Chapter 23
Freedom’s Price
It reminded Pharone of the sea, the gentle breezes setting the fields of tall grass in motion and the result left the vista looking just like the waves rolling across the surface of the forever restless ocean. All the land they had traversed in the last two days and been the same and it was an anathema to her why it had not been discovered and settled long before she and her fellow settlers had chanced upon it. With what seemed to be a moderate climate, rich fertile soil, enough sources of water to sustain a large population, the only detriment the land seemed to offer was a distinct lack of game animals. They had just watered their captured herd at a steep-sided stream and after making the crossing were now allowing them to graze in the last hour before sunset after having been on the move all day. Pharone and Jina slipped away and headed for some low hills a dozen stadia to the west with the intention of both ascertaining a direction of travel for the morrow and watching for any signs of other human presence. As they sat their horses just below the sky-line and scanned the area for any signs of life or movement, Pharone was equally scanning the area for the presence of animals or birds she could task with with extending the range of her senses by acting as her remote eyes and ears.
“I can’t see anything or anyone moving, Captain.” Jina mentioned after a few minutes of hand to brow and searching the area to the west.
“I have to agree with you,” Pharone began but no sooner were the words out of her mouth when some movement half way to the horizon attracted her attention. “Can you see them, Hoplite?”
“It looks like half a dozen horses and riders, Captain.”
“You have good eyes,” Pharone remarked with a soft smile. “They’re heading north so I’m of the belief they are either Azillian scouts or some of their light cavalry.”
Pharone’s estimates of distances traveled had her of the belief they would arrive at the isthmus sometime around midday tomorrow.
END:
Scribbling.
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