As light from one of the moon began to cast shadows across the landscape, five shadows emerged from…the twins could not be sure. The shadows—black-clad Riotori males—seemed to simply grow from the river bank and slip silently across the terrain to the tents.
They passed within a few yards of the brothers without seeing them. After they were to the tents Gypsum woke Feldspar with an easy shake of the arm. The older twin knew to make no sound upon waking. They watched as the interlopers surrounded the tents, then produced clubs and slipped into the tents.
Feldspar growled deep in his throat. He started to rise but his brother held him back. Feldspar was not pleased, but could not argue. They would discuss it later. But both gathered themselves in case their would-be attackers perceived their location.
Oddly, though, the interlopers did nothing. They emerged from the empty tents and simply looked at each other, shrugged, and returned to the river bank where the faded into the darkness as they had emerged.
The twins declined to reveal themselves in case the withdrawal of the attackers was a trick. Gypsum took his turn to sleep while Feldspar kept watch.
But the attackers did not return. The brothers slept through the night, alternating watch duty as each became sleepy. The night passed without disturbance.
In the morning, even before checking on their tents, they went to where the shadows had emerged from the river. Quietly they slipped over the edge of the bank and saw at once a cave.
Gypsum volunteered to explore a short distance into the dark hole. It took him only a few yards of crawling to determine that it was a tunnel that led away from the river and toward The Old City. He declined to go farther. He did not know what he might find and he had no desire to crawl all the way to The Old City.
He emerged, brushed himself off, and explained what he'd found while the two inspected their tents. Nothing had been taken or damaged. They could not help but wonder about the mental state of their unwanted visitors.
With the clubs in their hands it was certain that they had bad intentions. Yet they had destroyed nothing, taken nothing, and most puzzling they had not even looked for the two that they had expected in the tents.
What kind of people were they going to encounter in the next days?
They passed within a few yards of the brothers without seeing them. After they were to the tents Gypsum woke Feldspar with an easy shake of the arm. The older twin knew to make no sound upon waking. They watched as the interlopers surrounded the tents, then produced clubs and slipped into the tents.
Feldspar growled deep in his throat. He started to rise but his brother held him back. Feldspar was not pleased, but could not argue. They would discuss it later. But both gathered themselves in case their would-be attackers perceived their location.
Oddly, though, the interlopers did nothing. They emerged from the empty tents and simply looked at each other, shrugged, and returned to the river bank where the faded into the darkness as they had emerged.
The twins declined to reveal themselves in case the withdrawal of the attackers was a trick. Gypsum took his turn to sleep while Feldspar kept watch.
But the attackers did not return. The brothers slept through the night, alternating watch duty as each became sleepy. The night passed without disturbance.
In the morning, even before checking on their tents, they went to where the shadows had emerged from the river. Quietly they slipped over the edge of the bank and saw at once a cave.
Gypsum volunteered to explore a short distance into the dark hole. It took him only a few yards of crawling to determine that it was a tunnel that led away from the river and toward The Old City. He declined to go farther. He did not know what he might find and he had no desire to crawl all the way to The Old City.
He emerged, brushed himself off, and explained what he'd found while the two inspected their tents. Nothing had been taken or damaged. They could not help but wonder about the mental state of their unwanted visitors.
With the clubs in their hands it was certain that they had bad intentions. Yet they had destroyed nothing, taken nothing, and most puzzling they had not even looked for the two that they had expected in the tents.
What kind of people were they going to encounter in the next days?
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