and Haze tried to stifle our laughing so we could reply, but before either of us did, the monk spoke again.
"Were there three fires you saw Siletto, or only one?" and his voice cracked and he laughed once more. That started us all off again. It took a while, but when no one could laugh and cry anymore, we began the serious conversation about what had just happened. We all wore smiles and, even though the topic was deadly serious, after laughing like that, it was impossible to worry.
"So it seems," said the monk, wiping a tear from his eye, "that we all believe a Hound hunts us. Well then, the good news is, according to what Siletto heard back in that town, only one Hound is out there, and the single campfire backs that up. They hardly ever work in groups to hunt a single target, and I would much rather face a Hound together than alone." Me and Haze each nodded in agreement. It is odd how things turn out, I felt much safer than I had before, bring on the Hound I thought.
"But that is only if we have to," said Jeyahadin. "If they are less than a day behind we should get moving, we still might lose whoever is following."
"We could also look for somewhere to mount an ambush," suggested Haze. I didn't know whether to admire her brave attitude or to be critical of a reckless plan. Perhaps an ambush would work. There was plenty of cover in the tangled woods, and we had a numerical advantage. If was lucky, it would be the one hunting me, and I could be rid of them. With the aid of this Tutelar and Haze's bow, I would have a good chance in a fight.
"What do you think Siletto?" asked the monk, and I realised I'd be quiet for a minute or two. "You have scouted the land from those tall trees of yours, do you think we should press on in flight, or search for a spot to tackle this pursuer? That would be risky, but then we would be free." I thought for a moment about the land I'd seen from the tree on the hill the day before, then I replied.
"I'd not considered attacking whoever is following us until now; while I've thought about the way through this forest a great deal. The power and threat of the Hound is unknown, for now I suggest we continue to try to give them the slip, and I have an idea how we might do it. It looks like there is a huge chasm ahead, I will lead us to its edge so we can avoid it if required, but I have been thinking it offers us a chance to escape." Haze and Jeyahadin didn't understand what I was getting at.
"I cannot be certain until we get there, but it looks too wide to cross and I doubt anyone has built a bridge, it's the middle of nowhere. However, I hope there will be a way over, a way that someone following us cannot duplicate, but I can use to get us all across."
"What kind of way?" Haze asked.
"When we get there, I must look for it, and then I'll show you. If it turns out not to be possible, we can still continue through the forest and try to lose our pursuer, or we can turn and fight."
"How far away is the chasm?" asked Jeyahadin.
"We should reach it today, before nightfall," I replied.
"The Hound could be travelling even now, they could be faster than us and catch up soon," Haze said.
"Then we best make up our minds," said the monk. "I say we try your plan at this chasm if we can reach it before nightfall. If it was any further away, I would be worried the Hound might find us before we got there, but if they are about a day behind, they should not catch us today."
"The Hound doesn't have to worry about disguising their tracks," said Haze. "If they have our trail they can just crash though the forest after us as fast as they can. Perhaps we should travel faster, worry less about a trail as the Hound seems to have picked it up."
"I don't want to give up the chance of losing them in the forest," I replied. "But speed is important; if we cannot cross the chasm, then turning to fight will be the best bet, and setting an ambush our best chance. We don't want to lose that advantage by letting the Hound catch up to us today and falling on us when we're not ready."
"Then we best get to that chasm," said Haze. She stood up and collected her gear. I saw she'd been busy that morning and had made torches out of wooden branches with deer hide wrapped around one end. She was cramming six into her pack.
"These are in case we have to spend another horrible night running through this forest, they should allow us to see a little," she said. "But for now seeing is not the issue, speed is, we can try to leave only a little trail as but we must travel quickly. Lead on Siletto, let's get moving."
I stood and gathered my gear as did the Monk. Haze stood facing into the forest.
"Will we tell each other, why a Hound might hunt us?" she asked. Her voice sounded very unhappy at the idea.
I shrugged. Jeyahadin, who returned my gaze, didn't look too eager either.
