Page 226 of Hunters and Prey

Family Man

“WAIT HERE,” THE SEER said, gruff. “Let me get you something to wear, at least.”

Black frowned, but didn’t bother to argue.

Folding his arms, he waited, looking around.

The glass-eyed seer left him standing next to a strangely organic-looking building that had to be some kind of barn, unless it was a detached part of the main house.

Whatever it was, none of the walls appeared to be straight.

Rather, it seemed to grow right up out of the ground, like the seer and his wife coaxed the trees to grow into a structure while they were still alive, creating the seamless wood, mudbrick and stone walls, covered over with a sod roof overgrown with that same, short-bladed, soft grass with the iridescent blue highlights.

Looking up at the main house, noting that it had a bit more symmetry to it, but still retained elements of that organic, strangely alive-seeming structure, Black frowned, his eyes drawn to movement on a field that stood at roughly the same level on top of the hill.

A large paddock lived there, with four or five large domestic animals that appeared to be curled up and sleeping peacefully on the grass, despite how large they were. He couldn’t see what they were exactly, but they were bigger than horses and had long necks.

Black was still staring at the animals, noting the long, whipping tails that curled around their bodies where they lay, their strangely jointed legs, when the male seer returned.

He thrust a stack of clothes at Black’s chest, more or less forcing him to take them.

Looking down at what he’d been handed, Black frowned, but didn’t argue.

He tossed the stack down on the grass, then dug out a pair of pants and stepped into them, drawing them up to his hips. Tying the front with strangely smooth, skin-like strings, he dug out a long shirt next and drew it over his head, letting it fall down around him. The clothes were too big, but not by much, and now that he was dealing with some semblance of civilization, he couldn’t help but be grateful to have them.

“Thanks,” he said, gruff.

The other male grunted. “You do know that word.”

When Black gave him a hard look, the glass-eyed seer motioned with his head, holstering his gun by thrusting the barrel into the holster.

Black couldn’t help noticing the gun looked strangely organic, too. Despite the glinting, metallic surface, something rounded and flowing about the design made him think of tree-branches, or maybe some kind of animal.

“My wife’s not here,” the other male said. “I could make you food here, or I could take you to town. She probably went to see if she could help out with the gathering tonight.”

Black frowned. “The ‘gathering’?”

The other male rolled his eyes. “It’s not a bunch of witches butchering chickens, or dancing around naked and chanting.”

Black felt his jaw harden, mostly because he’d been thinking that was probably exactly what it was. It definitely sounded creepy and horror-movie-ish.

“…It’s just a lot of us live outside of town,” the other seer explained. “We get together every few weeks, for more community-type things. This one’s unusual because the travelers will be there.”

Seeming to note the frown that came to Black’s lips a second time, the clear-eyed seer clicked at him.

“They’re meditators,” he clarified. “They do a lot of the long-term seeing. We have brothers and sisters who do that more or less full time here.”

Seeming to feel Black’s skepticism at that answer, the seer added,

“Think shamans. Or monks.” The black-haired seer gestured gracefully, his narrow mouth firm. “You know. Like the old stories about the Pamir. Before First Contact.”

Black nodded.

Even so, he was starting to get tense.

He was also trying to decide if he should ask this guy about Miri.

“What about your kids?” he said instead.

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