Story and characters are (c) Lars E Hellberg

Exploring the Mainland

6

The sun had just risen when Chaige woke up. After carefully peering around the sides of the blind, he pulled it open, letting the sun warm his naked body. It was a marvellous feeling. He used his hands to stroke his fur, stopping to examine, as he always did, his scars. Chaige\x92s arms, and torso had several scars, all from misfortunate adventures. The most serious one being a white mark running for two decimetres down his left arm. He had been swimming, five years old, and been attacked by a patch of tang. Bleeding heavily, he had still managed to hold his head above the surface long enough for his father to save his life.
Hanging a towel over his shoulders, he went for a shower, greeting his father in the hallway. Showering cold, he took the time to lather himself with fur soap, shivering as cold water pressed the fur to his skin. On his sun-warmed body, the cold felt wonderful. Thoroughly rinsed, he shook water out of his fur, and he was almost dry as he began towelling himself. He went back to his room, and got dressed. Since they had decided to meet at his place, where they were keeping the tent, he had no hurry. Mihio\x92ll come first, of course, then Raj and Chara. And we\x92ll see how long it takes for TC to get Renno mobile. He chuckled at the thought. Renno and Chaige. Chaige and Renno. They had been friends since before they could walk, their families sharing a fishing boat, and spending a lot of time together. During their early years, they\x92d had plenty of fun, adventures and mischief together. Sometimes one would be ringleader, at times the other, but one thing had remained constant through all this, even through Tailchaser\x92s birth and the merging with Rajme and Mihio; Renno slept late. If nobody woke him up, all but beating life into him, he could sleep until way after lunchtime, wake up, complain about the hardships of sleeping late, then drowse off again. Still smiling at the memories, his train of thoughts was thrown off track.
"Chaige! Mihio\x92s here!"
"Be right there!"
Picking up his backpack, ready since yesterday, he left his room and headed for the kitchen. He could hear his father chatting with the racoon in the next room, but still stopped for a buttered roll and a quick drink of orange juice. Mihio had her best hiker clothes on, her pack ready and a wide grin on her face.
"Morning, fox-boy! Ready for some fun in the woods?"
"Sure. Help me get the tent, will you?"
Packed down, the tent was reduced to a rolled package, four decimetres long, weighing no more than three kilos. They tied it to Chaige\x92s backpack, and in exchange, Mihio took some of his food packs. Running through the usual checklist, they marked off tent, food, water and the blankets Mihio had brought. Renno and Tailchaser would bring a gas heater, and Rajme would bring utensils. Apart from that, everyone carried their own change of clothes and spare walking boots, sleeping bags and flashlights. Tailchaser would, of course, carry Chara in her strap-on baby-chair, and so the others would take turns carrying his backpack. While they were checking their list, the two black dogs appeared, Rajme singing to herself and Chara burbling along from behind Rajme\x92s back. Taking off the baby-chair and handing it over to Mihio, she sat down next to Chaige.
"Everything ready, fox-boy?"
"Yep. As long as the other two don\x92t forget anything, that is."
"Ha! They wouldn\x92t dare. I can picture them right now, TC running around stuffing dirty accessories into Renno\x92s torn backpack, while the slacker himself sits at the table, snoring and trying to drink a cupful of coffee grounds." They all chuckled at this. "I can just picture it."
"Oh, you can, can you?" Renno\x92s voice made them laugh harder. "Can you picture having to make it without my gas heater?"
"He\x92s been up for several minutes," said Tailchaser, earning new laughs and a surly glance from his brother.
"If everybody\x92s done giggling, we could perhaps get trekking?"
"All right," said Rajme, picking up her backpack. "We\x92re gone!"
"TC, my weather-man," Mihio said. "What\x92ll we have tomorrow?"
"Windy, but no rain."
"How does he know that? Are you yanking our tails?"
"Not at all, Chaige. If you\x92d just keep an open eye, she speaks to you."
"Who speaks?"
"The world."
"Aah, mighty guru!" Chaige sat down, cross-legged, and Mihio followed suit. "Teach us how to become one with nature!"
"First, get eaten by a forest cat, then wait for a few hours," Rajme answered, but Tailchaser put his arm on her shoulder.
"Wait, I\x92ll tell them. You look at the sky and the sea. You listen to the winds and the sea. That\x92s all there is. But you\x92re such busy-heads, you never take the time." He swung Chara up on his back, setting off. "Never take the time."