"Perhaps we should." I admitted. I loathed the idea of telling my story even though a moment ago I thought I would have to. However, maybe my companions had a right to know, and I had a right to know about them. We each were placing the others in danger, but then we were also safer as a group.
"But we don't have to do that now," I said, and both my companions nodded. "Let's go," and with some relief all round, we stopped talking and got moving.
Off we raced through the forest toward the curved chasm. As we'd pretty much decided to turn and fight if we couldn't cross the obstacle I headed straight for it. We moved much faster than we'd done before, all at a run. I kept looking back to make sure my companions were keeping up but they seemed fine with the pace. It took all the morning and into midday before we arrived.
We came upon the chasm. I ran around a great tree and there it was - I nearly fell over the edge. It was an impressive sight, not near the size of the chasm at Stonebridge, but the surrounding vegetation gave it a natural beauty. The trees ran right up to it on both sides, with their branches hanging out over the void. It was a good fifteen yards wide. Haze and Jeya came up behind and joined me staring down into the seemingly bottomless canyon before us.
"How deep do you think it goes?" said Haze as she tried to peer down into the darkness. She kicked a small stick off the edge and it dropped out of sight, swallowed up by the blackness. We all listened for a moment, for the sound of it hitting the bottom, but no noise ever came back.
"Let's hope none of us find out," I said.
Together we looked up and down the route of the chasm. It was curved and there was no sign it got any narrower at any point we could see. Indeed, it widened as it ran west.
"What in the First's name could have created such a thing?" said Haze. "The earthquakes following the Breaking? But it's so unnatural looking. It's like someone made it, somehow. Carved it into the earth."
"A dragon's lighting from the air." I said in a mocking tone she didn't pick up on.
"You think so?" Haze said with a hint of wonder in her voice, and she stared up at the sky, trying to imagine a creature of legend blasting the earth with its chaos magic.
"Not really Haze," I said to her, and she was annoyed. "There are a lot of strange things on the Continent, only the First know how they were all made and we're never going to find out, so forget it."
However, I could not follow my own words. There was just something odd about the chasm, maybe it was its strange curved shape, or its incredible depth; something about it was putting me on edge. It was impossible to tell from the ground, but the curve of it suggested that, unless it cut off somewhere out of sight, it could well be circular. There was no way the Breaking earthquakes would have created a round chasm. It was as if it had been constructed by some form of intelligence, built like a moat around a castle. Could there be something stranger at the centre it was protecting?
"So what is your plan now Siletto?" asked the monk, interrupting my thoughts.
"Follow me," I said, and we set off along the edge.
It took about ten more minutes of walking until I spotted what I'd been looking for. There'd been no guarantee, and I was close to giving up on the idea, but then there it was; two huge trees either side of the chasm, their thick branches reaching out to each other across the space.
"We are lucky," I said as I dropped my pack to the ground and uncoupled the coil of rope I kept tied on the back.
"What are you going to do with that?" ask Haze, her voice already carrying a disapproving tone, as if she expected me to do something dangerous. I didn't answer, I just unattached the rope from my bag, hung it over my arm and moved to the trunk of the huge tree.
"Trust me," I said, and I climbed until my feet were standing on the largest bough the tree had; it reached out over the chasm with its branches dangling over the bottomless void below. On the other side, I could see similar branches of the other huge tree, sticking out over the gap towards me. The leaves of each almost touched. Now all I had to do was run down the big bough, crashing through the leaves and twig and branches, then jump. From up here it looked easier than I'd been picturing it, but I reminded myself it was a long time since I'd done any high level aerobatics like this, and in the past I was usually jumping to catch a solid trapeze bar I trusted, not into the branches of a tree that could snap under my weight.
"Oh dear Heavens! You will not try to jump this?" Haze's very unhappy voice shouted up from below. I glanced down to see her and the monk looking up at me as if I was crazy.
