CHAPTER ELEVEN

“It’s got to be one those traps that Severin mentioned,” Rolf said as they neared the western edge of the field.

“It sounded like one of the pit traps,” Sven added. “Hopefully the spikes have done the job for us and all that’s left is the clean up.”

“We should be so lucky,” Rolf replied.

Eventually, they reached the end of the field, the far edge of the blood berry farm, which was lined with more or less evenly distributed trees. In the distance, they could make out the waters of Red Cedar Lake glistening in the moonlight.

The wind shifted, bringing with it the cool, wet air and the unmistakable scent of freshly cut cedar that the lake was famous for, or infamous depending on one’s disposition and preference.

By the light of full moon, they could make out the pit trap in question from where they were standing. It was a little over twenty yards away, situated in the space between the blood berry bushes and the line of trees, and as they drew near, they could see that it was square in shape, roughly ten feet by ten feet in size.

Rolf’s grip tightened on the well-worn handle of his axe. Something was wrong. He could feel it and he was sure that Sven, at least, felt it as well. But what?

What could possibly be so off about the situation as to leave him feeling so uneasy that he found himself breaking out it sweat, a cold shiver running up his spine?

It took him a few moments but eventually he realized what was out of place. It was the smell of blood that stubbornly clung to and permeate the air despite the wind. Blood that was several hours old. Not what one would expect from a newly sprung pit trap.

Wait. Blood?

Yes, there it was. There was blood on the far side of the pit and he could make out more blood trailing away from the pit.

Rolf paused. He shook his head after a moment’s consideration. That didn’t make sense at all. Sure it might make sense if one surmised that whatever creature they were dealing with had managed to climb out of the pit despite its injuries and thus crawled away but as far he could tell, that was not the case. The creature was still down there.

More than likely, the creature had been dragging something bloody on the ground when it fell victim to the pit trap.

“Over there,” Sven hissed and pointed with his sword.

There, around fifteen or so yards beyond the pit, was the dismembered carcass of a large animal, body parts and pieces lay strewn about the ground and upon nearby bushes.

It was a dire goat. Rolf could see its head lying on the ground a few feet from the remains of its body, partially hidden by a blood berry bush.

Rolf could not help himself a shiver. Dire goats, though not aggressive unprovoked, were notoriously tough to kill. To think that something could do that to a dire goat, something big enough and mean enough to…

A movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was Yumi. She had apparently stepped up to the pit and was leaning over, trying to have a look at the creature inside.

“Yumi, no!!!” he cried out in warning but he was too late.

With a deafening, infuriated growl, a dark shadow went flying out of the pit to land between the trees to their left. It glanced against Yumi as it passed. While not strong enough to cause any damage, it was strong enough that, combined with the shock and surprise, that the blow sent Yumi reeling backward.

“Waaauuuggghhhhh!!!” she cried as she fell down on her ass. It was only by sheer luck that she managed to keep a-hold of her weapon.