💾 Archived View for lantashifiles.com › gemlog › entries › 2021-12-09.gmi captured on 2023-06-14 at 14:22:32. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2021-12-17)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Well, Lantashi has been getting jealous that I have been publishing scenes from Carei's sci-fi story, and not writing about the adventures of Lantashi. So, without further ado, is the next scene of Lantashi's Dance, entitled "Followed". This continues the story from "Lantashi's Dream", linked below.
Lantashi ran through the forest, the urgency of her dream forced upon her, the return of the danger imminent. Her steps pushed her quickly through the Wood Sea, but it was a long way to her village, H'shalyn, and she knew it would take her over a day to get there. She was fit, strong, but she would need to rest several times, and sleep. She could not run on forever. Her companion, Foxy Brown, would also her rest.
It was a hot day, especially for late autumn. Lantashi's skin glistened as she ran on. The forest was thick, with massive underbrush, but she knew all the trails, many hidden from untrained eyes. She was nearly silent in per passage, but the Sylvan could sense the forest surging forward with her. Deer, rabbit, fox, and elk would run along side her on parallel paths. Birds alighted and flew overhead. Even fairies would glide along side her, though her experience with them in the past told her to pay no heed, unless she specifically needed their help.
After a mile or so, her company would drop off, and more companions would run with her. She knew many of the forest companions by name, some in their own language, if she could speak it, or names that she gave them. All accepted her as one of them. The forest was so important to her, not just the trees, but the animal life. Especially her wild friends!! She would often run with them, play with them.
Lantashi stopped to eat a quick lunch, sharing berries and nuts she could find with her fox companion, and again for dinner. The sun set, and still she ran, but as evening turned into night both Lantashi and Foxy were spent. She was out of the deep forest for now, and had been running across rolling hills, past many scattered groves of trees. Her wild entourage had now fallen away. The sky was filling with stars.
Lantashi sensed another being close by, one that ran on two legs. She sensed it first ahead, then behind, and several minutes later ahead yet again. She didn't see the person, but an unnatural flash here or strange movement of vegetation.
"There is someone out there," Lantashi whispered to Foxy. "If you can get a look at him, I will see him through your eyes."
Foxy growled assent, admist a mixture of annoyance this late in the day, as she wanted to rest. The fox ran to the left, disappearing over a hill. Lantashi whispered a small spell as she ran up to a copse of fir trees, doing her best to blend in. She flew into it quickly and crouched beside a large, dark tree upon a bed of moss. She said a quick prayer to her deity, Airmed, goddess of healing.
Lantashi glanced among the hills but didn't see anything. She then rested against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes, focusing on Foxy's sight. Foxy had noted the copse Lantashi hid in, and was doing a long, lazy circle around it, watching for movement. The grass Foxy ran through was tall, providing her some cover, but short enough that the fox could still see. Lantashi concentrated, watching. She had *not* imagined it. There was someone, something out there.
While she watched through her friend's eyes, the Sylvan's breathing slowed, her heart quieted. One minute went by, and then another. Nothing. If there had been something there, her friend should have seen it.
Lantashi let go of her animal sight, and took several deep breaths as she reoriented herself in the world about her. Standing, she moved deeper into the trees, into a small meadow in the center. As she started to breathe easier, the presence was back, and a quick motion in her peripheral vision. She swerved, reaching for her knife, but it was too late.
Email: lantashi [at] protonmail [dot] com