"There you have it, you slackers," Rajme said. "You never take the time."
"As if you do," Mihio said, snorting. "But there\x92s something to what he says. When was he ever wrong?"
With Rajme carrying Tailchaser\x92s things, they set off after the young dog. Soon they were walking at a brisk pace through the outskirts of Firstlight, on their way towards the surrounding woods. Heads turned as they passed, and they received friendly waves and cheers. Explorers were always popular, and would-be explorers were generally admired for their courage and determination. The whole town knew they were going to Mainland the day after tomorrow. To Rajme, the attention was most welcome. She basked in it, drinking in every smile and encouraging shout she heard. It\x92s worth it, she thought. Whatever happens, it\x92s worth it. The others weren\x92t very far off the mark when they teased her for wanting a statue of her own. Honour and glory, that was what she wanted from exploring. There just couldn\x92t be enough of it. To return with new discoveries, to advance the edges of Mainland knowledge. To teach at schools, watching the spark light in some of the eager eyes. To, one day, have some other would-be cart-wheeling around, whooping and shouting for having been appointed Rajme the Explorer as her guide.
"...again! I can\x92t believe how she floats away!"
"Hello, Raj? Are you there?"
"We\x92re trying to reach a majority decision, Raj. Mihio and I say rocks, Chaige and TC say woods. Chara said \x91Gah!\x92, but that doesn\x92t really count."
Rajme stopped, looking around. When the hell had they reached the Crossroads? From here, they could either follow the road to Seaside, go back by a long, scenic route to Firstlight, or leave the roads. She looked around. The mountains looked promising, but the woods were more of a challenge. The decision was quite easy.
"Woods. Let\x92s go."
"Raj, you\x92ve got to stay with us," Mihio whispered, falling in after her friend. "This won\x92t do on Mainland, with Sahir watching you."
"I know. I\x92m sorry, it\x92s just so easy to drift away when the walking\x92s easy."
"Then maybe you\x92ll be happy now. I think TC\x92s leading us straight into the middle."
"He\x92s still in the lead?"
"Why not? He\x92ll pick a tough route, but not an impossible one, like you would."
Shrugging, Rajme kept on walking. Tailchaser held a fairly high tempo, paving way through the undergrowth. Around them were large, friendly trees, of the kind that the first colonists had named Sanctuary pine, for lack of a better name. They looked like the pines they had all seen in school books; tall, thin-branched and needly, with large, round cones. This breed was semi-domesticated, Rajme knew, bred with the trees brought by the colonisers; trees that had not been able to survive on their own. Full-sapped Sanctuary pines would not placidly watch them pass. For the first time, a shiver ran along her spine at the thought of Mainland. Quit it, girl! she thought. Damn Renno\x92s got everybody worked up about something that\x92ll be no more than this; a walk in the park. Still, the thoughts of trees were unsettling. The stories they had all heard were not exaggerated. They didn\x92t need to be. When it came to the more aggressive trees, reality outdid any fantasy.
After a quick lunch, they started to make their way, Mihio now in the lead, through a part of the woods where the undergrowth was scattered into small patches of colourful fungi. They all knew these, a placid variant of downwinder. They would probably not encounter its wild brethren on their first Mainland outing. Following a stream she knew would end up joining Blackwood River, Mihio led them deeper into the woods. While they stopped to let Tailchaser feed Chara, she glanced around her. They were now standing in knee-high grass, with the sound of the stream to their right. It was late afternoon, and they would soon have to find a good place to set up camp. For a brief second, Mihio thought she saw something move behind some trees, but after searching for it for a while, she dismissed it as some small animal being curious as to the invaders of its forest. As they started up again, she picked up Tailchaser\x92s backpack, while Renno took the lead. You can always trust him, she thought, to find the best resting sites available. True enough, a little more than an hour later, Renno announced that they had arrived at the spot for raising the tent. It had begun to darken, but there was more than enough light for Mihio\x92s sensitive eyes. The others, though, had to use flashlights. Rajme was sniffing, as if trying to catch a scent coming from downwind. Tailchaser, too, seemed restless, scouting into the darkest patches among the thick-standing trees. The others seemed oblivious. Mihio caught Rajme\x92s eyes, but the other girl just shook her head. Another animal. While they were putting up the tent, not an easy task the first time, Renno was cooking their evening meal, ruining all chances of smelling out whatever was watching them. Then Mihio saw a small burrower, one of the few indigenous animals still left on Settlement Isle, scuttling just past the outskirts of the light from Renno\x92s gas heater. Rajme had seen it too, and they settled down, waiting for the steaming pot to become plates of food. After the meal, they sat talking for a while. Tailchaser put the sleeping Chara inside the tent, then brought a flashlight and headed into the forest. The others kept the conversation going.
