The Wanders 2: The Mansnatch

Chapter 5

The moon presided within a clear night over the sleeping world, but only a sliver of starlight illuminated the thin sky above Cradle Gulch.

Unlike the twisting roads of the foothills, the path from Niana's cabin to the gulch was a fairly straight shot. The Wanders made due in a few hours without Olish's help, which was fortunate because they were not about to test the already rickety bridge of trust with that gnome.

Instead, the five snuck through Tubby's hole into the near pitch of the gulch beneath that left stone ceiling. Each one kept as silent as possible through the brush. Twenty-five pig eggs were left over when they spoiled, which divided nicely into five baits tightly wrapped in the thickest shreds of blankets they could afford to lose. Each Wander had one, and the plan was to line an area just beyond the entrance to lure it out.

Gomer and Abeline headed across the trees to scurry the length of the true entrance. It was risky to be out in the open, so they kept low and noiseless until they reached the far end. From there the two fanned out with Abeline's bait nestled into a small berry bush. Gomer managed to wedge his between a few lowlaying tree limbs, then the two set perfectly still.

On the near side, Tubby's job was to head much farther into the forest and disperse all five of his eggs over the woods, smashing their putrid contents open to really get the mansnatch's attention. As he vanished into the darkness, the only thing visible of his black shape were the green eyes scanning his surroundings.

Near their secret entrance was Ciela and Dante. Ciela's would be closest to the entrance and she would keep watch, providing a signal when the creature was near.

Farther off, a distance into the woods, crouched Dante. He had just come across a thicket of tree saplings not much larger than him. It was hidden away, but still open enough to get his bait's disgusting smell through the air. He nodded to himself with a slight smile. It wasn't the valiant venture he wanted, but it wasn't nothing either.

Something moved ahead. Dante snapped his eyes down the dim groves to a shifting shape. From here it was almost impossible for Dante to make out the creature in detail until it raised its head. Two large antlers reflected in the weak starlight atop a strong neck. It looked exactly like the bull elk Dante had tracked earlier that day. At first Dante thought to shrug it off, maybe to shoo it away, but he found his body frozen. His heart was racing as his stare centered on that elk. Something was very wrong.

It stopped as well, as if sensing something, then turned a slow, steady, deliberate stare straight at Dante. The elf was stone, his very breath frozen solid beneath the sure knowledge that he wasn't looking at an elk. Not even close.

The thing tilted its head, then stood up onto its back legs while its mouth stretched into a wide smile overfull of dagger-like teeth. It turned around on those hind legs to walk away from Dante, but kept a dead stare even when its head was turned entirely around. It strolled off with a sway as if daring Dante to venture after.

He caught his breath into something like a shriek as action retook his body. His first emerging emotion was to charge after that unnatural thing, to fight and win and save everyone it had made suffer. But the moment passed and he caught himself. Instead, he looked back at Ciela keeping watch over the road. He picked a rock and threw it by her. The noise caused her to almost lash with her floating dagger, but her gripping frown met his as he pointed down along the wall.

"It wants me to come after!" he quietly called.

"No you don't!" Ciela hissed back, "Don't be an idiot!"