way she could. She teetered back to her seat between Batu and Oyugun, leaving the president to confer with his adviser.
The first 'copter began to lose altitude over a dense forest on one of the lower slopes of Tsetseegun Uul. The second 'copter followed, and together they circled the area looking for a place to land. The evergreen foliage of the tall conifers obscured the hard, stony ground beneath and Qara could see no sign of any camp or base which might have been established by the Faerie Folk. They found a clearing a few kilometres away, which meant that they would have to hike back to the area pointed out by the ambassador.
The 'copters landed one after the other; Qara grateful that the contents of her stomach saw fit to follow suit. Once on the ground, Batu recorded and saved a short clip of the party disembarking and preparing to leave the clearing. He panned across the scenery, capturing the tree-lined valley to the north of their position, and the majestic slope of the snow-capped mountain to the south. A pair of steppe eagles floated above the treetops in the valley, lazily scanning the ground for any prey which might be startled into ill-considered flight by the noisy intruders.
Looking at the rocky, uneven ground she could see through the trees at the edge of the clearing, Qara envied the birds their ability to cross such terrain with no more than the flick of a wing. Thankfully, she was not one of those fussy reporters who dressed in the latest fashions and tottered about in high-heeled shoes. The soft leather riding boots she habitually wore were better suited to the walk ahead.
The president trimmed the party, ordering half of the riot squad and some of his aides to remain behind with the 'copter crews. They would secure the 'copters and act as back-up, if required. He detailed one of the 'copter pilots to accompany them as a navigator and, once everyone was ready, asked Ambassador Ba to lead the way.
The ambassador touched the side of his neck with a long finger and appeared to sub-vocalise a brief query. His implant was obviously more than just a translation device. After a moment, he turned and walked confidently into the forest, heading up the slope of the mountain. The curator hurried after him, concerned about what impact the Faerie Folk may be having on the ecology of the park. The rest of the party followed. Qara's crew was instructed not to broadcast anything, as the president's military advisers felt that it was not prudent to advertise their location.
The forest quickly grew denser, forcing the company to travel in ones and twos. Qara found herself near the back of the column, following Batu through the trees. She walked in silence for a while, concentrating on her footing. Batu seemed to know instinctively where to step and for a while she literally followed in his footsteps. Then, she stepped on a rock, which rolled unexpectedly under her foot, causing her to stagger sideways. Before she could fall, a hand caught her elbow in a strong grip and steadied her. She turned to thank whoever had assisted her and found herself staring into the piercing green eyes of one of the Faerie Folk. She had not had a chance to study the ambassador's companions closely and could not yet tell them apart. Her mind raced to find something to say that wouldn't sound hopelessly inane, and came up empty.
The stranger released her arm and spoke in a high-pitched, slightly metallic tone. "I am pleased to introduce myself to you. I am Translator Vi, the only female member of our expedition. I am glad to meet a female of your race." Her words answered a question Qara had not had the chance to ask. Ambassador Ba, Analyst Ko and Physician Ti were male, and Vi was female.
They continued through the forest for a while. Vi's long legs had little trouble negotiating the broken ground, and her robes had been fastened snugly at the arms and legs so that they would not
The first 'copter began to lose altitude over a dense forest on one of the lower slopes of Tsetseegun Uul. The second 'copter followed, and together they circled the area looking for a place to land. The evergreen foliage of the tall conifers obscured the hard, stony ground beneath and Qara could see no sign of any camp or base which might have been established by the Faerie Folk. They found a clearing a few kilometres away, which meant that they would have to hike back to the area pointed out by the ambassador.
The 'copters landed one after the other; Qara grateful that the contents of her stomach saw fit to follow suit. Once on the ground, Batu recorded and saved a short clip of the party disembarking and preparing to leave the clearing. He panned across the scenery, capturing the tree-lined valley to the north of their position, and the majestic slope of the snow-capped mountain to the south. A pair of steppe eagles floated above the treetops in the valley, lazily scanning the ground for any prey which might be startled into ill-considered flight by the noisy intruders.
Looking at the rocky, uneven ground she could see through the trees at the edge of the clearing, Qara envied the birds their ability to cross such terrain with no more than the flick of a wing. Thankfully, she was not one of those fussy reporters who dressed in the latest fashions and tottered about in high-heeled shoes. The soft leather riding boots she habitually wore were better suited to the walk ahead.
The president trimmed the party, ordering half of the riot squad and some of his aides to remain behind with the 'copter crews. They would secure the 'copters and act as back-up, if required. He detailed one of the 'copter pilots to accompany them as a navigator and, once everyone was ready, asked Ambassador Ba to lead the way.
The ambassador touched the side of his neck with a long finger and appeared to sub-vocalise a brief query. His implant was obviously more than just a translation device. After a moment, he turned and walked confidently into the forest, heading up the slope of the mountain. The curator hurried after him, concerned about what impact the Faerie Folk may be having on the ecology of the park. The rest of the party followed. Qara's crew was instructed not to broadcast anything, as the president's military advisers felt that it was not prudent to advertise their location.
The forest quickly grew denser, forcing the company to travel in ones and twos. Qara found herself near the back of the column, following Batu through the trees. She walked in silence for a while, concentrating on her footing. Batu seemed to know instinctively where to step and for a while she literally followed in his footsteps. Then, she stepped on a rock, which rolled unexpectedly under her foot, causing her to stagger sideways. Before she could fall, a hand caught her elbow in a strong grip and steadied her. She turned to thank whoever had assisted her and found herself staring into the piercing green eyes of one of the Faerie Folk. She had not had a chance to study the ambassador's companions closely and could not yet tell them apart. Her mind raced to find something to say that wouldn't sound hopelessly inane, and came up empty.
The stranger released her arm and spoke in a high-pitched, slightly metallic tone. "I am pleased to introduce myself to you. I am Translator Vi, the only female member of our expedition. I am glad to meet a female of your race." Her words answered a question Qara had not had the chance to ask. Ambassador Ba, Analyst Ko and Physician Ti were male, and Vi was female.
They continued through the forest for a while. Vi's long legs had little trouble negotiating the broken ground, and her robes had been fastened snugly at the arms and legs so that they would not
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