managed to reach a large branch at a safe elevation. His fingertips hurt, having been scraped and bleeding from the effort. Once in place, he noticed there were no vines to secure him for the night.
S lipping back to the ground, he uprooted nearby saplings to build a pad and tethers on his tree perch. His body demanded repayment for sleep deprivation of the night before, and after securing himself in his lofty nest, he fell into a deep sleep.
Morning brought a chill. He tucked his hands into his tunic’s insulated pockets while studying his new environment. Where was the water? There was no thick fog like inside the jungle. For some reason, the mist suspended short of these foothills. He realized he would have no life-giving source of water anywhere close to this tree perch.
In c hecking supplies, there were two skins of water left and three branches of fruit pods. He glanced up the nearby foothill and calculated that he could explore the rocky slopes for two days before he must return to the jungle for food and water.
Do hicays leave the jungle? I hope not.
Classes taught that they evolved as jungle dwellers and rarely ventured into open areas, like the mining zones, so he decided to take the risk. Besides, events of the prior night made Simon’s decision easy. Unknown perils in hills could not be a greater threat than Tanarac soldiers.
Simon wondered why these hills drew him so strongly. In the past three days, he learned to trust his instincts. This would have to be no different.
The slow, steady climb up rocky slopes was far more difficult than it appeared. Fingertips bled as he crawled across abrasive volcanic rocks. After skirting a large boulder, he discovered a faint trail following natural contours of the hill. It headed toward the distant mountain peak and allowed him to walk upright, providing welcome relief for his hands.
M ultiple small hoof prints of some kind of mountain creature showed in loose gravel in flat spots, but there was no sign of hicays. He stopped occasionally to take nourishment and keep his bearings so he could return to the jungle in two days for food and water.
Simon came to a fork in the trail. Both paths seemed to continue upslope, but the mountain ’s peak showed above the path to the right, making his decision easy.
After topping a small ri se, the chosen path began to descend into a long, narrow valley, filled thick with jungle plants. Growth looked so dense that he wondered if he could even pass through it. A flock of small birds near the edge darted around some kind of flowering bushes, while, farther down the canyon, a single large bird soared majestically above lush treetops. There was no sign of large animals like hicays. The far end of the valley was beyond sight where the canyon wrapped around the mountain to vanish between two massive cliff walls.
That looks like a small jungle. I’ll bet I can find food there. Is that a Topi tree? He marveled at the sight of a fruit bearing tree just inside the beginning of the canyon jungle.
Despite t he valley’s food possibilities, Simon was more interested in continuing up the slope toward the mountain. He returned to the fork in the trail and tried the second path. To his relief, it continued upward and turned directly toward the distant peak.
Sharp mountain shadows developed as Tanarac’s first sun approached sunset. He knew he must find shelter for the night. A crack in the nearby mountainside looked just wide enough for a man to enter. It had a large boulder wedged in the top, creating a narrow cave slightly taller than a man, and offering protection against the elements, as well as being defensible.
The young man stashed his fruit and empty water pouches at the back of the shelter and headed back to explore the small canyon below for food. The first time Simon had looked down on the valley, he thought he saw a Topi tree fairly close to the beginning of the vegetation. If true, its fruit might extend his time
S lipping back to the ground, he uprooted nearby saplings to build a pad and tethers on his tree perch. His body demanded repayment for sleep deprivation of the night before, and after securing himself in his lofty nest, he fell into a deep sleep.
Morning brought a chill. He tucked his hands into his tunic’s insulated pockets while studying his new environment. Where was the water? There was no thick fog like inside the jungle. For some reason, the mist suspended short of these foothills. He realized he would have no life-giving source of water anywhere close to this tree perch.
In c hecking supplies, there were two skins of water left and three branches of fruit pods. He glanced up the nearby foothill and calculated that he could explore the rocky slopes for two days before he must return to the jungle for food and water.
Do hicays leave the jungle? I hope not.
Classes taught that they evolved as jungle dwellers and rarely ventured into open areas, like the mining zones, so he decided to take the risk. Besides, events of the prior night made Simon’s decision easy. Unknown perils in hills could not be a greater threat than Tanarac soldiers.
Simon wondered why these hills drew him so strongly. In the past three days, he learned to trust his instincts. This would have to be no different.
The slow, steady climb up rocky slopes was far more difficult than it appeared. Fingertips bled as he crawled across abrasive volcanic rocks. After skirting a large boulder, he discovered a faint trail following natural contours of the hill. It headed toward the distant mountain peak and allowed him to walk upright, providing welcome relief for his hands.
M ultiple small hoof prints of some kind of mountain creature showed in loose gravel in flat spots, but there was no sign of hicays. He stopped occasionally to take nourishment and keep his bearings so he could return to the jungle in two days for food and water.
Simon came to a fork in the trail. Both paths seemed to continue upslope, but the mountain ’s peak showed above the path to the right, making his decision easy.
After topping a small ri se, the chosen path began to descend into a long, narrow valley, filled thick with jungle plants. Growth looked so dense that he wondered if he could even pass through it. A flock of small birds near the edge darted around some kind of flowering bushes, while, farther down the canyon, a single large bird soared majestically above lush treetops. There was no sign of large animals like hicays. The far end of the valley was beyond sight where the canyon wrapped around the mountain to vanish between two massive cliff walls.
That looks like a small jungle. I’ll bet I can find food there. Is that a Topi tree? He marveled at the sight of a fruit bearing tree just inside the beginning of the canyon jungle.
Despite t he valley’s food possibilities, Simon was more interested in continuing up the slope toward the mountain. He returned to the fork in the trail and tried the second path. To his relief, it continued upward and turned directly toward the distant peak.
Sharp mountain shadows developed as Tanarac’s first sun approached sunset. He knew he must find shelter for the night. A crack in the nearby mountainside looked just wide enough for a man to enter. It had a large boulder wedged in the top, creating a narrow cave slightly taller than a man, and offering protection against the elements, as well as being defensible.
The young man stashed his fruit and empty water pouches at the back of the shelter and headed back to explore the small canyon below for food. The first time Simon had looked down on the valley, he thought he saw a Topi tree fairly close to the beginning of the vegetation. If true, its fruit might extend his time
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