Tag: Fugitive

Ned settled down for the night. He built a fire and warmed his hands. Looking through his crest of wolf teeth, the darkened waters were foreboding. He had moved fast over the hills and his map reading was spot on. Gripping his fur clothing, Ned worried about that shape moving over the moorland. It was not a Malaxian unit, but it may have been a scout. That would be a big problem. On the death march, when the Malaxians made camp, he watched the scouts. They were nasty individuals and tended to stick together. One in particular was an archer who used to sharpen his knife and stare at Ned. Remembering it sent a shiver down his spine. Continue reading

Ned went along the edge of the pine forest, looking for an entry point. The branches were low and thick, so he crawled into a bush and kept on his hands and knees through a bed of pine needles until there was enough space to stand. It was dark and impossible to walk in a straight line with all the dense trees. But it was not long until the ground fell away. Moonlight flowed through the canopy. Moving slower, he realised it was getting dangerous. He walked upwards and carefully around to a less steep part of the wooded hill. At its base, he looked up at the white-blue light. He had to keep going. It was a clear night and the forest was opening up so he moved with care by moonlight. Continue reading

The next hill was immediately beyond the tree line and it was steep. There was no time to lose, so he went straight up. It was about a fifty degree slope, and he used his arms as much as his legs to make progress. About halfway up, he stopped for a moment, panting for air. His chest heaved and sweat poured down his brow. There was nothing else for it. He sat and took out his water container. Putting it to his lips, he drained it. But he had spotted a feature on the map earlier, which spurred him on. He pushed onwards. His arms hurt from the climb and his thighs had pains shooting through. But all that mattered was getting away. The slope evened off further up and he walked to the top of the hill. Continue reading

Ned ran downhill. It took a lot of concentration as the gravel and slippery rocks underfoot were a hazard. He kept going until the land flattened out. It was boggy down there and he pushed on through the peat and water, trying to stand on protruding grasses to get traction on more solid ground. He jumped from one mound to another. And then the land began to rise and dry out. Continue reading