Page 63 of Clan and Crave

Dresk went in motion despite Conyod noturging him to, chasing his mares. He easily overtook them andshortened his stride to stay close.

Conyod’s gaze was on the mountain loomingover him, but he wasn’t searching for the figure that had damnednear glowed in the growing dusk. His stare was for a certainoutcropping stabbing at the sky about a third of the way up themountain.

The Pinnacle on Mount Evar. It had beenbehind there where Ges’ blood had been found after she’d limpedhome and Hoslek had disappeared.

The land started to incline. They wereclimbing toward the mountain. A scream welled in Conyod’s throat.It was the closest he’d been to it since Hoslek’s death, and hefelt it reaching for them, eager to add to its monstrous tally.

“This is the spot where we saw whatever washere.” Sletran drew up and began to circle the large bouldersdotting the ground.

“A child could be in trouble,” Erybetmurmured to Adwal. “Let’s help search.”

She shot him a baleful glare over hershoulder as if to say of course we’ll look, you idiot.

Conyod forced his gaze to relinquish itsfascination from the Pinnacle, still many yards up, to inspect theground in hopes of discovering tracks. The gathering gloom made itnecessary for him to slip off Dresk’s back to examine the rockysurface better.

Sletran ranged in widening circles, searchingas he called, “Hey! Boy! Come out. Let us know you’re okay.”

There was no answer. Neither the rocky groundnor the sporadic patches of coarse knee-high grass offered Conyodany clues.

“It could have been an animal,” Erybetmuttered. “I saw those huge avians flying around earlier today.They’re as big as a child near in his teens, and they’re lightcolored.”

“Tohiks,” Conyod confirmed. Relief washedover him to have a valid alternative to a child roaming in thearea. “It could have been one.”

“It didn’t look like a bird to me,” Sletransaid, but he brought his mount to a halt and studied the sky,slightly glowing as the sun sank behind the mountains. “No responseto my shouts. It’s getting too dark to search, thanks to the looserocks and crevices that could injure the kestarsh if they step inthem.” He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed in a finalattempt to elicit an answer. “Hey! If there’s someone here, yellback!”

Only the singing nocturnal drils, waking tothe sunset, answered him as the men waited in silence for nearly aminute.

“I guess it was a bird.” Sletran appeared farfrom happy as he turned his mount’s head toward the ranch. “Let’stake it slow. It’ll be dark before we reach the grasslands.”

Conyod relaxed as they put the mountain andits mocking stone needle behind them.

* * * *

Conyod was awakened by loud voices and thethumping of running feet an instant before Sletran gripped hisshoulder. “Something’s up,” the Nobek said unnecessarily.

Trained for military emergencies, he andErybet were out of bed already. They yanked on their clothes.Conyod was only a beat slower as excited calls for saddling thekestarsh rang from the distant Tuher and Vel.

The trio hurried from Conyod’s childhoodsleeping room. The Imdiko knew from the feel of his parents’ homeno one was inside, and he led Sletran and Erybet outdoors.

The sun had yet to rise, but outdoor lightsrevealed a number of men from neighboring properties and thevillage had gathered on kestarsh near the corral. Clan Tuher andtheir ranch hands were already leading readied kestarsh, includingDresk, from the stables. Lafec whirled as her son and his friendshurried to her side.

“Shuttle crash up on Mount Evar. Emergencycom channels recorded the pilot calling they were going down, thensilence. The craft’s emergency transponder must have been damagedbecause nobody can lock on its position.”

“No sign of fire,” Sletran noted as he staredin the distance where they’d searched for the ghost the eveningprior.

“None. You’re trained for rescue work, soVel’s assigned you to lead a party.”

“I’m trained for rescues as well. If akestarsh will cooperate with my pathetic riding skills—” Erybetbegan.

“In this situation, they’ll do their job,”Lafec said. “You’ll take Adwal, since she knows best what to expectfrom you.”

Conyod noted her attention swinging to himfrom the corner of his eye. He was staring at the mountain, whichhung in menace as the first light of dawn lit its brutal face. Ofcourse the shuttle had gone down there. The fucking peak wascursed, determined to destroy as many lives as it could.

“Tuher insisted they ready Dresk, my son. Ifyou decide to stay here, I can use the help coordinating the searchparties, emergency supplies, and readiness for when they returnwith the shuttle passengers.” She didn’t say survivors orbodies since it could go either way.

Or maybe the rescuers would come backemptyhanded, as they had after the search for Hoslek.

“I’ll go on Dresk,” he heard his thin voicesay. “They’ll need everyone.”

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