"Do you think he arranged his hunt simply so we could admire his prowess?"
A thoughtful look crossed Eva's face. "It's possible."
The crunching in the bushes stopped.
Jason's eyes widened in dismay as he mouthed a curse. One Eva seconded.
Idiot. He should have known better than to draw the fox's attention.
Golden eyes landed on Eva and Jason, studying them with an intelligence and cunning far greater than any animal.
Not much bigger than a cat, the fire fox resembled the fox he took his name from. His face was triangular and in daylight his coat held the same coloring as his vulpine cousins. With one notable exception—the three tails that were once again waving madly above the grass.
"What are you doing over there?" Eva called.
The grass rustled as the fire fox trotted toward Eva, carrying a kill nearly as long as him.
"Is that—?" Jason pointed uncertainly at the fire fox's victim.
"You're not seeing things. It's a wheezer."
Eva recognized it from the beast pamphlet the pathfinder who'd accompanied them to this valley had left before he'd made his return journey to Wayfarer's Keep, the stronghold of the pathfinders and the place where the rest of the Trateri army was camped.
Often mistaken as the largest entry into the rodent family, the wheezer had beady eyes and overly large front teeth. Looking like a mix between a possum and a weasel, its light brown fur allowed it to blend into most environments.
Eva would be tempted to call the creatures cute if not for the fact they were extremely aggressive and territorial. They preferred to stalk their prey and didn't care if it was twice their size. Human, bandisox, or other, the wheezer saw them in the same light. As enemies and food.
Their attack power wasn’t where the real danger lay. Though admittedly, they'd been known to shred a grown man's leg in seconds before waddling off, looking pleased with themselves.
What was truly worrying about them was the fact that a single bite or scratch from their claws would lead to infection and almost always ended in death.
It was a slow, agonizing way to go.
Drake straightened at the sight of the wheezer in the fire fox's jaws, the playful look on his face turning serious.
A cold feeling moved through Eva.
There was no healer in the small party that had accompanied Eva all the way up here. No one to treat them if things went wrong. Not for hundreds of miles. Several weeks of hard journey separated them from any form of help.
Drake hopped down from his boulder, jogging in Eva's direction.
To Eva's surprise, the fire fox turned, trotting toward the far side of the valley where fallen boulders from a long-ago avalanche dotted the landscape. The places where stone met dirt were overgrown with grass, some of which climbed halfway up their sides.
Solitary trees stretched their arms to the sky. In the distance steep hills that transitioned to rugged mountains framed either side of the wide valley floor.
To Eva's rear, Caia and the rest of the small herd of mounts grazed in the pretty meadow.
Beyond them was the small camp they'd set up upon arrival. In the distance, at the opposite end of the valley, were the ruins of a long-ago settlement. The stone walls that made up the houses long fallen into disrepair.
The fire fox slowed and then stopped when he realized Eva and Jason hadn't moved. He aimed an expectant look at Eva over his shoulder.
"Does he want us to follow?"
Eva released a resigned breath. "Probably."
"That's not sinister or anything," Jason complained, trailing Eva as she started after the fire fox. "Follow the mysterious mythological to an equally mysterious destination. What could go wrong?"
Eva smothered her smile, privately agreeing with the sentiment.
Unfortunately, ignoring the fire fox wasn't an option. Even if he wasn't being painfully obvious in his wishes, she'd still follow. If for no other reason than self-preservation. It was easier to anticipate the fire fox's actions when you knew what he was up to.
The fire fox trotted happily through the meadow, bypassing the hulking silhouettes of boulders before heading for a tree standing alone in the midst of the field. A creature peered around it with a shy face.
His massive form huddling behind the small tree as if it would protect him from them should have been a comical sight.
And maybe it would have been if he hadn't gone unnoticed until that exact moment.
Eva squashed her alarm, knowing the fire fox wouldn't have endangered her without reason. She took a moment to study the creature.
His skin was mottled with grays, browns and greens. A moss-like plant covered his back and hands. White flowers similar to daisies sprouted from his head.
From a distance he would resemble a boulder.
Despite his large size, his features were kind. Gentle even. This wasn't a creature who would do harm. Eva got a sense of peace from him. A bottomless well of serenity and warmth.
Eva took a step toward him only to stop as Drake blocked her with his arm. He watched the creature with a frown as he assessed the level of potential threat.
The fire fox trotted up to the creature and stopped. He laid his kill down at the base of the tree and sat before wrapping his tails around his feet.
The fox's gaze was knowing as he watched Eva in silent demand.
"What is that?" Jason breathed.
Eva held a finger to her lips, signaling for quiet.
The fire fox was acting as if they needed to pay tribute to the rock creature. It was Eva's job to find out why.
Jason nodded to show he understood.
Eva pushed Drake's arm out of her way and stepped around him.
"Eva!" Drake hissed.
Eva paused, knowing if Drake felt she was placing herself in danger he was liable to act. And not necessarily in ways she would agree with. She wouldn't put it past him to grab her and make a run for it.
In the Broken Lands where even a rodent could pose a threat to your life, it was easy to view anything strange or unexpected as an enemy.
This was the drawback to having elite warriors shadow your every move. Explanations were needed lest they take matters into their own hands.
"He's a mythological; I can feel it."
She wasn't quite sure how, but the creature gave off the same feeling as the fire fox. Like there was more to them if you took the time to look beneath the surface. A deep well of possibility lurking. It felt different than what she’d get around a beast, though she'd be hard pressed to explain exactly how. Just that it was.
It was a feeling in her bones. A knowing, if you will.
As a Caller, mythologicals were her responsibility—and she took her responsibilities seriously.
Drake held her gaze, his stubborn need to protect warring with his frustration over knowing she was right. Moments passed before he relented.
Drake stepped aside, allowing her to continue unhindered.
"Be careful," Jason whispered.
"Afraid you'll have to deal with Caia on your own?"
Jason snorted. "Damn right I am. That mare is a devil."
As if sensing they were talking about her, Caia butted Jason in the back, making him stumble forward a few steps. He swatted her head away with an irritated look on his face.
"When did you get over here?" Jason whisper yelled.
"She's been following us since we started," Drake said in a low voice, not taking his eyes off the creature.