"Siletto this is foolish. We have other options," said Jeyahadin. The tone in his voice I could imagine was the same he'd use to tell off a child who was about to try a silly and dangerous game. While both their concerns were valid, I found myself annoyed that they didn't trust me. If they could have seen me in my circus days, then they would not have worried. I turned my attention back to the bough and the target I was jumping at. I could see one strong looking branch of the other tree across the chasm; it was about as thick as my wrist. It was in the perfect position and there were others nearby for backup. I studied the big bough I balanced on, planned the route for my feet along it, all the way to where beyond I couldn't trust it with my weight. At that point, I would have to jump. The distance from there to my target was far, but I'd cleared longer in the past.
I had to hope the branch I was aiming for held. I would crash into the far tree at some speed and I thanked my leathers for their protection. Part of me was thinking, this is far too dangerous; but with pursuit close behind, it was this or turn and fight. If there was a Hound out there, even with the Tutelar and Haze's bow, who knew if we would prevail. Hounds were supposed to all be enormously powerful. This jump seemed to be the lesser of two dangers.
It was then I realised I shouldn't be taking the rope, and I smiled to myself; this would make it look more impressive.
Down on the ground the monk and Haze continued to shout at me to abort, and it was with some satisfaction and showmanship I unhooked the rope from my arm and dropped it back down to them. It had the desired effect; they both looked more alarmed.
"Oh I won't even need the rope," I said in a nonchalant tone I didn't feel. "This is child's play." I took a deep breath to steady myself, then let go of the truck and, following my foot plan, I raced down the bough. Below me, I was dimly aware of cries from my companions, but I was concentrating hard, focused on my target, just as if it was a packed big top back in the show and all eyes were on me.
I hit the launch point perfectly and jumped. Leaves and tiny branches tore at my clothing as I flew out of the tree but I ignored them all, I was focused on one thing only, the wrist thick branch on the other tree.
I sailed towards it, reached out with one hand caught hold. I snapped my hand closed and gripped it for dear life as my momentum swung me into other branches and my weight made the holding branch dip and swing. With my other arm I tried to both balance my momentum and protect my face. I took a strong branch in the chest and my legs thumped off others with enough force to leave good bruises, but my grip was solid. After a moment swinging, I was hanging safe and sound. I glanced around, found places for my feet and other hand, and soon I was climbing through the branches to a bough, and then down the tree to the ground.
I stood facing Haze and Jeya across the chasm.
"May I present to you," I shouted across the gap, using my best ringmaster voice. "The fantastic acrobat and high flying trapeze artist, the one and only, Siletto Antolare!" and I gave them both a low bow. Haze laughed and clapped her hands together; even the Tutelar was impressed.
"Well done acrobat," replied the monk, raising his voice so I could hear it on the other side. "But now what, I do not think we will repeat your leap."
"Take the rope there," I said as I pointed to where it lay on the ground. "Tie it securely to the truck of one tree, back from the edge; about four feet off the ground, then throw me the other end." The monk was perplexed, but he went over, picked up the rope and tied it around a tree trunk as I'd instructed. When he was done, he gathered up the loose end and hurled it across the chasm. It flew over with such force I had to duck and let it crash into the bushes behind me.
I got up from my crouch and laughed. Jeyahadin raised a hand in apology.
I picked the rope out of the bushes and tied it off around another tree, making sure it ran horizontal and not at an angle. Now we had a rope strung up over the chasm. It was my rope as well; I'd taken it from the circus supplies when I'd left home. It was top grade and I'd trust it to take the weight of even the big monk and all his gear; I just needed my companions to trust it as well.
"Now watch me, see how I do this." I shouted across, and taking hold of the rope with both hands, I swung one leg over it so I was hanging upside-down. The rope now ran under the knee of my right leg. I put my left foot across the other and then dragged myself along the rope. It was easy stuff and something I'd done many times. Quickly, I was back across the gap and stood with my companions again.
"That's all there is to it," I said to them. "We can hook the packs over the rope and, using the spare end, pull them across. Then you both need to do what I did to cross yourselves. It's easy."
Jeyahadin nodded, his jaw was set and he looked serious, steeling himself for the crossing. However, Haze was worried; she kept glancing down into the unknown depths of the chasm. I moved to her, grabbed both her shoulders and stared into her eyes.
