Morning all. I am back home, no demonic birds chirping in the window and best of all my own bed. I am very glad I went, but now I am very glad to be back home. And so we kick off the first morning back with a writing prompt. So is everyone ready? Fabulous, Let’s begin.
Huh. I rather like this one. I am going to have to figure out what makes the factions different and why they came to this planet, but that could be fun too.
October 10th: The dust cloud it raised could be seen from a long way off.
The dust cloud it raised could be seen from a long way off. From where we stood we could see nothing but dust.
“We need higher ground,” Calvin suggested. I nodded. Not only would the higher ground give us a better view and a better chance to figure out what was heading in our direction, but it would get us out of the way in case the beast or herd of beasts veered in our direction.
We had only been on the planet for three days and I had no intention of getting trampled so soon.
Or at all really.
“We might want to grab our kit,” I said as I noticed that unlike me, others left their packs on the ground rather than take them for the climb up the ridge. Several questioning looks were sent my way. “In case they turn and stampede this direction,” I added.
There were a few nods of comprehension and several reached for their packs. Others looked annoyed by my intrusion. I knew that some of them resented me. That was fine. They were a well trained unit who had trained and worked together for months before we were sent out. I was, in their eyes an interloper. I was not one of them. I was someone they had to tolerate. That was fine. Once this scouting mission was over I would happily leave them to their own team without interference.
Luckily, the team leader, Calvin, was one nodding in agreement. “Good idea,” he said. He sounded surprised and I tried not to take it personally. My mode of operation thus far had been to keep quiet and stay as far out of everyone’s way as possible. He had no idea what I was capable of or even what my skills were. I was just baggage. To him my suggestion was as though the packs themselves had spoken and asked to be taken out of harms way.
“Bring your packs to the ridge,” he commanded. Now everyone scrambled to grab their kit and follow up the hill to the ridge and better vantage point. I returned to my silent self as we climbed. I noticed Calvin shooting glances in my direction occasionally as we climbed. They were slightly puzzled as though he couldn’t quite figure out who I was. He seemed to have made his decision prior and now his thoughts changed.
I wondered what that heralded for the rest of the scouting trip. Not for the first time I regretted the decision made to sent me with the scouting team.
We reached the top of the ridge and turned our sights towards the dust cloud. From above there was a slightly better view. I could see it was a herd of some sort of beasts and they were running very fast across the plains. The dust cloud obscured some of the details but I caught flashes of white mixed in with the dusky hides and suspected that whatever creatures they were bore some sort of tusks or horns. My eyesight proved better than the rest as many complained that they could still see nothing but dust. A few seemed to have the impression of multiple animals rather than a singular one. I saw Calvin glance my way but I kept my mouth shut this time. I knew they would not appreciate my better eyesight or assistance twice in a row.
Calvin looked away. I decided that it might be important to see what caused the herd to stampede in the first place rather than strain trying to get further details from the herd until they were closer.
‘Especially as they are getting closer,’ I thought. The herd turned with the slope of the land and were indeed heading in our direction. Our former location was directly in their pathway. ‘Which means that it is more important to find out what was chasing them. I knew from experience that herd beasts didn’t run without a reason. I doubted these were that much different from the ones I knew before.
Ten til Midnight 