"Sounds like he\x92s going far," Mihio said.
"Mhm. Maybe he couldn\x92t stand Renno\x92s cooking."
"That wasn\x92t very nice, Raj."
"Oh, I don\x92t mind. I\x92m kind of used to being abused. She\x92s always mean to me."
"I am not! Didn\x92t I eat it all? Without complaining?"
"You always do when you\x92re hungry," Chaige said, laughing. "I swear you could eat anything, once you haven\x92t had a bite for a few minutes."
"You say I\x92m a gorger? I\x92ll have your hide, fox-boy! What\x92ll you be, a jacket or a pair of boots?"
"I get to choose? I\x92d rather be a pair of gloves."

Tailchaser left the circle of light coming from their small campfire they had built, shining his way with the torch. He, too, had seen the burrower, but he was still not feeling easier. Someone was out there, stalking them. Maybe it was Katti, maybe someone else, but he felt absolutely certain. Clicking off the flashlight, he left his path, moving as quietly as he could. With the voices from the camp to his left, he began to adapt his eyes to the dark, holding his breath to see if he could make out any other sounds. His own heartbeat seemed to echo around the woods. Using his sensitive dog\x92s nose, he tried to make out any strange scents, but could find none. The wind was blowing softly towards the camp from where he stood, and he knew that both Rajme and Renno could smell him now. He thought about where he would hide to mask himself from them, and decided that he would have to encircle the camp. Removing his boots, he picked a perfectly silent path, avoiding the firelight to keep his eyes keen. He stopped, halfway there, waiting to see if the stalker would stir. He knew he was gone from the wind, and if their pursuer had a canine sense of smell, he or she would have noticed his absence by now. New thoughts began to make their ways into Tailchaser\x92s mind. What would he do if he found someone? Shouldn\x92t he tell the others first? No, they\x92d never cease calling him jumpy if he blew the whistle too soon. After about five minutes, he deliberately snapped a twig, then widened his circle and began moving again. Now, perhaps, they\x92d think he had gone out to relieve himself, and was moving about carelessly back where he had been. Moving as fast as he could, he now approached the camp from downwind, smelling the fire, the dirty dishes and his friends. There was something else, too. Definitely a stranger, but a smell he had never felt before. Someone was masking his smell, using oils or potions to blend in with the background smells of the forest. It wasn\x92t enough to fool a dog, though, and he held out his flashlight, readying himself. Moving closer, he could make out a still figure, right between him and the camp. It was a figure of intimidating size, and the only way he could be certain it wasn\x92t a large bush or small tree, was because it moved slightly, looking around. He\x92s sensing me missing, he thought, his heart racing. Ducking as the figure suddenly turned, he clicked on the light, hitting the stalker straight in the face. He knew the intimidating figure at once. Sahir the wolf. Blinking in the torch light, Sahir smiled at him. He was huge, about two metres tall and with broad shoulders. He didn\x92t look as muscular as the pictures made him, though. Dressed in just a pair of shorts, Tailchaser could see that his fur was slightly oily. Smiling again, still not making a sound, large yellow eyes locking with Tailchaser\x92s, the wolf made a beckoning gesture.

Renno was starting to feel a bit concerned. Tailchaser had been gone for twenty minutes now. The food hadn\x92t been that bad. These woods weren\x92t dangerous ones, but they weren\x92t completely safe either. He had smelled his brother a while ago, and then heard him from another direction, but it had been quiet for more than ten minutes. If he was planning to pounce them, would he really wait that long? Or did he have other pranks planned? You didn\x92t grow up with Renno without learning a way or two to make your friends\x92 lives more interesting. Still, it had been quite a while, now. Just as he was going to start looking, though, Tailchaser re-emerged, from downwind this time. There was an odd smell to him, as if he had been patting some small animal. The kid sat down by the fire, taking a sip from his water bottle.
"Feeling better, TC?" Rajme asked. Renno could hear concern in her voice.
"Mhm."
"Where were you?" Mihio asked. "I thought I heard you a while back."
"I\x92ve been practising stealth. I seem to be getting better."
"You sure am," Renno said. "I also heard that snapping twig, but I never realised you\x92d got downwind from us."
