STALKING

Prim and Molly chose each step carefully. Stepping lightly among the downed leaves and the twigs, they practiced moving slowly and silently through the forest. It was their game to spot some bird or small animal at a distance and find out how closely they could stalk it before they were detected. It was a thrill to slip undetected so close to one they could have pounced and seized it. Today, they hadn't seen any creatures except high in the trees so they were just enjoying all the sensations of the forest and their skill at silently navigating through it.

Prim had reached the top of a ridge that descended down into a small, narrow valley with a little stream running at the bottom, when she froze. Molly saw her suddenly halt, ease sideways behind a tree trunk and carefully peek around one side. She correctly interpreted her actions as having seen a "target" for stalking. When she noiselessly drew up behind the trunk next to that of the motionless Prim, she also peeked around to see what had caught her attention.

In the bottom of the valley, someone wearing a long, dark coat was sitting on a section of fallen tree, facing toward the stream. The body was bent over, elbows on knees and face in hands. Molly twitched her ears forward, matching her sister. She thought she could hear human sounds but couldn't discern any words over the sound of the stream. Prim glanced sideways to Molly and raised an eyebrow. Molly turned her head slightly toward Prim and mouthed, "Edwin." Prim twitched her ears forward and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Looking back at Molly, with a finger she slowly drew a line downward from one eye toward her cheek, along with a questioning look. Molly didn’t reply but her expression told Prim she was thinking the same thing.

Molly was about to signal for Prim to slip back down the ridge the way they came when the figure straightened, picked up a walking staff they'd not seen, stood up and began shuffling along downstream. They watched, still and concealed, until he disappeared behind trees along the bank. Again, they were about to begin moving when Molly hissed softly, "Look upridge!"

Prim followed her gaze and something was now moving behind the cover of bushes. As they watched, Nicolle slipped from the bushes to a tree trunk and then another, moving stealthily downstream at the same pace as Edwin.

Next: Part 22 / 25, “Sandra’s Counsel”