"You can do this Haze," I said to her in my most reassuring voice. "Don't look into the chasm, look up at the rope. Keep your legs crossed over it and just pull yourself along." My voice almost cracked at the end as she looked back at me. Staring into the deep green pools of colour that are her eyes, I felt like I was falling into them. Time seemed to slow down, we only looked at each other for a moment, but for me it was an eternity.
She glanced at the monk and it was as if a spell upon me had been broken. She moved away and my hands fell from her shoulders. Embarrassed and worried that my mesmerised face the others had noticed, I walked to the tree with the rope tied around it and pretended to double check the knot; it was just to keep my back to my companions and my face out of view.
"Okay, okay," said Haze from behind. "Across we go, I guess." Her voice was rather weak and it didn't fill me with confidence. I shook my head to clear my mind, now was not the time to be confused by her beauty I told myself, I had to get her across.
I was convinced this kind of rope work was easy. If you practised it only a few feet off solid ground then no one would ever fall. It was all about the exposure, something I'd long ago got over. The only danger was fear itself. "We can tie ourselves on," I said as I turned back to face them, but I kept my eyes well off Haze. "Using the spare end of the rope, I can tie it around you as a safety line."
"The real danger here is fear itself," said Jeyahadin, echoing my thought from just a moment before. He moved over to Haze and placed both hands on her upper arms. "We can do this!" and when he said it there was more conviction and reassurance in his voice than I could ever have managed, and to further back it up he pulled Haze to him and embraced her! It took us both completely off guard and he even lifted her effortlessly into the air as hugged her. When his big arms put her back on the ground, her face was flushed.
"Let's get across Haze!" He was almost shouting. The monk turned and took hold of the rope and swung one huge leg over it. Copying me exactly, he put one foot over the other and hung there upside-down staring down the rope towards the other side. Taking a big breath, he then reached out and began to pull himself over. He moved methodically and he didn't look down once. I watched the rope anxiously, but it was tied securely and barely sagged even when the big Tutelar was half way over. I thanked the First I'd never lost this rope in my travels. Soon the monk was over to the other side. He unhooked his legs and dropped onto the ground. He turned to us and punched into the air. Haze raised her arms in triumph and shouted a well done over to him.
"We'll do the bags and then it's your turn." I said to her. Haze was still nervous but better than she had before. Jeyahadin was an inspiring person; I think he'd done more to calm her fears than I had. I felt somewhat jealous.
He threw the spare end of the rope back across. It was well over one hundred feet long, so there was plenty of spare even after it'd been tied around the trees. I took all our packs, hooked them together and hung them over the rope bridge we'd made. The end of the rope I tied to the bags, then Jeya simply pulled them across. Once they were all unhooked, he threw the rope end back over so I could use it as a safety line during Haze's go.
"I'll tie you on with this," I said. Looping it under her arms and through her belt it soon formed a harness. She stood there trying to calm her nerves, and I did the same! As I ran my hands across and around her body, I'm sure my face must have been blushing. Haze however was focused on the chasm and I don't think noticed.
Jeyahadin took position on the other side, holding the rope; if she fell, he'd be able to haul her up. I know how to tie a good harness with a rope, she'd not suffer any injury from that, but she'd swing into the side of the chasm wall if she fell and that would be a hell of an impact. Better than plunging into the depths though.
In the end, she managed quite well. Jeyahadin took up a position facing her, looking along the main rope while she pulled herself across. He made sure she was looking at him or the rope itself. She was slow but made it across fine, and when she reached the monk, she broke out in cries of delight and jumped into his arms.
I watched from my side, seeing her happiness mirrored in Jeyahadin's face as they embraced. I felt jealous again, but shock my head to clear the thought. They were both across safe and that was all that mattered. I moved over to the rope and untied it from the tree.
"What are you doing?" Haze called across.
"I can't use the rope to get back across; if we leave it then we can be followed. There must be no trace. Jeyahadin, pull the rope back over."
"Are you going to jump again?" there was concern in her voice I was pleased to notice.
