“Show yourselves.”
Reynald gasped. He was sure he knew that voice. Unless he was much mistaken, it was Galindra, one of the most powerful and feared of all ForeSenders.
If he had known he would be facing her, he would have demanded ten times the payment and still refused to take the job.
But he had no choice but to go through with it. He couldn’t back out without losing face and risking the wrath of his comrades, let alone that of his unknown employer.
With a resigned sigh, Reynald signaled the others. He and his fellow outlaws stepped away from the cover of the trees and fanned out in a line facing the riders.
Unseen by the two groups, the Pathfinder crouched next to a fallen tree trunk, all but invisible in his camouflaged enviro-suit. Captain Grant Naylor of the Earth Expeditionary Force checked the heads-up display on the inside of his helmet visor. All systems were in the green, and most important, the null-field registered as operational.
He was grateful for the enviro-suit, which allowed him to blend in with the background and move unobserved through any terrain.
The e-suit’s null-field hid his body’s heat emissions, resulting in near invisibility from detection equipment and the naked eye. Even body odor was masked.
However, he had to be careful not to make any loud noise, and remember that his footprints were visible, a particular problem in snowy or muddy conditions like these.
Naylor was aware he was behind schedule. It had taken longer than expected for him and his team to traverse the dense snow-draped undergrowth, following what he surmised was a little-used hunting trail.
The Pathfinder teams had dispersed over the surrounding alien countryside as soon as the advance contingent had wormholed in from Earth.
Like all his fellow squad members, he knew the importance of gathering detailed intelligence on the inhabitants to supplement the initial planetary survey.
When his e-suit’s sensors had discovered an unusual energy signature nearby, he had delayed heading to the rendezvous point to join up with the rest of his unit.
The readings had led him to the two groups of onworlders who now faced each other across the open grassland.
Naylor had ordered his two teammates to stay hidden and crept to the edge of the trees.
The anomalous sensor scans emanated from the locals he was observing, but Naylor wasn’t close enough to pinpoint the exact source.
So he waited and watched to see what was going to happen.
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Excerpt: Dragon Sleuth
A ForeSender Chronicles Prequel Novella
Chapter One ~ Into the Moorland
The broad-winged dragon soared above the vast moorland, vibrant noonday sun glinting off its copper-hued scales. Its form shimmered as it swooped close to the ground, then morphed into a young, dark-haired woman, her countenance one of sheer joy.
The smile died as she slammed into the peaty soil, tumbling head over heels with a soft grunt.
Galindra sat up, a scowl wreathing her features, cursed, and spat out a mouthful of grass. Clumps of mud clung to her smooth forehead. She’d landed in a shallow, murky pool of water, the cold moisture seeping into her pants, the black fabric untorn but bearing brown and green smudges from her abrupt landing.
Paws thudded over the moor and she turned as a massive wolf bounded toward her. Galindra let out an exaggerated sigh and pushed to her feet, ignoring the approaching beast. A tan leather knapsack lay nearby, and she bent to open it, retrieving a cloth which she swiped across her brow before smoothing her long black locks as the animal slewed to a halt.
The creature’s form wavered, glimmering for a heartbeat, and in its place a slim, athletic-looking warrior stood before her. He brushed his fingers through his hair, the same dusky hue as that of his sibling except for thin streaks of silver that almost seemed to gleam in the sun.
“Impressive arrival, sister-mine,” Salith said, his lips curving into a toothy grin. “It’s a shame I was the only one to witness it. Our friends back at the academy would have found it most entertaining.”
Galindra crossed her arms. “The sun was in my eyes.”
Salith cupped his hand over his brow, bent his head back, and squinted. “It is a bright, invigorating day, I’ll grant you that.” He stroked his clean-shaven chin and tapped the hilt of the sword at his hip. “Still, I understood dragon shifters had unparalleled eyesight, no matter what conditions they encountered.”
“And I suppose wolf shifters have perfect vision?” Before he could answer, she continued. “What about that time you went for an unplanned plunge into the fountain outside the Hall of Magic?”
“I lost my footing on a cracked flagstone.”
Galindra arched an eyebrow. “More like you were distracted by a pretty face and weren’t observing where you were going!”
“You don’t believe our fellow student was impressed by my unintended soaking? I felt I looked impressive when I emerged with water dripping from my manly torso.”
“You looked bedraggled, not manly,” Galindra snorted. “Though I can’t speak for what went through her mind.”
“I can,” Salith said, grinning even wider than before.
Galindra put her hands on her hips. “Go investigate that ruined tower over there. I need to check my bag.”
Salith groaned. “This is the fifth abandoned fortress we’ve surveyed in the past few days. What is our uncle, the esteemed Arch Mage Mirchelius, expecting us to find?”
“Hopefully, nothing,” Galindra replied as she rummaged in her knapsack. “Remember what he told us? Explore our surroundings and report back on anything unusual.”
Salith pulled a face. “The sooner we finish with these training exercises, the better. At least this time we were ordered to portal to our home continent, Amanthrea, and travel to the northern reaches. I like it up here.” He licked his lips. “Wonderful country for wolves. Lots of gentle, nonthreatening, delicious sheep. Not many people.”
