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Old 01-24-2005, 03:21 PM   #319
piosenniel
Desultory Dwimmerlaik
 
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Piosenniel

A little over seven days had passed since they had set out from the mountains heading north along the sparsely grassed, sandy base of the foothills. The days were hot, too hot for the little group to travel, and so were spent in fretful sleep beneath what shade their guides could find. Azar, the young male eagle Ayka had sent with them, had ranged far before them; wide though he flew, he brought no promising news of the men from the north. Nor had he brought them many findings of encampments from whom they might inquire.

Only one, the Bush Lizards, would speak with the strangers, and then it was only to say that ‘No, we have no news. We have heard nothing.’ Questions about the port city were taken in with unreadable silence; no answers given save a ‘No, we know nothing of that either.’ The brown-pooled eyes of the desert men gave nothing away, but Pio’s ears caught the whisperings and intake of breath from the huddle of women who stood watching their men speak with the strangers.

‘Perhaps we should go back to the ship and simply wait for the Captain and Airefalas,’ offered Hamar once the disappointing contact had been made. ‘Not yet,’ rejoined Pio, pulling her hood up to shade her eyes as their group moved on to find a resting place. ‘I still have hopes of finding them.’ Though they grow slim she admitted to herself. The Elf looked to the west, her eyes following the line of coastal mountains northward. ‘Their height grows less. Little more than a week and we will come to the end of them. The Corsair city lies not too far beyond. And we dare not go there.’ She looked up, seeing the eagle circling lazily above, wings tapping the rising thermals. ‘When we have come to the end of the mountains and Azar can bring us no new sightings, then we will return to the ship and wait.’
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