Cahltofs, with their sleek bodies, ran gracefully and effortlessly on all fours. They could not quite match the speed of an average horse, but they could come close and they could maintain their top pace for a much longer duration.
Holli attempted to spot the predator as she ran, but she knew cahltofs blended in well with the shadows of the trees. Short thick fur covered their entire bodies, usually colored light brown, but sometimes dark gray. They appeared like a cross between a mountain lion and a timber wolf, but with an elongated body that was almost snake like in its flexibility. It was this long and supple core that allowed it to strike with such deadly proficiency.
With Holli leading the way, she and Ryson rounded the base of several hills. The terrain suited both of their natural abilities. Although the Oachets were called mountains, they stood more as gently, rolling hills. The altitude was that of a high plain, but was no where near the height of the Colad Mountains where the air was thin and peaks rose above the tree line.
Holli didn't even have to look back to gauge Ryson's condition. She knew he could handle the pace she set without difficulty, and the clear path along a hillside was a terrain where Ryson Acumen thrived. She would tire long before he would.
Her only concern latched upon the stamina of her spell. While the dash was no true test of her physical endurance, her pool of magical energy was not of equal standing. The spell she cast upon herself constantly drained her reserve of magic. The spell would fade if the cahltof showed much greater patience than the elf expected.
Behind her, Ryson called out a quick warning that relieved her of that worry.
"It's still ahead of us, but it's getting closer. I can smell it."
Unfortunately, his warning carried an additional caution Holli did not expect.
"There's more than one!" Ryson exclaimed.
"What?" Holli responded in disbelief. "They do not travel in packs. Are you…"
She was unable to complete her question as five cahltofs broke from the trees ahead of her. They were still quite far in the distance, but they sprinted in a full charge. As Holli did not slow her own pace, the space between them quickly diminished. Three came at her from the left and two from the right. At first, all five focused on Holli and angled their approach to keep her from escaping between them. One of the beasts, however, broke ranks and lined a path toward the delver.
Two of the fastest cahltofs widened their lead on the other three. When they reached the proper range, each launched itself at Holli, though they sprung at her from opposite sides. It was an attack the elf expected.
A cahltof would pursue its prey to exhaustion, and when it believed its victim was sufficiently fatigued, it would leap at the head and throat. The long sleek body would wrap around its intended meal, choking the prey or snapping its neck. It was a usually a quick fate, but not one Holli intended for herself or Ryson.
One of the beasts slammed into Holli's chin and attempted to wrap itself around her throat just as the second leapt into her midsection and hoped to crush her lungs. Both, however, received a daunting surprise in the form of a magical disruption.
Like the seeds of a dandelion scattered in a burst of wind, small fragments of tiny magical particles exploded off of Holli's body. They landed upon the thick coats of the cahltofs that attempted to wrap themselves around the elf's body. Once the particles made contact with the beasts, each shard of magic discharged a burst of electrical energy. Quick flashes of lightning exploded across the bodies of both cahltofs. The electric bursts dislodged both creatures and sent them flying away from the elf. The pain was severe enough to convince the creatures to make a hasty retreat back into the woods.
The cahltof that altered its path to hunt the delver forced its attack on Ryson with a similar leap toward the delver's head. The creature never made contact. Once in the air, its path was set and there was no way for it to redirect its course.
Ryson simply twisted his upper body the moment after the cahltof launched itself toward him. He dropped his head and shoulders low to one side and allowed the beast to pass harmlessly by. Instead of turning to face the creature, he increased his speed and passed Holli. With his sword in hand, he moved toward one of the two cahltofs that remained in front of the elf.
With a quick but shallow thrust, he jabbed the point of the sword lightly into the shoulder of the beast. The Sword of Decree held many enchantments and the glowing blade burned the essence of the creature. The cahltof shrieked and followed two of its previous companions back into the woods.
Ryson turned with another flash of speed and rounded back at the cahltof that had failed to hit him on its initial assault. As expected, the creature had spun about and was preparing to strike at Holli from the rear. With another jab of his sword, the delver convinced it to retreat as well.
With but one predator remaining, Ryson turned back and moved to Holli's side. The elf and the delver came to a halt and prepared to fight off the single attacker. They watched the beast carefully as it had also pulled to a stop. The cahltof returned the stare of the elf and the delver as Ryson considered their next move.
"Is that spell of yours still active?" Ryson asked.
"It is," Holli advised, but she did not reveal that its potency was quickly fading.
Ryson wondered how long the standoff would continue as he also knew the traits of cahltofs. Patience and persistence were their strongest attributes and he did not want to remain there for long. He kept an ear out for the other four beasts that had run into the forest, but he knew that they were far off in the distance.
Holli was just about to take the bow from her shoulder, but her hand stopped before it could reach the bow's riser.
"Go home," the cahltof snarled, as its gaze passed back and forth from elf to delver.
It said nothing further. It simply turned with total disregard and stalked slowly back into the trees.
Chapter 2
"Did you know they could talk?" Ryson wondered.
"No, I did not believe they could," Holli admitted.
The delver glanced back at the cahltof's path into the trees. He could no longer see it, but he could still hear the creature moving away at the same steady pace. Despite the otherwise peaceful setting of the serene hills, the delver felt his uneasiness-and his curiosity- grow. The raspy growl of the cahltof echoed in his mind.
Go home!
That was the beast's message-or perhaps its warning. Maybe it was sound advice, but the delver found it unpalatable. His delver spirit soared at the thought of uncovering unknowns, and a warning from a cahltof added to the mystery surrounding the Great Valleys.
"Well, what should we do now?" he asked in an almost giddy tone, like a child wondering which lavishly wrapped present to open first.
"We are not going home," Holli responded.
"I didn't think we were. We still have to check out what's going on in the valleys, but the inferns are guarding the pass, something was coming at us from the north, and now this."
Holli quickly appraised the situation. She understood the delver. It was more of a delightful dilemma for him to have so many mysteries thrown at him at once. For an elf guard, however, too many unknowns crafted a dangerous path.
"We no longer have to worry about cahltofs trailing us. That concern is now gone. As for the inferns, we can examine the question of their presence with greater care in due time. That can wait… as can the valleys. They are not going anywhere. The mystery to the north involving the goblin scent is now our immediate concern."