and drew the blackness of the night into herself deeply. The world that was closed to her in human form unfolded itself to her senses. Welcomed her. She let herself sink into it until almost every semblance of humanity was banished from her mind, then she loped off into the darkness.
All night, she roamed. Through the forest, up hills and down into valleys. Avoiding always the habitations of humans. She could not bear the sight or smell of humans right now.
With the dawn she returned. Reluctantly, she shifted back into her own form, but something within her had been assuaged. The horror was not gone, but it was under control.
She was suddenly aware of a raging hunger, but even greater than that was the need to return to the village, to see again those husks that walked like people. She gulped down a handful of raw grain from the saddlebags of the Sele, then prepared to leave. She would not wait for the others. She would be back before they awoke. In any case, if Dahl did waken before her return, he would know she had only gone to investigate further and would soon be back. But, as she crept out of the camp and set her feet on the path to the village, a slight noise startled her. She whirled to find Sele the Plump at her heels.
“I will go with you,” it said.
She met its eyes and knew that it understood the feelings that were driving her. The need that would not let her wait.
“Shall we ride?” it asked.
“No,” she answered. “Not this time.” She beckoned it to follow and they made their way out of the camp.
As soon as they were out of sight of the camp, Catryn stopped and laid her hand on the Sele’s arm. “I know the people in the village seem not to see us,” she said, “but I would go more inconspicuously anyway. Pause a moment.” She twitched, shook herself and became a cat again. A small gray cat, almost as unsubstantial as a ghost.
The Sele stared for a moment, then a smile spread slowly over its face, surprisingly sly for a Sele. “Wonderful,” it breathed. “And I, too, can disguise myself, although it is not a thing that we would ever let any other human see us do.” He dropped to all fours. Face turned down to Catryn, his ears, normally held flat to his head, pricked up. A tail uncurled itself from where it had been hidden underneath the smooth fur.
The gray cat looked up at a gray image of itself, only bigger.
Wonderful indeed! Catryn thought.
Shall we be off, then?
To her surprise, the Sele had heard her thought. And she had heard its unspoken reply!
So they, too, could communicate without voicedwords, at least in these forms. Good. That might be useful. She gave a quick nod and side by side, like two gray wraiths, they slipped along the trail to the village.
The villagers were just beginning to stir as Catryn and the Sele padded softly into the square. At first, Catryn kept to the shelter of some bushes, but soon did not bother—no one noticed either the small cat or the larger one. Carts were coming in from the fields, heavily laden with produce. The villagers began to line up beside the well at the center of the square. Catryn and the Sele settled themselves down to watch.
The carts pulled up. One by one the villagers went and received a small bag of vegetables and fruit. When they were finished, one cart was still more than half full of food. The man in charge of it spurred his horses on and started back out of the village.
Where does this food go?
Catryn mused. Somehow she was certain that if she could find out, she might be closer to solving this puzzle.
Are you going to follow it?
the Sele asked, glancing skyward with a worried look.
Yes, definitely,
Catryn answered, but she looked up, as well. The sun was rising; it was getting late. She sent her mind back to their camp and sensed Dahlawakening, but she
had to
find out more here. As if pulled by a magnet, she began to lope along behind. After a moment’s hesitation and another anxious glance at the sun, the Sele
All night, she roamed. Through the forest, up hills and down into valleys. Avoiding always the habitations of humans. She could not bear the sight or smell of humans right now.
With the dawn she returned. Reluctantly, she shifted back into her own form, but something within her had been assuaged. The horror was not gone, but it was under control.
She was suddenly aware of a raging hunger, but even greater than that was the need to return to the village, to see again those husks that walked like people. She gulped down a handful of raw grain from the saddlebags of the Sele, then prepared to leave. She would not wait for the others. She would be back before they awoke. In any case, if Dahl did waken before her return, he would know she had only gone to investigate further and would soon be back. But, as she crept out of the camp and set her feet on the path to the village, a slight noise startled her. She whirled to find Sele the Plump at her heels.
“I will go with you,” it said.
She met its eyes and knew that it understood the feelings that were driving her. The need that would not let her wait.
“Shall we ride?” it asked.
“No,” she answered. “Not this time.” She beckoned it to follow and they made their way out of the camp.
As soon as they were out of sight of the camp, Catryn stopped and laid her hand on the Sele’s arm. “I know the people in the village seem not to see us,” she said, “but I would go more inconspicuously anyway. Pause a moment.” She twitched, shook herself and became a cat again. A small gray cat, almost as unsubstantial as a ghost.
The Sele stared for a moment, then a smile spread slowly over its face, surprisingly sly for a Sele. “Wonderful,” it breathed. “And I, too, can disguise myself, although it is not a thing that we would ever let any other human see us do.” He dropped to all fours. Face turned down to Catryn, his ears, normally held flat to his head, pricked up. A tail uncurled itself from where it had been hidden underneath the smooth fur.
The gray cat looked up at a gray image of itself, only bigger.
Wonderful indeed! Catryn thought.
Shall we be off, then?
To her surprise, the Sele had heard her thought. And she had heard its unspoken reply!
So they, too, could communicate without voicedwords, at least in these forms. Good. That might be useful. She gave a quick nod and side by side, like two gray wraiths, they slipped along the trail to the village.
The villagers were just beginning to stir as Catryn and the Sele padded softly into the square. At first, Catryn kept to the shelter of some bushes, but soon did not bother—no one noticed either the small cat or the larger one. Carts were coming in from the fields, heavily laden with produce. The villagers began to line up beside the well at the center of the square. Catryn and the Sele settled themselves down to watch.
The carts pulled up. One by one the villagers went and received a small bag of vegetables and fruit. When they were finished, one cart was still more than half full of food. The man in charge of it spurred his horses on and started back out of the village.
Where does this food go?
Catryn mused. Somehow she was certain that if she could find out, she might be closer to solving this puzzle.
Are you going to follow it?
the Sele asked, glancing skyward with a worried look.
Yes, definitely,
Catryn answered, but she looked up, as well. The sun was rising; it was getting late. She sent her mind back to their camp and sensed Dahlawakening, but she
had to
find out more here. As if pulled by a magnet, she began to lope along behind. After a moment’s hesitation and another anxious glance at the sun, the Sele
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