"Yes, but first I've got to make a trail leading away from here. If the Hound tracks us to this point and this is where our trail ends, they'll realise we crossed. Wait here but move back from the chasm so you're out of sight." Both spoke in protest, they were concerned for me.
"Don't worry," I shouted over. "I'll be about an hour," and with that I turned and raced off into the forest.
I was risking my safety for my two companions, two people I had recently considered abandoning. As I ran through the forest I realised this, but the idea of Haze being impressed and grateful spurred me on. One image came into my mind, pushing all other thoughts away; Haze's deep green eyes staring at me as she thanked me for my selfless actions, and I ran faster.
I ran for half an hour as best as I could judge. Hopefully I'd gone a good distance. I didn't have to try to leave a trail, running through the forest should have left enough of one, and if I made it to obvious, it would look like a fake.
If it was a Hound following us, they would be a skilled tracker and would suspect false trails. I also had to return along the same path and that was going to be the hard part; trying to leave no evidence of doubling back. One twig snapped and pointing the wrong way could be disastrous. The whole fake trail relied on anyone following us assuming we had gone around the chasm and not over it.
The return journey was much slower as I was being much more careful. I got back to the point at the chasm where we'd crossed over an hour after I'd turned around, and there was no sign at first of Haze or Jeyahadin. I stood at the edge of the void, studying the forest on the other side, trying to spot them. After only a moment, they appeared out of the vegetation, they must have been hiding back from the chasm. I was relieved to see them both; a small part of me had feared they might have just left.
"About time!" shouted Haze across the gap. I smiled back and raised a hand in greeting, then I looked to the tree I'd jumped from earlier.
"Wait," shouted Jeyahadin, and I turned to see him holding the rope. Perplexed, I watched as he hurled one end over.
"What?" I shouted back to him, spreading my arms in a gesture of confusion.
"There is a safer way for you to cross now. Tie the rope around yourself, you will jump off the edge."
"Are you mad?" I said back. "Even if you hold the end, and pull me up, I'll swing into the side of the chasm first."
"It is your turn to trust me Siletto," he said back. "You will be protected, by my magic."
By the First, he would cast a spell on me! My heart was pumping in my chest and, standing beside the Tutelar, I saw Haze raise a hand to her mouth in shock.
I took up the end of the rope and tied it around myself in a harness. Jeyahadin took up a position on the other edge, the rope wrapped around his back and big arms, the intervening length between us stretched out across the chasm.
"Step to the edge," he said. I obeyed.
Standing there, feet inches from the drop into nothingness, I stared at the monk and him back at me. Haze was a few feet to Jeyahadin's side, watching him intently. She was about to see more magic and was captivated.
"I shall cast a shield," the monk said. "You shall see a blue shimmer around you. When I say go, jump off and let yourself swing into the chasm wall. You will feel no impact. Then I shall pull you up. Do not jump until I say so."
I was incredibly excited and nervous. I nodded my head in understanding.
The monk raised a hand in my direction and I saw him muttering under his breath. The hairs on my neck and arms stood on end, there was a strange sensation in the air and then I could feel the magic surrounding me.
There was a shimmer and then a blue light, it was incredible. The Tutelar's power created a shell of magic centred upon me. It extended a few inches above the top of my head and a few feet in front of my body, down to where it touched the ground. The rope ran though it and out across the void. I took a step to my left and the shell moved with me. I dared not reach a hand out to touch it.
"By the First," I heard Haze say.
"Jump now," Jeyahadin shouted, his voice sounding elated, which I guessed was an effect of the spell casting.
After taking a deep breath, I stepped off into the void.
I could see I was moving, but I didn't feel it. There was no rush of the air moving past me, or even a sense of acceleration. I dropped and swung into the opposite wall of the chasm. When I hit the wall, well, I didn't. I watched as the shell that surrounded me collided with it, sending soil flying, but there was only the slightest feeling of the collision.
I looked up, through the blue barrier. The rope still protruded through the magic, running upward to the edge of the chasm. There was no sign of Jeyahadin, he was stood back a little from the edge, holding my weight on the rope, but Haze's head popped into view.
