Page 17 of Marked for Vengeance
“What do you mean, back in the forest?” She gestured around them. “Isn’t this a fucking forest?”
“These are just trees and bushes. The true forest is below us. You’ll see.”
He put away his water skin and set off again. She followed after him, still wondering what the difference was. A bunch of trees were a forest. That’s how it was. Maybe it was a translation error.
The difference became clear even about forty minutes later. The canopy overhead blocked all but a few stray beams of moonlight. Trees grew so thickly their roots were tangled in large knots, some of them wrapped around moss-covered boulders.
She could barely see anything unless it was right next to her, so she fell in behind Vengeance and let him guide her.
“So, this is what you meant by the true forest?”
“It is. Though this is only the beginning. It gets thicker farther in. We won’t be going that way. It would take too long.”
“Which way are we going?” Not that the information would do her any good. She had no idea where they were or where they were headed.
“For now, we’ll stop. Tomorrow I’ll work out the fastest route home. We need to reach the river, but I’ve never been this way before.”
“What! Never? So we’re lost?” she asked.
“We’re not lost. I used the stars to navigate until we lost sight of them. Now we will stop until daylight so I can find some landmarks. This is how we live, little warrior. We have no maps, no compasses, or satellites to show us where we are.”
Right. As advanced as the fa’rel were, they’d crashed on this world and lacked most of the technology and equipment she took for granted. “If we’re not lost, can you tell me how long it will take us to get to your home?”
He thought about that for a few seconds before answering. “If things go well, we’ll arrive tomorrow evening. If things are difficult, we’ll spend another night out in the wilds. I’d rather not do that.”
“Me either.” She glanced around, but nothing in her limited range of vision looked promising in terms of shelter. “Where are we hunkering down? I’ve got a thermal blanket in my bag, but I don’t see much dead wood we could use to build a lean-to. Is it safe to rack out under one of these big roots?”
“Stop trying to break my translator,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “And to answer your question, it’s not wise to sleep on the ground. Something would try to eat us, and the moss holds water like a sponge.”
He pressed his hand down on a patch of the stuff and it squelched loudly.
“Lovely. So, what’s your plan?”
He patted the bag resting on his hip. “We go up.”
“Up. Sure. Right. Obviously.” She stared into the gloom overhead. “I’m going to need more details.”
“Trust me, little warrior. I do this every time I hunt.” He pulled something from the bag and shook it between his hands.
While he did that, she rummaged around in her own pack and found a small light-cube. “Can we risk a little light? I’d really like to see what you’re doing.”
“Some. Light would be helpful for this next part.”
She made a quick adjustment to the cube’s settings and then activated it with a double tap to one side. An aura of amber light appeared and slowly expanded until she could see a few meters in all directions.
Vengeance held something that looked like some kind of netting in one hand and a coil of slender rope slung over his other shoulder. His bag was on the ground at his feet, and while she watched, he tucked several lengths of cord into a thong of leather tied around his biceps.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He flicked one finger skyward. “Making us a bed. Stay in the light and don’t try to follow me up.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” she muttered as he bounded to the nearest tree and leaped for one of the lower branches. He moved so fast she could barely follow him with her eyes, never mind the rest of her.
The first time he jumped from one tree to another, she almost screamed in surprise. The next time he did it, she had figured out what he was doing. The net was now suspended between several trees. It created a sort of platform high enough above the ground to be safe from predators. At least, she assumed none of the local carnivores were large enough to reach that high.
“If you fall, I am not kissing your boo-boos better.” She had no idea why she’d said anything about kissing him, but the words were out before her brain caught up to her mouth.
“Again with the nonsensical words. You’re welcome to kiss any part of me you like.” He finished securing the last corner of the net and hopped off the branch and into the center of makeshift sleeping platform he’d made.