"Listen, TC," Chaige said, suddenly a troubled look on his face. "Did you see anyone out there? I\x92ve had a feeling for a while that we\x92re not all alone out here. Like someone\x92s watching me from behind."
"As opposed to from full front," Mihio said, laughing. "No, seriously, I\x92ve felt it, too. Seeing shadows within shadows, I guess. I thought that burrower..."
"So did I!" Rajme interrupted. "There\x92s been an odd scent somewhere, even before we started cooking."
Renno looked at Tailchaser. The young dog sat still, silent. Whatever he had seen, he wouldn\x92t share. Looking at the others, as they described their feelings of being stalked, he got to his feet, calling for attention.
"I was wondering when you\x92d catch on," he said. "Sahir\x92s been tracking us since we left the Crossroads."
"What?"
"You sure?"
"How the hell did you know?"
Tailchaser smiled faintly at him, and he realised what his brother had been up to. Practising stealth, indeed. If he had sneaked up on Sahir, it was no wonder Renno hadn\x92t heard him.
"I\x92ve seen him, and smelled him, from time to time. I had a hunch he was testing us. Down by the stream, he was close enough to snatch our backpacks."
"That\x92s where I started to feel uneasy," Mihio said. "Just then."
"You sensed him. My guess is that TC\x92s been out hunting, not complaining about food. Right, bro?" The young dog nodded. "Did you find him?"
"Yes, he did." The deep voice startled them all. "A magnificent stalker, I\x92d say. If he doesn\x92t become an explorer, he\x92ll make a perfect hunter."
Chaige half leapt to his feet, and Mihio couldn\x92t suppress a small yelp of surprise. The tall wolf sat down by the fire, reaching out his hands to catch a bit of heat. Looking closely, Renno could see traces of scars beneath the thick, grey-black fur. Looking up from the flames, the wolf smiled at them, and Renno felt himself relax. His eyes were friendly, and the smile was genuine. He was startled, though, at hearing his own name.
"Renno is right, you know. I have been watching you today. Didn\x92t know I had been that careless, though." Renno felt himself blush a bit. "I\x92m very impressed with you two. First, the little one stalks me from behind. Can\x92t remember when that happened last. Then you tell me you were on to me the whole time?"
"Well, yeah. Both TC and I have a keen sense for smell. Once I caught whiff of you, I could spot you when you thought nobody was looking."
"Mhm. Impressed, as I said. The rest of you were uneasy, as well, sensing my presence. You\x92re really good. Irhabotu didn\x92t even notice me as I stole his lunch." They all laughed at this, and Rajme clapped her hands. "However, just one of you managed to make eye contact with me. That, I can tell you, has not happened once since I was appointed guide."
"Who was that?" Chaige asked, gaining quizzical looks from the others.
"She\x92s asleep now, but the pup has very good eyes. Don\x92t be surprised if the young ones outdo you all, in time."
"We\x92ve already kind of figured that one out," Mihio said, smiling at the furiously blushing Tailchaser. "So, Chara spotted you while the rest of us were walking along?"
"All but Renno, then, who obviously saw me back at the Crossroads. I tried to approach her from several different angles, but she caught me every time."
"Chip of the ol\x92 block, she is," Rajme said, beaming. "She\x92s my baby sister, all right."
"Didn\x92t catch your eye, did I?" Sahir tilted his head, smiling at Rajme, who stopped smiling, ears drooping. "Relax, I\x92m not taking your measure just yet. Right now, I only wanted to observe you; see if you can make it on Mainland. I haven\x92t lost a student, and I don\x92t plan to do so now, either. From what I\x92ve seen, you\x92ll all do fine, if you just keep focused."
"Why did you come out?" Chaige asked. "I mean, if you didn\x92t let Irhabotu see you?"
"As I said, Tailchaser here caught me by surprise. I thought I had him pinpointed south of your camp, when he suddenly lit a torch on me from behind. I can tell you, it takes a lot to surprise me."
"Hah! You go, TC!" Rajme shouted. "I told you, Mihio. He\x92ll be better than anybody!"
All eyes turned to the blushing child, who suddenly seemed to wish he was in the tent with Chara, sleeping past all the attention. Renno caught a sudden movement at the outer edge of his field of vision, winking to the wolf as he disappeared as quickly and silently as he had come. Rajme turned around, gasping to find the seat next to her empty. Not a leaf stirred to betray Sahir\x92s exit. The others now noticed his absence, too, staring dumbfoundedly into the trees. Renno waved in a direction that should have been impossible for the wolf to have taken, but he knew it hit home, because for a fraction of a second, a faint reflection of the firelight answered him. Seeking his brother\x92s eyes, he knew that Tailchaser, too, had seen this light.