"Are you okay?" she cried, the excitement clear in her voice.
"I'm fine!" I shouted back, sounding the same.
"Siletto," came Jeyahadin's voice. "I will release the barrier around you. Are you ready?"
"Yes," I shouted back.
The next moment, the surrounding magic vanished. In the blink of an eye it was gone, and with it the strange feeling of power in the air. I was left dangling against the side of the chasm. I planted my feet against the wall and walked up as Jeyahadin pulled on the rope. Soon I was over the edge and safe.
"That was amazing," I said to the monk, and the look on Haze's face showed she thought the same thing. Jeyahadin was breathing hard and there was a film of sweat on his brow. Not from the exertion of pulling me up I realised, but from the spell casting, and he continued to suck in deep breaths. While he took a few minutes to recover, Haze untied the rope from the tree, coiled it all back up and looped it over her shoulder.
Once the monk had his breath back, he turned to me. "It was dangerous, you heading off to make that false trail with both of us separated from you."
I realised it might be strange for the monk not to be the one doing all the heroic acts, he was a Tutelar after all, and I'd just got him to safety then raced off into danger. Getting me over the chasm didn't seem to be enough for him.
"Okay, Okay, I hear you" I said, but then I noticed Haze was looking past my shoulder, over the chasm, and her faced had gone pale. I didn't have a chance to turn around before she spoke.
"Someone's here!" Her voice was quiet but the words were terrifying. Haze grabbed my arm and pulled me towards Jeyahadin; she took hold of him as well and then dragged us all into the forest. We dived to the ground, hidden by the bushes, and then we all peered back towards the chasm. No one moved an inch, I lay on the ground, looking though a tiny gap in the leaves, but I couldn't see anyone. Beside me, Haze lay still, with the Tutelar beside her. No one dared move. We were only about twenty feet back from the chasm's edge, I didn't know if it was even safe to speak. Was the Hound on the other side already? They must have spotted us if so. My heart was beating like a drum in my chest. I was convinced it was so loud that the Hound would be able to hear it. Haze spoke then, whispered to us both, but it seemed recklessly loud.
"One person, moving towards us; they're about thirty yards back in the forest. I don't think we've been seen." I was amazed and peered even more intently through my tiny gap. The unmoving green wall of the vegetation on the other side of the chasm stared back. I could make out no movement at all. How was she seeing this?
"They're nearing the edge," she whispered again. "Don't move and stay silent." I held my breath. Silent moments seemed to stretch on for eternity. Beside me, Haze stiffened. What could she see? I didn't move a muscle and screamed in my head in frustration.
After another long moment, Haze relaxed slightly and I heard her take a breath. I still didn't know if it was safe to move or speak, but I'd been holding my breath just like her, and I exhaled and drew in some air but as quietly as possible.
Still Haze said nothing and so we all remained silent. I didn't know how much longer I could lie there with no idea about what was going on. I gave up on trying to see, putting my forehead to the ground. Trust Haze and hope for the best. It was torture, lying there with no control and waiting on the actions of others.
"She's stopped looking over the chasm," She? Haze must be able to see the Hound clearly. I raised my head to look at Haze, she was staring through the bushes and the colour still hadn't returned to her face.
"A Hound - on her own. She's found your fake trail." Haze paused for a moment and I realised she was holding her breath again. It was very unsettling. "She's moving off. Wait, wait, okay, now!" and with that Haze crawled backwards away from the chasm. Jeyahadin and I followed, all of us moving as quietly and as low down as we could. Haze soon rose to a crouch and we both copied, matching her increase in speed.
I couldn't believe it, a Hound had come so close to catching us, so very close. Haze, Jeyahadin and I all believed we had our own hunter, so it was impossible to know whose Hound we had just avoided. However, it could have been the one chasing me since I had fled the Capital, and now I was over the chasm and she was going off in the wrong direction. Would this be the point where I finally lost my pursuer? Would I now be safe?
About thirty yards away from the chasm was where Jeyahadin and Haze had hid our gear. Still in silence, we all grabbed our packs and disappeared into the forest, leaving the Hound behind.