Tavaar - 41st Edition

We shift now to the wild where Tavaar's plan at capturing the two warriors is put to the test.

It was past mid-day on the second day when Tavaar’s heart suddenly jumped. Had that been movement off in the distance? She sat still as stone, studying the place were a shadow had been. After an eternity, it moved again. That was neither tree nor animal. They were here.

Her heart was racing now. Was it both, or just one? Could one have been caught? Not likely. She watched as the shadow worked its way through the trees. He was being cautious; far more so than she had expected. Did he sense a trap? Had she done something wrong? The shadow was in no hurry. Whichever one he was, he was making excellent use of ground cover. He appeared very suspicious of the open area below, but he came to a place where the cover was thin. He wore a dark, green hood, a matching cloak wrapped around his shoulders. His tunic and britches were almost black as his boots and gauntlets.

This area was strewn with many rocks, most half buried, but some sitting proudly on the surface. He knelt by one, resting his hand upon it. He was to her left and gazing across the open place to the east. He was scanning.

With a rush of fear Tavaar realized he was looking for someone, but not his comrade. He was looking for them. He either knew, or suspected, they were here. His stepping out to lurk by the boulder had not been done from necessity. It was a bold move, taken to trick any would-be attackers into showing themselves too soon. Tavaar closed her eyes and prayed the others had enough discipline to remain still. She opened her eyes in time to see him make a hand sign to someone on the east side. They were both here!

They were taking turns scanning opposite sides. Again, she held her breath. They were still too far away. She watched with dismay as the one she could see quietly faded back the way he had come. Had he seen something, or was he merely hiding while the other looked?

She waited for him to reappear. Nothing. Then she saw him again, back where she had first seen him. Another shadow appeared from the east. The two stood in quiet speech. The one from the east pointed toward the ambush and the first nodded his head. They knew. The plan had failed. They would not catch them now. There was only one card left to play.

Tavaar stood up and began to slowly walk down the hill and into the clearing. She motioned for the others to remain where they were. She chose a large rock near the middle and sat upon it. She made no motion to the two warriors. She only sat and waited.