"Damn, that was spooky! Did it really happen? Was he really here?"
"Of course he was! Want me to pinch you, Mihio?"
"Try and die, fox-boy!"
"How could you have seen him, TC?" Rajme asked. "Or did you scent him?"
"A little of both. He kept so still, but I saw him blocking out stars. Then I stepped on a twig to make him think I was still there, before I sneaked around to get behind him."
"You make it sound so easy. I bet you could walk into a bat cave, steal all their wallets and then leave without stirring a single one."
"Thanks, Raj. I mean it, thanks." He yawned. "I\x92m getting tired."
"You tuck in. I guess we\x92ll sit out here, talking a bit longer. G\x92night, bro!"
"Good night, Renno, guys."
"Sleep well, TC!" Chaige said.
"Yeah, you do that," Rajme agreed. Mihio patted him on the shoulder as he passed her.
"Sweet dreams, hon."
Smiling faintly, obviously exhausted after the long stalking, Tailchaser closed the tent, lying down next to Chara, who was peacefully snoozing in his sleeping bag. He was sleeping within seconds, in the fashion of dogs. The others sat quiet for a while, until Rajme and Renno announced that Tailchaser was asleep.
"Checking up on us, is he," Rajme said, a sarcastic tone in her voice. "To see if we\x92re good enough to be brought to any of the good places."
"Well, he seemed happy enough. Maybe there is a chance we\x92ll all score fine grades."
"Don\x92t worry your heads, girls," Chaige said, smiling. "I think we\x92ll do great. With Renno\x92s nose, Mihio\x92s eyes, my brains and Raj\x92s attitude, we\x92re unbeatable!"
"I\x92ll show you attitude!"
"Please," Mihio laughed as Rajme pounced Chaige, tossing them both out of the firelight. "Don\x92t start again! Is there never to be peace with her around?"
"Guess not," Renno said. "Always the trouble-maker, our Rajme. Always."
There was a loud crash, followed by a yelp and an angry snarl. Shining their torches towards the sounds, Renno and Mihio found that Chaige had pinned Rajme down, one hand holding her arm to her back, the other yanking her tail. Snarling, the dog snapped at him, unable, though, to find any flesh to bite. After a while, Rajme conceded, and Chaige let her up, grinning. Bet she didn\x92t enjoy that, Renno thought. Especially since there\x92s a chance Sahir\x92s still out there, watching. Drooping, Rajme sat down again, casting hostile glances around her. Eventually, the smiling faces made her sigh, unable to keep up her surly look.
"Where the hell did you learn that move?" she asked the fox, who smiled back at her.
"I\x92ve been practising since TC almost got the better on me. Practising speed and agility. I\x92m not gonna lose easily to you again, Raj."
"So now you\x92ve got me embarrassed. Happy?"
"Oh yes, very!" He yawned, scratching his back. "What time\x92s it?"
"Almost tomorrow," Renno answered. "I\x92m beginning to feel like joining the kids. Tomorrow\x92s the last day before the outing starts, and I\x92m getting nervous."
"Me too," Mihio answered. "I can\x92t help but wondering how many things we\x92ve forgotten."
"I thought Renno was the pessimist around here," Chaige said, yawning again.
"So did I. Damn, Chaige, that yawn was contagious."
"Sorry, Raj."
Mihio lit two of their torches, while Chaige and Rajme put out the fire. Renno was already inside, unrolling his sleeping bag. Satisfied that there were no glowing embers left, the others joined him, taking turns to enter the more and more crowded tent.
"We can\x92t do this on Mainland, you know," Chaige said. "The trees wouldn\x92t like the smell of burning wood. If we land far north, it\x92ll be cold with just the gas heater."
Mihio nodded, suppressing a shiver. Would he have to bring that up, now? Seeing that Rajme was getting ready, she ducked through the opening, bringing out her sleeping bag. Soon, it was Chaige\x92s turn. Like the other three, he paused for a moment, to smile at the sight of the two youngsters. Tailchaser was lying on his side, and Chara had snuggled up to him, her head on his outstretched arm. They were both sleeping soundly. Once he, too, was ready, Mihio turned out the lights, and they whispered good night to each other.