The following morning Raya and Will followed the track along the edge of the Vior. It was a lovely clear morning and with their early start, after Will checked in on Flow, the pair made good time.
“It is nice to be back on foot with my little cart. My Parents made it for me when I was a baby to cart me around it is one of my strongest links back to them” said Raya to Will
“I know what you mean it must feel strange and sad sometimes.” he said.
“Days like this I remember the good times we had out in the forest. This part of the Vior is like a second home to me each tree and clearing is like a visual record. The camp is only a couple of hours further in most of the hives I harvest from are past that, it is further in to the Vior from the planes than the bees fly so those hives are the purest. Tomorrow I will go out to the base of the Bastillion ranges to collect star binders, it is a full day to travel in and out but not too steep.” she told Will as they walked.
“You certainly cover some miles” said Will.
“Collecting honey isn't so bad, we can rest up then. If you like you can hang out at base camp tomorrow and keep the fires going” offered Raya.
“I will see how my muscles feel in the morning” said Will with a smile.
They came to some low hills amongst the forest which they wound their way around till finally they came to a rocky outcrop with a flat open section in front of it.
“Home sweet home” said Raya.
“Where?” said Will questioningly.
It wasn’t till they were around the front of the outcrop when the cave opened up. The entrance was tall but narrow. Raya called into the darkness.
“There isn't likely to be any creatures in there because it smells of humans, but I am always a bit nervous when I first arrive.”
Raya went in with her bow drawn and Will followed with queen bee. Inside it was dark but once Wills eyes adjusted there was just enough light from the entrance to take in his surroundings. There were some simple wide bunks to one side and a table with low log seats. On the walls was a series of ropes, shelves and woven racks. Raya went out and collected the cart.
“It fit the entrance perfectly,” said Will.
“Like it was made for it” said Raya smiling into the dark as her eyes readjusted to the low light.
Just inside the door a fire was set in a simple pit. Raya pulled down some tinder and a couple of sticks and started working up an ember.
“I like to leave a fire set so I can get it going quickly if I arrive and it is late or cold.
“I will head out and get some more wood" said Will wanting to be useful. “Should I worry about Wolves or Bears or anything else? He asked.
“Don't go too far from the cave and you will be fine. The wolves don’t like fire and bears can't fit through the entrance.” Raya replied. “Besides at this time of the year there is plenty of food around, so they are not likely to bother us.”
Once the fire was roaring, the cave felt homely.
“You are the first visitor I have had here since my parents died, it is nice to have some company.” Raya said.
“I am honored to be the first but I'm sure I will be replaced by Stripe soon enough.” laughed Will.
“I'm sure there will be enough room for both of you” said Raya smiling.
She headed out to collect some herbs while Will whistled Tonic in, at first there was no response. Will went to find Raya calling Tonic on the way.
“Hey Raya, is there any way to get to higher ground above the canopy. I can't bring Tonic in”
"only up the cliff behind the cave but it's not that high, you will still have to climb a tree to see over the forest properly.”
Will gave another whistle.
“When did we last see him” asked Raya.
“Not since...”
Will was interrupted by a loud screech above them. He smiled in relief and whistled again. Tonic found a way through the canopy and came to land looking irritated. He had fresh blood on his talons and beak. He kept looking at Will then hopping off in the opposite direction to the way Will and Raya had come.
"Let's follow him" said Raya there Is still a few hours of daylight. As soon as they started following Tonic he took to the wing and soared up above the canopy every so often he screeched, and Will whistled back. The forest in the Vior was ancient and most of it had not been cut especially this far away from any roads. The canopy was thick but underneath there was room to move around easily. Animal tracks cris crossed the ground between ferns and young saplings. Raya spotted a hive in an old tree.
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“That one looks like it is worth coming back for” she commented as the passed underneath it.
“How will you find it again? This forest goes on forever I will have to rely on Tonic to get me back to the cave.” said Will.
Raya laughed “He doesn't even know where the cave is, isn't that why we are out here in the first place?” Will laughed too.
“Don't worry I have a good idea of where we are and I never forget where a hive is, they are one of my way points through the forest.” Raya added.
They followed Tonic’s call through to a small clearing where some old trees had been blown down. In the middle was Tonic looking proud. Underneath him was a small deer.
“Well, that’s a first, I've never seen him take down any big game.” said Will.
“It's fresh for sure but I'm not sure that it was his kill. Look at the marks around its neck those are teeth marks of something big.”
“What do you think they are from.”
“Possibly a wolf. But it would be strange for a pack to abandon their kill. Keep a sharp eye out.”
Will stood on top of a nearby log while Raya took the back legs and a couple of other prime cuts.
“These we can carry easily, time to go I think.”
She fed a piece to Tonic then Will told him to follow. Tonic understood and took to the sky. As Will and Raya left the clearing Raya spotted a wolf on the opposite side.
