Avarice Desperation Valley Ch. 42

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Jormugar had erred in his judgment and his employer had been most displeased. He could not afford to fail in his promise again. It was most unlike him to make these kinds of careless mistakes, and dangerous besides. Master Jacques would not accept his failure a second time; he must locate and bring forth that which he had promised. He had seen others fail to do this and their futures had been decidedly short.

Wallowing in the ramifications of this threat this young man did not enjoy this kind of pressure. He had been so sure of his quarry's destination, yet he had been wrong in his prediction. Frantically he had scoured the windswept plains for any clue as to where they had headed.

He absently stroked his canine companions head, the dog looked up at him and whined. He beckoned the beast to quiet with a gesture of his hand, the hound obediently lowered his body to the ground and lay patiently as the lithe man examined the fresh horse manure before him. They were mounted now and not far ahead, but was he still tailing the same men? He hoped so.

He had ridden his horse hard in a great arc that they may not see his approach, finally catching sight of them just before the oasis. They had made a detour then, but it was irrefutably the same two men he had sighted earlier. Relief washed over his calm features. This time he would make no further errors.

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Jhary was grateful he had been given the smaller horse along with the saddle, he was no horseman of excellence as his companion seemed to be. He followed the formidable warrior, wondering where he was now headed at such a breakneck pace. The ride was surprisingly short, his question answered well before the close of the afternoon.

They reigned in their mounts over a high depression in the earth. It looked as though this selected place had been sheltered from all else on the earth. Jhary looked down, a whistle he could not suppress escaped his lips, as he sighted the oasis sequestered in the depression many feet below.

"You knew this was here?" He said in wonderment, as he gazed on the amazing secret vista that spread before him.

Aran nodded and dismounted. His horse restless it could already scent the others below and the water also. He had no wish to signal to any who maybe below of his arrival. He pulled the massive plow horse about withdrawing from the precipice, motioning Jhary to do the same.

It was a hunch containing no tangible truth. Aran had to hope she was here. At worse it would be a good location to spend the night.

"I want you to wait here." Aran instructed sliding from the horse.

Jhary nodded though he felt uneasy, he took the large equine's reigns. Aran departed silently into the canyon below. He wondered how long it would be prudent to wait?