“It looks like it's by itself, maybe it was scared off by Tonic. I think we left enough there for it to get a good feed and not to trouble us,” said Raya. The wolf met Raya's eyes for moment before approaching its kill.
"Let's go, slow and steady.” said Raya quietly.
They retraced their steps back to the new hive listening intently as they went. There was no sign of the wolf, they only stopped to quickly gather some wild mushrooms that Raya spotted. Arriving at the cave on dusk Will called Tonic in.
“I don’t think it will have followed us, but it does feel better to be home” said Raya stoking up the fire. “let's keep it roaring tonight just in case.”
They made a giant stew with the cuts of deer and hung the legs.
“Well, there is no difference now, a bear will be keen on the smells whether there is honey here or not. I usually collect herbs first then honey so there is less time that the bears will be attracted to the area.
“Have you ever had a bear come to the cave.” asked Will.
“At the end of last summer, I had one hang around for three days before it left. I waited another two before I was brave enough to come out and make my way to the city.”
After a suitably uneventful night Raya was preparing to go starbinder collecting.
“Would you be happy to come Will. I can't stop thinking about that wolf and would feel a lot better if you and Tonic came along.”
“Of course, I would be happy to come, you are forgetting that a month ago you and Arwin rescued me from the side of the road. I had no idea of what I was going to do with no money or resources to my name. Now thanks to you both I have a horse and cart, a share in a number of animals and a bunch of new friends. Besides all that I enjoy our friendship and would accompany you just for that.”
Raya smiled, “thanks you Will, you are a true friend.”
They headed off early in the morning, Tonic hated going past the fire, but a venison breakfast was enough to coax him out. The path to the base of the Bastillions wound slowly uphill over the morning. The trees slowly thinned out, growing smaller as the climb steepened. By midday they had made the edge where the Vior gave way to occasional scrubby bushes and tussocks.
“What we want to see is a silvery bush with blue flowers, the starbinder plants grow in the same sort of places.” said Raya.
They spotted a line of silver bushes and followed it into the next valley where they hit the jackpot. There were starbinder plants in abundance.
“We only want the flowers that have freshly opened they have the highest binding agent in them the even a day sees the plant use it up to start producing the seed. After an hour they stopped for a drink of water.
“This is the best picking in ages we can make some good coin form this. If we head back soon, we can make it home comfortably before dark” Raya told Will.
“Well, I'm up for pushing it a bit if you are the picking is so easy.”
"ok let's fill the extra bags. But then we should go.” said Raya.
A long hour later they had filled the extra bags, and their pockets, and Rayas' jacket, they thought it was defiantly time to go. Will whistled Tonic in who had been chasing rabbits. The walk down was easier but the bundles of valuable flowers in all their various containers slowed them a bit. They were halfway home, when the tall trees of the forest brought dusk on early.
“We are still an hour or more from home,” said Raya. Tonic flew in looking annoyed.
“Home” Will said hoping that Tonic knew he meant the cave.
Another half an hour and it was really getting dark.
“What was that noise” asked Will.
"Just the forest" said Raya.
“That’s not forest,” said Will pointing to a dark outline.”
“No, it isn't,” said Raya.
There in the dying light was a wolf. Rayas blood ran cold.
“How far did you say we were from the cave whispered Will.”
“Too far to run. Let's keep going and see what it does. You take the cloak with the flowers so I can keep my bow ready. If we can find a tree with low branches, then let's climb it, just drop the cloak if you need to.” said Raya, then she called out.
“Wolf, we know you are there, if you stay back then I won't let an arrow loose at you.”
Unfortunately, in the old forest of the Vior there were not many trees with low branches. Gravity was running at normal, so no giant leaps were possible either. The pair made their way along the path. Being close to the camp and on one of her honey collecting routes, Raya could follow the track in the low light. They walked at a brisk pace without running, showing as little fear as they could.
“I can't see or hear any other wolves, I pretty sure this on is by itself.” said Raya to Will.
“If it hasn’t attacked us by now then hopefully it won't.”
Finally, they made it to the cave.
“We made it” said Will dumping his load and stirring up the embers in the fire.
“Thank the moons for providing us enough light to keep going.” said Raya gratefully while bringing some dry wood over to add to the embers.
It was the quickest stoking of a fire they had done since they met.
“I can't see Tonic,” said Raya.
“He will be asleep in a tree nearby im sure” said Will.
They finally relaxed when the fire was roaring and had wedged a few bigger branched across the entrance along with a couple of wide drying baskets for good measure.
“I wonder if the wolf is still out there” wondered Will.
“Well I am not going to check” said Raya, “how about we leave that one till morning... We got a good load of starbinders if we can dry them well then, they will be worth a few silver coins.”